Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1909-01-13

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is impossible to find language with
which fttingly to characterize such a
procedure as this detective business
has been from its incpiency down to
the monstrous stages it has reached
1t is atrocious. revolving shocking to
every -sense of fairness, justice and
| even common decencv."
Mr. Foraker reviewed the state
ments by the president in his mes
sages to congress on the Brownsville
affair III will be noted" he said.
that the guilt Of these soldiers as
charged by the president was, accord
ing to the president. 'conclusively' es-
tabished by the testimony first sub
mitted." The senator said. however,
that he recognized the necessity for
strengthening his case. and thereupon
dispatched Mr.. Purdy and Mannor
Blocksom to Brownsville to secure the
evidence reported by them.
When he submitted these affidavits
to the senate, he said, as his former
message affirmed that it Conclusive
~ and overwhelmingly established the
guilt of the men as charged by him"
In the message he sent to the sem
ate after the report of the committee
on military affairs, he reiterated that
the facts claimed by him had been
by that testimony thoroughly estab-
lshed When the committee reported.
senator Foraker said, everybody APP
parently supposed the investigation
was ended He continued.
But not so. As though conscious
that, Notwithstanding all his assertions
and declarations as to the sufficiency
of the testimony it was in fact un-
reliable and insufficient to justify his
order of discharge we were favored
with the further message of December
IA, 1908, in which were Informed that
detectives had been employed by the
war department, and that they had
been at work for months
Speaking of the presidents reply
and of the secretary of war to a sem
ate resolution calling for information
Mr.. Foraker said.
This message of the president, with |
its exhibits and this report of Secre- |
tary Taft present a new and most |
serious feature Of this unhappy busi- |
ness. They not only disclose a de |
termncd effort on the part of the |
president to again bolster up the case
against these men, but that he has |
resorted to a method in his effort to
secure such testimony that can not be
httingly characterized without the use |
Of language, which, if employed, might /
appear to be disrespectful to the chief |
eXecutice. And, worst of all, in this
endeavor to secure such testimony the
president has himself committed a
serious offense-condemncd by every
court that administers the common
law that has ever had occasion to
speak on the subjeet--of holding out
to thelsc men an inducomcnt or "A re-
ward. for giving such testimony
"It does not lessen the gravity of
his offcnse that II appears TO be inn
perceI I,aAl, IS lii or IL dot ~ that
ne has become utterly oblivious to
al the restraints of law, dcccncy ana
oropriety in his mad pursuit of these
aelpless victims of his ill-considered
lction
I'm my opinion, aside from the
question whether there has been a
nis-appropriation of public funds no
PRECEDENT for anything so shocking
an be found in all the history Of
american criminal Jurisprudence
1T Will appear from the presidents
Message and exhibits thereto attached
moving the mode in which the de-
ectives are operating and the testi-
nony i'm answer thereto that fraudu-
ent impersonation, Misrepresentation. ,
ying, deceit, treachery liquor ana in
oXication. coupled with promises OF
and the excitement Of hone
nd fear and the offer of employment ,
nd remunerative wages. have been
escorted TO. to secure the testimony
ought for, and that the so-called com
essions' are not confined to such as ,
fleet the parties making them or to
hose affected by them who NAV be ,
'resent when such confessions are /
made, but who are absent and without
.nowledge OF what is transpirng and
Without whatever to do to be heard {
n their own defense-even to make
n objection that such statements and
uch confessions are untruthful
These facts make all such testi- /
1ony utterly incompetent and worth /
ass" i
The row Of seats reserved for the t
resident was empty throughout the
ime Senator Foraker was speaking s
Yearly every seat on the republican !
idc was occupied Only about one. {
ourth of the democrats remained in J
heir places throughout the discourse
When Mr.. Foraker commented on "A
tatement Of the detectives respecting :
letter he had written TO one Of the
ischarged soldiers he laid down his
Manuscript and with considerable We
epaeucc declared:
Il have doubtless written some let :
FRS needing explanation. have
oubtless written some letters that I
'ould not have written If / had all
he information I got at some other
me. But I have never written any [
'tter since | left my mothers knee )
I which have been ashamed or o
hat needed any lying to explain"
As he proceeded his voice grew Y
lore and more intense.
IF / have shown any undue zeal in ,
ommenting on this proceeding" he I
aid again departing from his manu- u
'ript 'it is not through danger. but n
trough indignant resentment that u
very self-rcspecting man feels who IS C.
pied upon by the government ne is
tempting 10 serve No language can q
ompletely describe such a shameful 3
erformance and I do not exempt u
nybody from that remark what has
acu connected with il from the biol =