The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-01-13

washington, Jan PA renewal OF
the discussion of the Brownsville af-
fair in the senate today by Senator
Foraker called out large gathering
that filled the galleries to overflowing.
The senator had the ,strictest at
tention of his colleagues on the floor,
nearly all of whom were present, to-
gether with a considerable number OF
members of the house, who occupied
places in the rear of the chamber.
Among the visitors in the gallery
there was large number of negroes,
men and women, many of whom have
been present on every occasion when
Mr.. Foraker has defended the negroes
of the Twenty-fifth regiment against
the charge of having 'shot up" the
town Of Brownsville on the night of
August 1914, 1906"
Senator Foraker had prepared his
speech very carefully, but his reading
of the manuscript had all Of the inter-
est of an extemporaneous address.
When Mr Foraker commented on
statement Of the detectives respecting
a letter he had written to one of the
discharged soldiers he laid down his
manuscript and with considerable We
hemence declared:
Il have doubtless written some let
ters needing explanation. l nave
doubtless written some letters that
would not have written If l had all
the Information I got at some other
time But I've never written any let
ters since l left my mothers knee OF
which am ashamed or need any lying
to explain"
AS he proceeded his voice grew more
and more intense. IF | have SHOWN
any undue zeal in commenting on these
proceedings" he said, glancing from
his manuscript, "it Is not through an
ger but through the indignant resent
ment that every self respecting man
feels who Is spied upon by the gov
ernment he Is attempting to serve.
No language can completely describe
such a shameful performance. l don't
exempt anyone from that remark VINO
Is connected with it from the highest
to the lowest"
Commenting on the report of Herb
ert ]. Browne. who had charge OF the
investigation by detectives Mr.. Foraker
declared that he had been shocked ana
Mortified when he read his statements.
'I wish" he said, his voice resound-
ing throughout the chamber, some
body else who prates about the dis
honesty of other people y evidently
meaning the president, could be
shocked and Mortified"
Illegal diversion of public funds by
the president and william H. Iaft
while secretary of war, to pay for me
investigation by private detectives lnto
the Brownsville affair was charged by
Senator Joseph B. Foraker of OHIO IN
the senate today in speech replying
to statements of Herbert ]. Browne
Of this city and William G Baldwin OF
Roanoke, Va, who were employed by
the secretary of war to secure evidence
of the guilty negro soldiers of the
Twenty fifth infantry, u. S. A, In
shooting up Brownsville on the night
of August 1914, 1906. The govern
ment use OF the private detectives
was characterized by Mr.. Foraker as
''atrocious, shocking and revolti2g.'
This charge of illegaIy diverting
$4,000 from the war funds of $3,000,-
900, appropriated by the deficiency act
Of March 3, 1899, was made by Mr..
Foraker in concluding his remarks,
which consisted of very careful con-
sideration of certain legal phases Of
the Brownsville affair and the reading
of number of affidavits by SOL
diers, whose testimony and "confes-
sions MIR. Browne alleged he had Sc
cured to unravel the mystery of the |
identity of the men who did the shoot
ing, and these affidavits deny with |
great particularly nearly every state
ment of Importance by the detectives. |
Speaking Of the $3,000,0 900 war fund |
- al
to meet unforeseen contingencies con-
stantly arising, to be expended at the |
discretion of the president, Mr.. For
aker says:
Surprising Inform alton.
TT will probably be surprising in
formation that an appropriation made |
10 years ago, at the close of the Span
ish american war to enable the presi-
dent to meet emergency army con-
tingencies such as were then arising
in connection with our military es-
tablishment. should have been con-
strued to be a permanent appropria-
tion."
Mr.. Foraker declared that the stat
utes directed the head of each de-
partment to make an annual report to
congress, giving detailed statement
of the manner in which the contingent
fund of his department has been ex-
pended.
This appropriation, he said, being
for the war department, the report
should have been made by the secre-
tary of war, but so far as I can as
certain, no detailed or itemzed re-
ports to congress Of expenditures from
the fund have been made.
Senator Foraker says that, waving
all technical or doubtful objections
and assuming, for the sake of argu-
ment, that the constitutional provision
quoted does not apply, "the question
remains whether such payments as
are now under consideration are legiti-
mate or proper to be made from it. It
would seem that, granting all I have