The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-26
Vote ofSenaIe Committee Makes
 Decision Final
FORAKER FIGHTS IN VAIN
Ohio Senator's Amendments Are Voted Down and the Committee UphoIds Roosevelt's Order-Senate
 Will Take Vote.

Washington, February 25.-That 1he shooting affray9st Brownsville, Tex, on the night of August 1914, 1906, was done by some of the negro soldiers Of the Twenty fifth United States infantry and that the testimony taken before the Senate committee on military af- fairs fails to identify the guilty par ties is the opinion of eight members of the committee. Four members of the committee voted against this de- cision and one member did not vote. The resolution declaring the guilt of the negroes was submitted by Senator Lodge and was adopted after five reso- lutions by Senator Foraker, one by Senator Dupont. and one by Senator Scott, all of which were offered as sub stitutes, had been voted down.
 The vote today was reached after prolonged investigation extended over two sessions of Congress and evil dence had been taken covering thous- ands of pages. Practically every ne- gro of the three companies of in fantry dishonorably discharged by President Roosevelt, testified in his own behalf, while evidence in support of the President was given by many army officers and citizens of Brownsville. Throughout the entire controversy, which in many sections of the country I as been made a political issue, the anti-administration side has been di- rected by Senator Foraker. In the final vote in the committee a majority of the republican members came 10 his support. The Ohio senator ex- pressed himself as gratified at this and it was apparent from the outset that all the den.oeratic members wsse convinced that the negroes did the shooting.
 The fight again will be carried to she floor of the Senate. The reports from the committee will not be made foe about ten days. After the reports have been made to the Senate it is expected Senator Foraker will press the matter to a vote there. The Ohio senator purposes also to introduce a bill to restore to the military service several of the discharged negroes as were shown beyond a reasonable doubt to have been innocent of any offense connected with the affray. The con- mittee was in session today for near ly three hours. It was in the main harmonious as practically the only pas sage at arms were of parliamentry nature Senator Lodge offered a reso- lution as follows:
 That, in the opinion of this com mittee, tho shooting in the affray at Brownsville on the night of August 1914, 1906, was done by some of the soldiers belonging to the Twenty-fifth United States infantry then stationed at Fort Brown, Texas"
 Mr. Foraker offered as a substitute the following:
 'The testimony wholly fails to iden- tify the individuals or any of them, who participated in the shooting af- fray"
 The Foraker substitute was defeated by a vote of 8 to 5. The affirmative votes being Scott, Foraker, Hemenway, Bulkely. and Dupont. The negatives were Warren, Lodge, Warner, Talia- fero, Foster. Overman, Frazier and Me Creary. The last five named are demo- crats The alignment substantially was the same on most of the substitutes or iered. The Lodge resolution finally was adopted by the same division, ex- cept that Senator Dupont did not vote, making three republicans and five den- ocrats in favor of supporting the dis charge of the negroes. and four repub- licans on record against it.
 After the Lodge resolution was adopted. Senator Warner offered the following resolutions:
 That the testimony fails to identify the particular soldier or soldiers who participated in the shooting affray.
 It was agreed to by vote Of eighe yeas five republican senators opposed to the Lodge resolution not voting