Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-01-15
FORAKER DEFENDS
NEGROES WHILE He
ABUSES ROOSEVELT
SAYS HE INDIGNANTLY RESENTS
SHAMEFUL PERFORMANCE OF
BEING SPIED UPON BY THE
GOVERNMENT HE SERVES.

the discussion of the Brownsville affair
in the senate today By Senator Foraker
called out large gathering that filled
the galleries to overlooking.
The senator received the strictest at
tention of his colleagues on the floor
nearly all of whom were present, togeth-
er with a considerable number of MEM
bers of the house. who occupied places
in the rear of the chamber.
Among the visitors in the gallery there
was a large number of negro men and
women, many of whom have been present
on every occasion when Mr.. Foraker has
defended the negro soldiers of the 18th
erigment against the charge of having
''shot up" the town of Brownsville, Tex.
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 interest of
an extemporaneous address.
Presidents Seat Empty.
The galleries were filled and there was
large attendance Of senator's present
when Senator Foraker arose to deliver
his address. Mr.. Foraker read his adj
dress in a clear voice that enabled ali
to readily follow every word of his state
ment. ~
The row Of seats reserved for the pres
lQent was empty TIE tiLAAS oSAA-
ator Foraker was speaking.
AS Mr.. Foraker proceeded, the attend
ance on the Republican side of the cham
Der Increased by the arrival of additional
senator's so that nearly every seat was
filled. The attendance of Democratic SEN
ators was not so large, only about one
fourth Of the Democrats remaining in
their places throughout the discourse.
When Mr.. Foraker commented on a
statement of the detectives respecting a
letter he had written TO one of the dis
charged soldiers, he laid down his man
uscript and with considerable vehemence
declared:
"I have doubtless written some letters
needing explanation. have doubtless
written some letters that 1 would not
have written if / had all the informa-
ton got at some other time. But have
never written any letter since left my
mothers knee of which 1 have been
ashamed or that needed any lying to ex-
plain"
He added that SO much suspicion has
been cast abroad he did not care to as
s1nle anything.
~ here will be a time" he said, as ne
threw his manuscript down 0n mis- desk
and looked over. the senate cnanl'er
when men win not lightly deal with
such charges and insinuations."
shameful Performer.
AS he~ proceeded, his voice grew more
and more intense.
"If l have shown any undue zeal in
commenting on this proceeding, he said,
again departing from his manuscript cit
IS net through anger, but through that
indignant resentment that every sslf-re-
srecting man feels who is spied ON by the
COVE rnment he is attempting to serve. No
language car completely describe suck a
shan eful performance and i 40 not ex-
emit anybody from that remark who has
heen connected with it, from the highest
to the lowest"
AS Mr.. Foraker read letters from some
of the negro soldiers denying the state
ments of the detectives, he referred to
a bundle of letters on his t.csx and said
the OF ,ginals were there il any one cared
to see them.
There viii be a time when they viii
be where they can be called to account
as other men can be called to account"
Reading an affidavit of G. o. Arnold,
the sheriff who denied the statements of
the detectives in relation to alleged con
fessions," secured from Boyd Conyers,
Mr.. Foraker asked Senator Clay of Geor-
gia what kind of a man Arnold was.
Senator Clay said he had known Arnold
fifteen or twenty years and that he was
a most excellent man In every respect,
II do not think that Arnold needed a
certificate of character" declared Mr..
Foraker except only to those who be-
lieve ill of all those who do not agree
with them"
Roast for Roosevelt.
Commenting on the report of Herbert
]. Browne, who had charge of the In
vestigation by detectives, Mr.. Foraker
declared that he had been shocked and
Mortified when he read his statements.
81 wish" he said. his voice resembling
throughout the chamber, somebody else
who pirates about the dishonesty of other
people," evidently meaning the president,
could be shocked and Mortified"
The government use OF The private de-
tectives in the Brownsville affair was
characterized by Mr.. Foraker as afro
cious, shocking and revolving"
This charge of illegally diverting $4,000
from the war fund of 100000 appropri-
ated by the deficiency act of March 3,
1899, was made by Mr.. Foraker in con-
Guiding his remarks which consisted of
a very careful consideration of certain
lagel phases Of the Brownsville AFFAIR and
the reading of a number of affidavits by
soldiers whose testimony and ''cOnfes-
sions'' Mr. Browne alleged he had secured
to unravel the mystery of the identity
of the men who did the Shooting and
those affidavits denied with great par
ticularity nearly every statement of i'm
portance by the detectives.
Speaking OF the 100000 war fund of
1899 appropriated as an emergency to
meet unforeseen contingencies constant
iy arising TO be expended at the discre-
ton of the president, Mr.. Foraker said:
1T will probably be surprising infor-
nation TO the appropriations commit
tee, as II will be to most senator's, that
this appropriation, made ten years ago
at the close of the Spanish
war, to enable the president to meet
emergency army contingencies such as
were then arising in connection with our
military establishment, should have been
construed to be a permanent appropria-
ton, and that there is still a large un-
expended balance out of which payments
of the character now under consideration
are being made
Discusses Fund.
THE contingency under which this use
of the war fund of 1900 uaS rsatI Mr.