The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1909-01-21
BROWNSVILLE
CASES BEFORE
SENATE AGAIN
SENATOR FRAZIER OF TENNEs-
SEE, DELIVERS STRONG ARGU-
MENT AGAINST THE REIN
STATEMENT OF THE cOLoREp
TROOPS.
By Associated Press.

ceeded with the naval appropriation
bill. The bill will probably occupy
the attention of the house until Fri
day.
The Brownsville affair was again
before the senate today, Senator Fra
Zler, OF Tennessee, speaking in Oppo-
sition-to the passage of any measure
Tor the re-enlistment of the discharg
ed soldiers. He insisted the guilt of
some of the men had been establish
ed beyond any doubt, although the in
diyiduals who committed the crime
had not been determined. Senator
Foraker announced he would move
next Monday to take up his bill to re-
inState the soldiers.
Address by Frazier.
Senator FrazieriS remarks were of
special interest as ne was a member
of the committee on military affairs
which investigated the BROWNSVILLE
incident, his views being those of a
Southerner who had IN intimate
knowledge Of the negro race
Whenever" declared Mr.. Frazier,
any question arises affecting the ne
gro, there are certain people, includ-
ing the negro himself, who seem to
think that he should be dealt with in
an exceptional and unusual way; that
he is to be treated as the ward of the
nation and must be the constant OBJ
ject of its care and soIicitude. No
greater wrong can be done the negro
and no greater injury can be inflicted
upon the country as whole than to
impress upon the negro such false
and erroneous teachings. Those who
have been instrumental in placing the
entire negro population Of the coun-
try in the attitude of defending the
criminals of their race, because they
were of their race, have assumed a
grave responsibility indeed They
have inflicted a lasting injury upon
the country and upon the negro HIM
self. If those people in every section
of the country who are specially soil
citous for the negro's welfare would
by act and deed teach the negro that
he is to be shown no exception, must
stand or fall on his own conduct and
merit alone, they would render him
incalculable benefit and the country
a lasting service"
No Doubt as to Guilt"
Analysing the testimony taken in
various investigations, Mr.. Frazier
said there was no question as to the
guilt of the soldiers of the Twent-
fifth regiment. He Justified the pres
ident in his discharge of the entire
body of troops because of the i'm
particular soldiers. Speaking of the
incentive of the soldiers for the COM
mitment of the crime he said:
No one not familiar with the real
character of the negro race knows
o. can fully appreciate the intensity
of feeling with which he resents any
apparent discrimination against him
on account of his race and color
This is Strikimgly illustrated in the in
tense opposition of the negro to those
laws in effect in some states pTovid-
ing for the separation of the races in
railway coaches, even where the &C
cOmmOdatiOns are equal and exactly
alike IL was admitted by many of
the soldiers in their testimony that
this subject, together with the sub
ject of other idignities which they
claimed had been inflicted upon some
of them were frequent matters of
discussion in the barracks of the sol
diers."
Their restriction in the saloons of
Brownsville, Mr.. Frazier said, gave
ample incentive for the resentment
that WAS shown among them against
the people of the town.
Has no Prejudice.
In the conclusions which I have
reached in this matter and in the
views | have expressed upon it. |
have been Influenced by no prejudice
against the negro" he said i have
never favored any policy VITA ref
er5nce to the negro that did not rec
CgniZe his rights as a man and did
not assure him equal and exact JUS
tice before the law. l have never
failed to condemn every act of law
lessnes inflicted upon the negro and
have always demanded for him fair
and impartial trial when he has been
charged with the violation of the
law, it matteTed not how atTociOus
his crime l know the negro, his
faults and his viTtUC5-and he has
many virtues Nv llrowledge and OBJ
servatiCn of the negro race covers al
most the span of my life for they
nursed me in my infancy. played with
me in N bOyhOOd. and I have known
and studied them in nature manhood.
have prosecuted and defended
them as lawyer; 7 have tried and
passed sentence upon tETm as q
Judge; I have exSrted tie power OF
the state to shield and protect them
against lawlessness sought to be in
fiicCed upon them for grave crimes,
when l was governor of my state. and
many times in pity have / reached
out TO them the 1and Of executive
clemency, because of their weakness
l recall with gratitude. and ] pray
God I may never forget their loyalty
and fidelity TO those whom they seTv-
ed and loved during the turmoil and
strife of bitterness OF the civil war.
Treatment in the South
Speaking OF the treatment of the
negro by the people of the South, Mr..
Frazier said:
I would not be entirely frank If I
did not say that upon certain phases