Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-03-20
IN THE SENATE.
La Toilette Refuses to Attack Presi'
dent-The Brownsville Affair.

Washington. March 19-Resuming in
the Senate today his unfinished speech
Of the Aldrich currency bill, Senator
LaFollette directed himself to the
charge made in his remarks on Iues-
day that the recent financial stringency
was started by great bankers and nm
anciers He declared that since Iues-
day he had got additional Information
proving that his charge was correct
He read a letter signed by II. K YER
milla, auditor of the Washington Life
Insurance Co, calling upon an agent to
send premiums, collected weekly, TO
New York and he said such letters
we're sent to agents of that company
all over the country.
"Other New York insurance COM
panies," said LaFollette. controlled by
Identical and allied interests at the
same time gave similar instructions TO
their state managers throughout the
country"
Senator Gore of Oklahoma inter-
rupted to ask whether in regard TO the
charge made by the senator from Wis
cnnsin the President was JUSTIFIED IN
rongratulating the man who brought
on the panic.
Does the senator think" he said,
that President Roosevelt and Secre-
tary Cortelyou were not star actors III
that performance or at least that thev
congratulated the chief actors "hen II
was over" He quoted from letter
from President Roosevelt to MT. Cor
telyou.
LaFoIIette said he did not propose to
be drawn into criticism of the Presi-
dent. who had done the best he could
to relieve the situation and had NOT
thought It wise at that critical mo-
ment to attempt the punishment OF
the incendaries who had started the
confederation the President sought to
put out.
whatever the agencies were back
Of that panic" said LaFollette. what
ever the purposes were behind 1T, the
President and his secretary Of the
treasury were confronted with a con-
dition. The panic was on declared
the senator in tones than rang through
the chamber, "the panic was on. He
saw that legitimate business was put
in peril and the responsibility came
to him as the head of the government
and to his secretary as the head of the
treasury department. Where else could
the money have been sent to stop the
panic, no matter what influence might
have been behind this bill?'
After speaking for more than two
hours and a half. LaFollette yielded
the floor with the statement that he
would resume his speech Monday next
The Senate devoted part of the day to
the consideration of the omnibus claims
bill and then referred it back to a COM
mittee for further consideration.
Senator Warner introduced the admin
istration bill providing for the re-enlist-
ment of discharged negro soldiers of the
25th Infantry who can establish to the
satisfaction of the President that they
had no participation or guilty knowledge
Of the ARRAY at Brownsville, Tex. The
bill gives the soldiers one year from the
time Of the approval of the act in which
to establish their innocence.
The pay and allowances of such men
as are restored to the service will date
from the time of their discharge just rs
though the re-enlistment had been made
at that time. The measure differs from
that introduced by Senator Foraker in
that his bill provides for the rc-enllst-
ment of the former soldiers upon :iinir'
making an oath that they were not in
volved in the ARRAY.