Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1909-01-14
FORAKER MAKES
GRAVE CHARGES
ALLEGATION OF ILLEGAL DIVER
SION OF PUBLIC FUNDS sY
THE PRESIDENT.
SPANISH-WAR APPROPRIATION
USED FOR THE PAYMENT
OF DETECTIVES.

Washington. Jan. 13.-Illegal diver
sion of public funds by the president
and William H. Taft while secretary of
war, to pay for the inve tigation by
private detectives into the Browns
Vile affair was charged by Senator
Joseph Benson Foraker of Ohio, in
the senate in a speech in replying to
statements of Herbert j. Browne, of
this city and William G. Baldwin of
Roanoke. Va, who were employed by
the secretary of war TO secure evil
dence of the guilt of negro soldiers
of the 25th infantry, in shooting up
Brownsville on the night of August
1914, 1906. The government of
the private detectives was character
lied by Mr.. Foraker as 'atrocious,
shocking and revolving"
This charge of illegally diverting
$4,000 from the war fund of 100000
appropriated by the deficiency act of
March 8, 1899, was made by Mr.. For
aker in concluding his remarks which
consisted of a careful consideration
of certain legal phases of the Browns
vile affair and the reading of a num-
Der Of affidaVits by soldiers whose
testimony and confessions" Mr..
Browne alleged he had secured TO I'M
raveI the mystery of the Identity OF
the men who did.
Speaking of the $3,000,O0O war fund
of 1899 appropriated as an emergency
les constantly arising to be expended
at the discretion of the pre- sident, "
Mr. Foraker said:
ct will probably be surprising in
formation to the appropriations COM
mittee, as it will be to most senators,
that this appropriation, made ten
years ago at the close of the Spanish
American war, to enable the president
to meet emergency army cOntingenC-
les such as were then arising in con-
nection with our military establish
ment, should have been construed to
be a permanent appropriation, and
that there is still a large uneXpended
balance out of which payments Of the
character now under consideration
are being made"
Waving all technical or doubtful
objections and assuming for the sake
of argument, that the constitutional
provision quoted does not apply, and
that the ruling of the tTea ury depart
ment, that the appropriation is per-
manent, is correct, and that it COntin-
ues to stand, and will stand, as an
available appropriation for such pur-
poses as tho e for which it was in
tended until entirely exhausted, the
question remains whether such pay
ments as are now under consideration
are legitimate and proper to be made
from it. It would seem that granting
all I have indicated, they are yet
nevertheless, clearly Illegal and in
flat violation Of the following statu-
tory provision. That no emplOye of
the Pinkerton Detective Agency or
similar agency shall be employed in
any government service or by any of
ficer of the District of Columbia
This provision was enacted in
1892 and has been in force an0 eff
feet ever since In view Of this sta
tute, all these payments are clearly
Illegal, not only without warrant OF
authority of law, but in plain viola
ton thereof
Speaking of the use Of private de
tectives in inve tigating the Browns
vile affair, Mr. Foraker declared that
ct is impossible to find Language
with which to fttingiy characterize
such a procedure as this detective
business ha5 been from its incipiency
| down to the monstrous stages it has
| reached. It is atrociOus, revolving
| shocking to every sense of fairness
justice and even common decency."
at will appear from the president
message and the exhibits thereto at
tached showing the mode in which the
|