Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-02-26
PRESIDENT SUSTAINED
Senate Committee Upholds His
Action Discharging Negro
Troops
ING INVESTIGATION ENDS
Committee Holds That Shooting at
Brownsville Was Done by Soldiers,
and That Guilty Ones Could Not Be
Singled Out - Foraker May Carry
Fight to Floor of Senate.

Washington. Feb. 26.-President
Roosevelt's action in dismissing Il bat
TALON of negro soldiers of the Twenty
fifth infantry because of the Browns
senate committee on military affairs
yesterday by q vote of to 4.
The committee found that the shoot
ing at Brownsville on the nights OF
August Is and IA, 1906 was done by
some soldiers of the Twenty-tifth in
fantry. but that the testimony was not
definite enough TO identify the guilty
men. Four members of the committee
voted against this finding, and one
member did not vote at all. The res
olution declaring the guilt of the ne
groes was submitted by Senator Lodge
and was adopted after five resolutions
by Senator Foraker and one by Sena-
tor Dupont had been offered as substi-
tutes.
The vote was reached after a pro-
longed investigation extending over
two sessions of congress. and evidence
had been taken covering thousands of
pages Practically every negro Of the
three companies of infantry dishonor-
ably discharged by President Roose-
welt testified in his own behalf. while
evidence in support of the president
was given by many army officers and
citizens of Brownsville
Turnout the entire controversy the
anti administration fight has been di-
rectcd by Senator Foraker. In the
final vote in the committee a majority
of republican members came TO his
support. The Ohio senator expressed
himself as greatly gratified at this, as
it was apparent from the outset that
all Of the members were convinced
that the negroes did the shooting.
The fight will be carried to the floor
of the senate The reports of the COM
mittee will not be submitted for about
ten days, as Senator Warner. who
conducted the examination of witnesses
on behalf OF the administration, will
be absent from Washington for that
period Action by the committee
therefore will be postponed until his
return. After the reports have been
made to the senate it is expected that
Senator Foraker will press the matter
to a vote then II he should secure the
same proportion of the republican
members as he had in the committee.
the report will be defeated
The Ohio senator proposes to intro
duce a bill to restore to the military
service, such of the discharged negroes
as were shown beyond a reasonable
doubt to have been innocent of any
ofsense connected with the tffray.
The committee was in session yes
terday for nearly three hours. 1t was
in the main harmonious. Practically
the only passages at arms We're of a
preliminary nature.
Senator Lodge offered a resolution
as follows when the matter came to a
vote:
THAT in the opinion of the commit
tee the shooting affray in Brownsville
on the night of Aug. 1S-14 was done by
some of the soldiers belonging to the
Twenty-fifth United States infantry
stationed at Fort Brown, Tex"
Senator Foraker offered as a substi-
tute the following:
',rhe testimony wholly fails to iden-
tify the individuals or any of them who
participated in the shooting affair."
The Foraker substitute was defeated
by a vote of to 5. the alternatives
being: Scott, Foraker, Bulkeley and
Dupont. The negative votes were:
Warren, Lodge. Warner, Taliaferro,
Foster, Overman, Frazier and Nc
Creary. The last five named are dem
ocrats.
The lodge resolution finally was
adopted by the same division, except
that Senator Dupont did not vote, MAX
ing three republicans and five demo-
Gratis in favor of supporting the dis
charge of the negroes and four repub-
licans on record against it.