Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1909-01-21
CONGRESSIONAL SUMMARY

Washington, d. c., Jan. 12-IllegaI
diversion of public funds by the pres
ident and William H. Taft while sec
rotary of war, to pay for the investi,
cation by private detectives into the
| Brownsville affair was charged by
| Senator Joseph Benson Foraker of
Ohio, in the senate in a speech in
replying to statements of Herbert ].
Brown Of this city and William G.
Baldwin, of Roanoke, Va, who were
! employed by the secretary of war to
secure evidence of the guilt of Negro
soldiers of the 25th infantry United
States army, in shooting up" Browns
vile on the night Of August 13 and IA,
| 1906. The government use of the
private detectives was characterized
| by Mr.. Foraker as "atrOcious, shock
ing and revolving This charge of
illegally diverting $4,000 from the
war fund of 100000 appropriated
by the deficiency act of March 3, 1899,
was made by Mr.. Foraker in conclud-
ing his remarks, which consisted OF
very careful consideration of GER
tain legal phases of the Brownsville
affair and the reading of a number of
affidavits by soldiers whose testimony
and confessions" Mr.. Browne al
legged he had secured to unravel the
my terry Of the identity of the men who
did the shooting and those affidavits
denied with great particularly nearly
every statement of Importance by the
detectives. Speaking of the $4,000,
900 war fund of 1899 appropriated as
an emergency to meet unforeseen con-
'tingencies constantly arising to be
expended at the discretion of the
president Mr.. Foraker said: ct will
probably be surprising information
to the appropriations committee, as
it will be to most senator's, that this
appropriation made ten years ago at
the close Of the Spanish-American
war, to enable the president to meet
emergency army contingencies such
as wer, hen arising in connection
with our military establishment,
should have been construed to be a
permanent appropriation, and that
there is still a large unexpended bal
ance out of which payments of the
character now under consideration
are being made"
Washington, Jan. 13-An indication
of the temper Of the house in regard
to the secret service and special
agents of the government was mani
tested when the house committee on
ind ioso
house, with recommendation that it |
pass the Clark resolution, calling |
upon the attorney general for informa- /
ton in regard to the number of spe-
cial agents in the employ of the dc.
partment Of justice, also requests to
furnish information regarding the du-
ties of such special agents salaries
and law under which the de-
partment has organized the force of
special agents"
To make the rate of postage on
third and fourth class matter on ru-
raj free delivery routes equal to two
cents per pound is the object of a
bill introduced by Representative
Foster of Vermont The measure
provides that no package exceeding
10 pounds in weight shall be re-
ceived for conveyance and that the
postage rates on matter specified
shall be ore cent for eight ounces or
less, two cents for eight to sixteen ]
ounces, two cents per pound or frac-
ton thereof for all packages over two
r7r st,J.r rot
Of the one hundredth anniversary of q