Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1908-04-23
SPEECH BY BORAH
THE IDAHO SENATOR DISCUSSED
BROWNSVILLE AFFRAY IN
THE SENATE.
NE THINKS MEGRoeS GUILTY
Testimony Clearly Established conspi.
racy on Part Of Some Of the
Soldiers to Shoot Up
the Town.

Washington, Apr 21.-The ARRAY at
Brownsville, Texas, again called forth
the most intense interest In the senate
Monday. Senator Borah Of Idaho, TAX
ing the ground that the testimony
showed conclusively that the negro
soldiers Of the Twenty-ffth regiment
shot up the town, gave a careful analy
sis Of the evidence in the case. There
was an unusually large number OF sen
ators present on both sides Of the
chamber and they carefully followed
the arguments presented by MIR,
Borah.
Senator Borah found opportunity In
his maiden speech In the senate to
express his dlsapproval Of any effort
to secure leniency for Harry Orchard
the self-confessed thrower Of the bomb
which caused Steunenberg's death. The
utterance was a part Of a speech by
the senator on the Brownsville ARRAY
and was made in connection with con
demnatlon of all efforts to condone the
offense at Brownsville. 1t was as fol
lows:
"A cold-bloOded, inhuman, incarnate
devil blows to pieces an ex-governor
upon the doorstep Of his home, ts
caught and confesses, and before the
grave Of the man who died a martyr
to law and order Is green, sentimen
talism puts a halo upon the brow Of
the blacklist spirit that ever escaped
the crypts Of hell. Men wearing the
uniform of a soldier Of the union, the
insignia Of government and the symbol
Of law and order, In the quiet OF night
while the homes are defenseless, as
sault and attempt to murder whole
families and finally succeed in com.
hitting one murder. To compromise
with such an act or such a deed is
cowardice; It is betrayal Of govern
ment; 1t is an insult to every intelli
gent and right-thinking negro, for II
pre-supposes he is q traitor to hia
country and criminal at heart"
The speech was made notable by
many striking passages Of oratory and
attracted general interest. Besides
containing an analysis Of the testimony
taken In the Brownsville case It was
in reply to Senator Foraker's recent
discussion Of the same subject, Mr..
Borah made very clear his belief that
the evidence established conspiracy
on the part Of some Of the negro sol
diers Of the Twenty-hfth regiment, to
shoot up the town. II consider" said
Mr.. Borah, that the evidence in this
case is simply overwhelming and con
elusive against the colored soldiers un
less you resort to the proposition Of
q conspiracy which manufactured thu
evidence, and that It IL evidently the
view taken by the defense"
The morale Of the army, he said, Il
paramount to any mans right to re
main in 1t. II any man in the Twenty
nth regiment participated In the rio
and II others conived at the crime b!
conceallng knowledge Of It to shell
the guilty parties, then both wer'
guilty alike. he declared.
Concluding he said: Let II be uu
derstood by them and by all that thI
government is their government q
wen as ours; that their hands, thei
labor, In slavery and out, helped b
make It; that their valor and hero
ism helped to preserve It, and tina
Justice will be meted out to both 4
protection and in punishment that tn
door Of hope VIII not be closed no
any escape rom crime provided. lie
Il be known. as every man must at las
know that II this republic is to endur
obedience to the law is to be the fra
tenet Of our faith, and that the gres
army Of the United States must b
one IN which the women and chlldre
can feel perfectly secure when the
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