Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1908-04-23
WARNER REPLIES
THE MISSOURI SENATOR DIFFERS
FROM FORAKER REGARDING
I BROWNSVILLE AFFRAv.
'DIs6RlCED TIER UNIFORM
And stained Honorable Record Of
Their Race AZ soldIers-Ef-
fort to Arouse Race Feel
Ing Serious.

p Z li1
Washington, Apr. 22.A painstaling
ANALYSIS Of the testimony taken In the
several hearings Of the Brownsville
aifair, which led to the discharge Of
number Of negro soldiers Of the
Twenty-hfth infantry, ami especially
that by the committee on military af-
fairs, was presented to the senate
Tuesday by Senator Warner Of Mis-
souri,.
"In the war OF 1861-1S65 / served
in the same command with negro
troops" said Mr.. Warner THE sur
viving veterans of those troops wear
with me, as comrades, the button Of
the G. A. r., and certain 1t Is have
no prejudice against negroes as sol
diers because I believe that members
OF the Twenty-fifth infantry at
Brownsville disgraced the United
States uniform and stained the hon
orable record Of their race as soldiers.
LaWlessness is not the distinguishing
characteristic Of any race or color" !
The Missouri senator quoted freely
throughout his discourse from testi-
mony taken in the several investiga.
tions OF the charge that the negro SOL
diers shot up the town. ut is to be
regretted" he said, that a studious
and systematic effort has been made
to arouse the race feeling of the ne
groes of the country against the presi-
dent because of his action with refer
ence to those companies. Those who
thus work to arouse race issue have
taken upon themselves a heavy re-
sponsibility, for their action must nee
essarily serve to increase the race
prejudice which now exists to an I'M
fortunate extent. It is incredible to
me that any man, white or black,
should have the hardihood to charge
that the president, in issuing the or
der discharging those soldiers, was
prejudiced against them because Of
their color"
Paying a glowing tribute to the va
lor Of negro soldiers at various critical
moments in the wars Of the nation,
Mr.. Warner insisted that he had not
shared the feeling Of criticism against
the administration for having ordered
the negro troops to Brownsville. He
had endeavored, he said, to weigh the
evidence in this case with a view OF
doing even-handed justice and he said
guided by this rule ! am driven to
the conclusion that members OF those
companies whose identity has not been
shown made the midnight assault on
the sleeping and helpless citizens OF
ITO have these soldiers in the serv-
ice with the stain Of that crime rest
ing upon them would have been Grim
inal," declared Mr.. Warner. mo COM
munity in which they might be sta
toned would feel secure. They would
be feared as menace.
while 1t is to be regretted that
some Of the battalion, who, in all prob
ability, were guiltless, came within
the order, yet better this than that a
band Of lawless raiders should con-
tinue to wear the uniform Of the
United States soldiers"
st is not enough" he said, lin a
navy to have the units the best in the
world; It is necessary to have an EN-
Client feet, and we have never until
this year produced an efiicient fleet.
think this voyage has done more for
the navy than anything that has been
He declared that even should the
be abandoned, that action
would not make any difference in the
need Of q feet. The navy, he said, is
3 guarantee Of peace and does not
provoke war.