Evening star. [volume], December 14, 1908, Image 1

About Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972

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THE EVENING STAR - . _ . ?
WITH 8UNPAY MORNING FDITION. W
BuiiMH OflM. Utk?. ud Fwatylmii Arem. W ^ ^WCRthCT
Evening 8t?r Ntwiptper Company, /^jf I |A ^4 9 iT | '
St.. London. Fnfland. A . I } fl ' B 1/ M V I 1/ I I I I I I I *\ fl fl
Naw York Office: Trtbnne BuilJii*. V > B^ V W . %f 7^ fl 1^ I H Pair tOlllgllt. tollOWCd DV
Chicago Office: Fint National Bank Building. B B ^L. * B B B. / I B BIB B vB. J B - ^L. .A. * B >? Ak.
a-... ?.r^T7w s??,., - ?? /%S unsettled weather Tuesday;
edition. I* deliver*! by carriers, within the city 1 * _ M I Xg * X
at V) cents per month. Order* may be sent by V V WaiTOC!". Moderate SOUthCrlY
mail or teiepbone Male 3*40. Collection la made ; a ^ - *
l?y carrier at the end of e?eh month. ! . ,
j winds.
By mall. postage prepaid: : '- . " ~ """ - ?- ????? ~ 1 1
1 ?atly. SiiimImv Included. one month. <b"> cents. , __ . _ ?r. ?
SSS*5?KS^-SMSfeS-SSS.. No. lt,612. WASHINGTON, D. C, MONDAY, DECEMBER 14, 1906-TWENTY PAGES. TWO CENTS.
PRESIDENT SUGGESTS
WAY TO DO JOSTICE
TO NEGROJGLQIERS
Asks for Law Covering the
Brownsville Riot Case.
CONGRESS GETS MESSAGE
t mTP TX7ay? Hanori.
lliuiuuca XVCJIUXL VI TV ai
ment's Special Agent.
CONYERS' ALLEGED CONFESSION
"Members of Co. B, 25th Infantry,
Implicated in the Shooting Up
of the Texas City.
POINTS IN THE BROWNE
REPORT ON BROWNSVILLE
______
Ex-Private Boyd Conyers of Company
B, llJth Infantry, now at Monroe,
Ga., told WUIIum Lawson, a
detective in the employ of Capt.
I William G. Baldwin of Roanoke.
| Va.. that he and three (or four)
other men of the 25th Infantry
were the leaders in the Brownsvide
raid. This information was
obtained at different dut s during
the month of June, l'JOS.
Conye.rs tried to commit suicide
after he found that he had made
his statement to a detective, declaring
that the other negroes would
kill him when it got out.
T'ne list of participants given in
this report Conyers furnished me
personally. 1 believe it is substantially
correct, hut with the influences
shown to be backing Conyers
to adhere to his false testimony
given before the Senate committee
still being exerted he cannot
be relied on to support his own confession
until it is thoroughly sus:
tained from other sources.
The investigation lias been conducted
with strict recognition of
the advisability of preserving seerecy
and with discr-tion. No
promises of Immunity were made.
The issue has evidently become
racial. The colored detectives
would be confronted in the smaller
towns where these men are living
with a demand from colored men
for information as to their business.
We have located over 130 of
these ex-soldiers, and have been in
thirty states in quest of Information.
The appendices give statements
as to the results obtained.
They Indicate a general knowledge
on the part of the ex-6oldlers that
the raid came from Inside the fort,
and that the soldiers of Company
B were the guilty parties.
We earnestly urge that we be
permitted to continue the investigation.
Several detectives are still
In the field, and with'n the coming
week a number of affidavits will be
forthcoming.
The President sent the following special
message, with inelosures, to the Senate
today:
To the Senate:
I inclose herewith a letter from the
Secretary of War transmitting a report
of t?he investigation made by Mr. Herbert
J. Browne-, employed by the department
in conjunction with Capt. W. G. Baldwin
to investigate as far as possible what
happened at Brownsville on the l!>th and
14th of August, 1906. The report and
documents contain some information of
great value and some statements that
are obviously worthless, but I submit
them in their entirety.
This report enables us to fix with tolerable
definlteness at least some of the
criminals wiho took the lead in the murderous
shooting of private citizens at
Brownsville. It establishes clearly the
fact that the colored soldiers did the
shooting; but upon this point further
record was unnecessary, us the fact that
the colored soldiers did the shooting has
already been established beyond all possibility
of doubt. The investigation has
not gone far enough to enable us to determine
ail the facts, and we will proceed
with it; but it has gone far enough
to determine with sufficient accuracy certain
facts of enough importance to make
it advisable that l place the report beiore
you. It appears that almost all the
members of Company B must havl been
actively concerned in the shooting, either
to the extent of being participants or to
the extent of virtually encouraging those
who were participants.
As to Companies C and D, there can be
no question that practically every man in
them must have had knowledge that the
shooting was done by some of the soldiers
of B Troop, and possibiy by one or
two others in one of tihe other troops.
This concealment was Itself a grave offense,
which was greatly aggravated by
their testifying before the Senate commltfoA
lVi.it 1k/v.i i _
mai mcy wtrc ignorant or what
they must have known.
Nevertheless, it is to be said in partial
extenuation that they were probably
?owe<l by threats, made by the more desperate
of the men who had actually been
engaged in the shooting, as to wnat would
happen to any man who failed to proteet
;ht wrongdoers. Moreover, there are circumstances
tending to show that these
misguided men were encouraged by outsiders
to persist in their course of concealment
and denial. 1 feel, therefore
that the guilt of the men who. after the
event, thus shielded the perpetrators o|
the wrong by refusing to tell the truth
about them, though serious, was in part
ciue to the unw.se and improper attitude
of others, and that some measure of allowance
Should be made for the misconduct
In oilier words. I believe we can afforc
t? reinstate any of these men who now
truthfully tell what has happened, give all
the aid they can to iix the resnonsihlt in
upon those who are really guilty, and
show that they themselves had no guiltj
knowledge beforehand and were In nc
way implicated in the affair, save by having
knowledge of It afterward and failing
and refusing to divulge it. I'nder the circumstances.
and in view of the length 01
time ihey have been out of the service
and their loss of the benefit that woulc
have accrued to them by continuous long
time service, we can afford to treat tin
(Continued on Twelfth 1'age.)
SENATE OR CABINET
;
Believed That Burton Is DesI
| tined for One or the Other.
ii
"leaves for home tonight
I
Ohio Machine Supposed to Be Favorable
to C. P. Taft.
; EXAMINATION OF POSTMASTEBS
j
! President Warned of the Insects in
; Africa?Colored Clergymen Call.
Shoes Worn by Dan Patch.
Representative Burton of Ohio, whose
political future is interesting many people
just n6w. spent some time with President
Roosevelt today. Leaving the White
House he reiterated former statements as
| to his program. "I ant a candidate for
i United States senator from Ohio," he declared.
"and I am leaving for home tonight
to get into the middle of the fray.
No. I am not thinking about any other
place, but propose to give all my time
from now on to working for the senatorship."
"Is it true that you contemplate resigning
as chairman of the rivers and
harbors committee of the House?"
I "Well, as I have told you, I am not
bothering with anything now but the
senatorship. That will be settled some
timfi 1 n Tannort1 T n/?t RaI In i - ., t
VKI1V/ kit VUIIUOI J 1 UV IIUI l/cV VJ niv
date has been fixed. I should not make
the contest, either, unless I thought my
prospects were good."
May Do Away With Caucus.
Mr. Burton declared he had no opinion
to express on the proposition that has
been put forth to have the election take
place in the open legislature, without
preliminary caucus by the republicans.
This proposition is receiving some support
throughout the state, and it is said
that Mr. Burton would not be averse to
everything taking place in the open. The
Ohio machine is now supposed to be wi.ii
C. JP. Taft. and it will be able to do considerable
work in a caucus that would
not take place in the open.
*The candidates for the succession to
Senator Forakev are Mr. Burton. C. P.
Taft. Gov. Harris. Representative Keifer
and Harry Daugherty. The fight, however.
is conceded to be between Taft and
Burton.
The belief is pretty general among
Ohio people that if Mr. Burton fails of
election as senator the Cleveland statesman
will be offered a position in the
.Taft cabinet either as Secretary of State
or Secretary of the Treasury.
Sanatn. V?a. 41? "-VI 4
WMWI.V4 auu vuc ^auiuoi.
Senator Knox today declined to discuss
the gossip connecting his name with the
Taft cabinet. From Pittsburg come dispatches
announcing that Senator Knox
has given leading Pittsburg' republicans
who are afflicted tf-ith the buzzing of the
senatorial bee to understand that he does
pot propose to leave the Senate and has
no idea of going into the cabinet, no matter
what position he may be offered. The
situation, though. is#a delicate one. and
Mr. Knox, who was at the White House
today, prefers not to refer to it. We does
not want to be put in the position of de-'
clining something that may not be offered
him, but It Is the opinion of his closest
friends that no cabinet position could induce
him to leave tiie Senate.
Senator Knox likes his work in the
Senate. He likes the opportunity lie has
in vacation period to attend to his private
work or enjoy a rest. When in the
cabinet, he sefused an offer of a position
on the bench of the Supreme Court of the
United States and to some close friends
he is said to have indicated that if he
; siiould fail to return to the Senate lie
would go back to private life, which lit
left at great loss to himself, giving up a
law practice worth over $50,000 a year.
Examination of Postmasters.
Should a man have to stand an examination
in geometry, spelling, literary composition
and a few other things to get a
fourth-class post offlce paying him $50 k
year? Would a man be able to pass
a creditable examination in these subjects
take a position paying $50 a year?
These and similar questions growing out
of the recent classification by President
Roosevelt of fourth-das* postmasters
were discussed at a conference at the
White House today, those with the President
being Senator Penrose and Repiosentatlve
Overstreet, chairmen, respectively,
of the Senate and Horn* committees
on post offices and post roads, and
Postmaster General Meyer.
Fourth-class post offices ard those paying
less than a year to the postmasters.
Over that the office becomes a
presidential appointment, is the examination
for llfty-dollar offices to be the same
as that for nine-hundred-dollar offices?
Would the same class of men respond
for one as the other?
One proposition?and it is tentative?is
to make tfie examinations for post offices
paving below S1U0 a year non-competitive
jnH liQtrci tho uu ma avumlnotlnii f * /?f
UIUI I I tt t V.IUIlIillUI 1UII I VJ VI""
tires paying above the amount. Another
proposition i? to have about three different
grades of examinations, although this
would require much labor.
Congress is not to be asked to aid the
administration in solving the problems
' coming up, bat the views of the men at
the Capitol familiar with post office operations
were asked, so that as much light
as possible might be thrown on the subject.
The President and the Postmaster
General will further thresh oat the questions,
probably at the cabinet meeting tomorrow,
and will talk further with Chairmen
Penrose and G\erstreet.
| African Insects Most Dangerous.
j President Roosevelt was told today that
I ills greatest dangers in Africa will not
! bo from wild beauts or reptiles, from
.! which he can defend himself, but from
, poisonous insects. He received a call
from J. O. Thompson of Richmond. Ind..
. who has spent much time in Africa. Mr.
Thompson was introduced by Representa.
tlve Rede.
[ African insects frequently produce blood
nni^Gninif Mr. Thomoson told the I'resi
dent. and others bring on what is called
the s eeping slekness, not to spent of
malaria from mosquitoes. The sleeping
slekness is said to result from the sting
. of the tse-tse fly. and has baffl'd the ;> vsic'aus
qf Africa. It is largely confined
, to natives, however.
1 The President asked Mr. Thompson to
i rite for him all the information he fett
I would be of value on the trip, and Mr.
, Thompson will do this.
I For Education of Negro Clergymen.
r W. T. Vernon, register of- the Treas>
ury, introduced to the President several
' prominent negro clergymen of North
I Carolina, who are striving to work out
" a plan for the better education of negro
' ministers. The leaders of the movement
are Rev. J. C. Sheppcrd. Dbrham. N. t\.
1 and Rev. J. E. Delllnger, Greensboro,
- N. O. "There are thousands of negro
? preachers in this country," said one of
. the callers, "and a comparatively large
number have received little or no theo
I
! r
| .
j ^ T "
:
: logical training for their work, let alqi
proper education.
"The negro may be greatly uplifted
better religious and eclucationu!" trainii
is obtained by the clergymen of the ra<
: and the plan we have in view is to e
I tablish an institution somewhere in t
south that will aid in this. Sever
southern cities have offered large tracts
land upon which to erqrt a building at
other offers will he recAved. We are <
our way to New York to attend a mer
ing in the interest of this proposition. Tl
President was much Interested in wh
we told him."
One of Dan Patch's Shoes.
One of the shoes worn by Dan Pat<
when he broke the world's pacing reco
September 8. 1906, at the Minnesota sta
fair, was presented to President Roos
velt today by M. E. Harrison, represen
ing the owner of the animal. The j^hc
from the right forefoot, is a light 01
of steel. U WW upon a mahogany ba?
wfiicli bore this inscription: "To The
dore Roosevelt. President of the Unl*<
8tates. with the compliments of M. A
Savage, owner of Dan Patch, Decemb
14. 190S. This shoe was worn by D?
Patch when lie paced a mile in 1.5") ;
the Minnesota state fair. September
1906, establishing the world's record f
harness horses."
The President said that he felt mm
pleased to get this souvenir of the grea
est pacing animal in the world.
STEEL MEN TO THRESH IT OU
CARNEGIE. SCHWAB. CORE
AND GARY TO TESTIFY.
| Whether Protection Is Not Needed *
Whether Industry Is Still Infant,
Subject for Debate.
' ?
Andrew Carnegie, Charles M. Sclrwi
of the Bethlehem Steel Company. Willia
E. Corey anil Judge E. H. Gary, repr
senting the United States Steel Corpor
tion. all supposed experts In the art
making steel, will appear before the coi
| mittee on ways and iYieans this week
I give testimony under oatii on the iron a
| steel scheduled of the tariff bill now beii
j framed.
Mr. Schwab will be tlie first of the t
steel men ti? bo called. He will go on t
, stand tomorrow.
While Chairman Payne of the Ilou
committee refuses to discuss the subje<
it is believed Mr. Carnegie will uppe
later in the week, and then Judge tia
and Mr. Corey in the order named.
It is the pnrpose jnf the committee
make the most searching inquiry into t
iron and steel business in an effort to <]
termine just.'what ehstonis duties shot
: be imposed on iron and steel products ii
ported in'.o the United States.
Mr. Carnegie recently declared over 1
own signature that the steel industry w
no longer an "infant." that it was
husky grown-up. and was no longer
need of protection through the agency
high customs duties. Officers of the st?
corporation are said to be annoyed ov
Mr. Carnegie's present attitude towa
protection as applied to steel and ir
products.
They will he given an opportunity to b
their story about present conditions. >
Carnegie will be asked to tell In deti
upon what lie bases his conclusions th
steel no longer needs protection.
Only one witness appeared before t
j committee today. When he.had eonelud
Chairman Payne asked if there was an
body else who desired to be heard. I
j one responded.
j There was a titter in the committ
! roam when Representative Boutell c
served:
"Looks as it' everybody bad had th?
i say on the tariff."
j At the conelnsion of this morning's pes
Intr the'republican members of the cot
j mittee went into executive session.
Atlantic City Hunters Missing.
| ATLANTIC CITY. N. J.. December 14
i An Ineffectual search has thus far be
: made for I. L. Cramer, a well known m<
i chant, and Melvln Sooy. both of this cit
who disappeared last Monday while on
gunning trip on the bay, back of tl
city. The men left In a launch, takii
with them Cramer's gunning skiff. A
other searching party le'.t today to sear
the bay In the hope of finding trace
the men or the boats.
Judge Garber Hies in California
BERKELEY. Cal., December 14 ?Jud
John Garber. well known lu Callforn
! and Nevada as a jurist and mining la
! yer, died at his home here late last nig
i from the effects of an attack of typhc
j fever. Judge Garber came to Califorr
tin the early days from Virginia. Lat
| he went to Virginia City, Nev., where
, practiced law until he was elected to t
supreme court of that state, afterwa
i coming to California.
4
I
2 -
r ?-? - - HCEYLON6REETSBATTLE
FLEET'
ng;
"e, I
R- {GUARD OF HONOR ESCORTS ADhc
al MIRAL SPERRT.
of f
id ????
Jt" Exchanges of Visits With Governor,
Sir Henry Edward McC&llnm.
Tars Go to Handy.
j? COLOMBO, Ceylon, December 14 ?Rear
r,r Admiral Sperry landed from the battleship
Connecticut this morning, to pay his
^ official visit' to Sir Henry Edward McCalum,
Governor of Ceylon.
>r' A guar4 of honor had been assembled:
!)f There was a big crowd on the water front,
o- composed of natives and Europeans. The
pd admiral was cheered as lie stepped ashore.
* He at once inspected the guard of honor
^ drawn up 011 the pier. The guard was
at from the 08th Infantry Regiment.
8, Afer this ceremony the admiral, with
or the members of his staff, drove to the gov,h
ernor's residence.
Jjater In the day the governor returned
the call and was received on board the
Connecticut with the usual salutes.
During the stay of the sixteen battleT
ships at Colombo?they arrived yesterday
i from Manila Admiral Sperry will be the
guest of. the governor. Rear Admiral
Scaton Schroeder will be entertained by
? Gen. Lawrence.
* I The first batch of sailors, consisting of
twenty-eight bluejackets and two officers
from each ship, came ashore in the morning
and took a train for Kandy, the cap1
ital of Ceylon, where they will spend the
or day as guests of the government. There
I w'll ' s m lar excursions each day durI
ing the stay of the fleet until all the men
j ii^,e o_en thus entertained.
GEMS STOLEN AT BORDER.
<
jjj $15,000 Necklace Taken When Cus e
toms Officials Examined Baggage.
a- SAN FRANCISCO, December 14.?Mrs.
of A. M. McKillop of Vancouver, B. C., wife |
n- of a wealthy business man of that city,;
to has arrive?i here en route to Los Angeles
nd for the winter, and reported to the police
ng the loss of a diamond necklace valued at
$15,000.
lig The police, after a rigid investigation,
lie are Inclined to believe that the gems were
stolen or lost during Mrs. McKlllop's
se j journey from Vancouver by rail. The
?t. I loss of the diamonds was not discovered
ar j until Mrs. McKillop opened lier trunks
ry j at her hotel here.
Mrs. McKillop thinks the necklace was
to stolen at the time her baggage was ex.
, ainlned for customs duties, when her
' i train crossed the line from British Co'e~'
itimbia. She says the line was passed
ild about midnight, and she gave the keys
n- i to her trunks to an attendant, who saw
them through the customs routine.
The railroad officials and the govern11S
mont authorities at the -line have been
a-s notified of the theft,
a ?
MOUSER MUCH IMPROVED.
,ei
er Ohio Representative Is Recovering
ni From Uremic Poisoning.
WOOSTER, Ohio, December 14.?The
f?ll condition of Representative Orant E.
'r- Mouser. who was removed from a T'ennsylvania
train here yesterday, seriously
i ill. was much improved this morning,
he I It is expected that he villi lie taken to
ed his home in Marion this afternoon.' Mr.
~ Mouser suffered a sudden attack from
? uremic poisoning and was taken from the
ee train to a hospital here in an unconscious
>b- condition.
Mr. Mouser was 0:1 his way home from
ur
Washington 011 his Christmas vacation,
ir- Ue spent Saturday night at the Fort Pitt
llntol I 'iff whnrnr uwtl u-oi? ?-> ">'*
'J J ? ? *- wu?e, uitu TV AO 1IUI ItT Ui(5
well. Sunday morning he continued the
Journey, but when he reached Orrville he
became ill again, and before VVooster was
reached he was unconscious.
An ambulance was called, and he was
en taken to the hospital. Representative
Mouser is serving his second term. He
was defeated at the recent election for
J third term by Carl Anderson.
,a *?
lia AIMED AT JUNK DEAXEB.
ng
Motive for Bomb Explosion in Ckiof
cago Coliseum.
CHICAGO, December 14.?That no one
was killed In last night's explosion In the
storeroom of the Coliseum, In which the
Se tirst ward democratic ball will be held
ia tonight, was asserted by the police tow~
day. following a thorough examination.
They also asserted that evidence discovered
today Indicates that the explosion
lla was not directed against the Coliseum nor
er tlie ball, which reformers have attacked
verbally for years, but against Francis
rj McH-tgh. a junk dealer, who has a contract
for the decorations which Are die
v * i X!
i
i as
N _ ? ! cx
V v ~- i Di
V- ?~*?T^ ?_
pa
__ in
of
carded after each ball. He formerly oc- i r,
cupied a room adjoining the storeroom ; r,
and expressed the opinion that the bomb
was directed at him by business rivals,
as were two flrej* which in former times hj
were started in his place. M
KING EDWARD WALKS FAST, cu
Returns to London Greatly Improved
in Health.
LGNDOK, December 14.?King Edward pj
arrived In London today greatly Improved da
in health. He held an investiture at h
Buckingham Palace, during which ho ar
walked briskly about the roomn and con- to
versed freely and animatedly with thos2 Ul
present. je.
Upon the advice of his physicians the to
King has given up bis visit to Lord Bur- pt
ton in Derbyshire because of the incle- jn
ment weather, and will ret am to Brlgto- ol
ton tomorrow. ^
Mrs. Eddy's Illness Denied.
BOSTON, December 14.?Report3 that ^
Mrs. Mary Baker Edfcty, head of the
Christian Science church, was ill, were tfc
denied by Mrs. Eddy's attendants today, f
who said that their leader was in her T1
usual health. Mrs. Eddy was said to be se
attendlrg to her writing and other engagements
today as usual. She took her w
daily drive on Saturday in spite of stormy
weather and Was planning to do the same
this aftrncon. a'
MR. TAFT IS' KEPT BUSY
111
a
MEETS CALLERS WHILE PRE- sa
PARING SPEECHES. r>c
m
na
Not Saying Anything About His re
Cabinet While in New York. ^
Mrs. Taft Shopping. j?
]
NEW YORK, December 14.?Wi'liam H.
Taft. who is. spending severgl days in this cc
city with Mrs. Taft prior to going to Au- V1
gusta, Ga., for a five weeks' rest preced- y<
ing his trip to the Panama Canal Zone,
had three engagements today and devoted
some of his time to the preparation of the isi
speeches he is to deliver tomorrow night
at the dinner of the National Civic F'eder- ^
ation and Wednesday night at the annual a|
dinner of the Ohio Society. re
Mr. Taft has announced that he does
not expect to be in a position to further *outline
the personnel of his cabinet during s?
his stay in New York. He said he was q
proceeding slowly in the matter of selec- ol
uons for the various portfolios, as he is fc
not required to send m the nom.nations
to the fjenate until after the 4th of next er
March and has picn-ty of time in which to Ui
consider the best available material. ti'
Among Mr. Taffs eailers today were
Frank it. Kellogg, who has been-prosecut- "1
ing the government suits aga.nst the b'
Standard Oil Company and the so-calted ^
Harritnan roads; Leslie M. Shaw and Representative
C. N. Fowler, chairman of the P?
House committee on currency.
Mrs. Taft Is busy daily with her Christmas
shopping.
a at
MONUMENT FOR NYE'S" GRAVE. m
in
Lifelong Friend of Humorist to in
Provide Memorial. *
m
GREENSBORO, X. C., December 14.? su
Dr. J. M. Dansler of Hendersonville, N.
C., a lifelong friend of the tjiumorist Bill P'
Nye. lias placed an order for a large
block of rough granite to be placed as a ]
monument at Nye's grave at Buck ,on
Shoals. , $1'
An epitaph engraved on bronze is being ^
prepared as the only Inscription for the pr
monument, and will be placed in position
wh.-n the. granite r. achv.s its destination, til
The block, when cut and prepared, will .0
weigh four tons. wj
* ? be
Bold Burglars in Chicago.
CHICAGO, December 14. - Burglars hs!
broke Into a liquor store in the same pa
building occupied by the central detail po- th
lice station last night. Then they backed hi!
up a truck in front of the place, loadeu .
it with four barrels of whisky and six- V,
teen cases of bonded whisky, In ali a
worth $1,000, drove to a nearby building
in which several city offices are housed sa
temporarily, stole goods from a tailoring th
establishment there and escaped. yr
c.l<
Bobbers Get Away With $2,000. al
m
SAl'LT STE. MARIE. Mich., December :,j
14.?Three unknown men entered the post pr
office here last nlglit while Deputy Fostmaster
Frank Higgins was making out a
pay roll, knocked him senseless with a
sandbag and then escaped with fiWV. n<
They are supposed to have gone to fan- l,r
ada. Higgins recovered consciousness t'1
early today and crawled out of the build- ffj
ing and gave the alarm. _ .
k
OWN ON CIGARETTES!
t
|
ouse Votes to Tax Local
Dealers $100 Yearly.
J
ISTRICT
BILLS DEBATED
reposition to Establish Free Lecture
Course Defeated.
j ojsuLisa fiUUJUil biiuns i
issage of the Bill After Proposed
Amendment Had Been Ruled
Out on a Point of Order.
The House of Representatives, sitting
i a board of aldermen of the District of
lumbia, today considered a number of
Istriet measures.
The most important action taken by the j
onse up to the time The Star's report
osed was the passage of a bill llxlng
i annual tax of $UX) on all dealers In
garottes and cigarette papers. This
oposition was offered by Representative
ann of Illinois as an amendment to the
mmittee bill, eaMcd up by the chairman
nitli, imposing a tax of ?1- a year on
1 dealers handling manufactured to.000
products.
Mr. Mann criticised the committee for
acing the same tax on cigarettes, or
offin nails," as he described them, and
her manufactured products. Hisamendent
was adopted by practically a unanious
vote.
The House killed the bill providing for
ee lectures in the District by a decided
ajority and after a long discussion,
irticipated in by Representative Olcott,
charge of the bill, and other members
the District committee, supported by
epresentative Parsons of New York,
epresentative Golden of New York and
vera! others, and opposed on the floor
r Representatives Simms of Tennessee,
ann of Illinois and half a dozen more.
Other District business was being disissed
when The Star's report closed.
District Business Delayed.
Chairman Smith of the House District
mmlttee was on the alert when the
ouse of Representatives met at noon to.
iy, and after the reading of the journal
id been finished he jumped to his feet
id endeavored to get the Speaker's eye I
call up the first of the District meaa es.
But Sereno Payne, the majority
ader. was ahead of him with a tnotion
lay on the table the democratic ap;al
from the decision of the chair, pendg
since Saturday. There was a roll call
i this motion, which resulted in the ap al
being smothered by a vote of 170 to
f.
So it was fifteen minutes of l o'clock
ffore Mr. Smith was recognized to move
lat the House go into committee of
le whole House on the state of the
nion to consider bills on that calendar,
he Speaker called Representative Town>nd
of Michigan to the chair.
Mr. Smith then called up House bill
WHO. providing for the payment of an
inual license tax of SI- bv dealers in
1 forms of manufactured tobacco in the
istriet of Columbia.
After the clerk had read the unaniously
favorable report of the committee
i the measure. Representative Mann of
linois, the "great objector," asked why
higher tax had not been inforced on the
le of cigarettes.
"Think of !t," he said. "Here is a pro>sal
to charge an additional dollar a
onth for the privilege of selling coffin
tils."
Mr. Mann moved to strike the "cigitte
privilege" out of the bill, and a viva .
>ce vote ieit some douot as to the relit.
Mr. Mann explained that he wanted '
offer an amendment fixing a much
glier rate for the .sale of cigarettes.
Eleary Tax on Cigarette Dealers.
On suggestion of Champ Clark he intrnATQ
tpH art o mon H men t V? iho rtro
r> |#v>> %* * ?' (.11 H*V ^? *- |
ous motion provid.ng a tax of Slot) a;
?ar on cigarette dealers.
On the suggestion of a member Mr.
ann included cigarette papers in the
00 a year list.
Then the vote was taken and the bill
issed, Representative Longworth of
hio laughingly registering the only nepive
vote as he waved his hand at the
porters in the press gallery.
Mr. Smith then called up House bill
?W>. providing for a disbursing ottlcer
r the Government Hospital lor the Inine.
across the river. Representative
Icott of New York, who had the bill in
large, explained t?liat it merely provided
r this disbursing officer in question.
1th no additional expense entailed, the
eation of the position being designed to;
'sist materially the proper admintstraon
of the affairs of the hospital.
Representative Johnson of South Carona
wanted to know who had been dtslrsing
the money up to tills time. Mr.
icott explained t.hat this was a part or
le superintendent's job. The bill was
issed.
Proposed Free Lectures.
The House then took up the Olcott bill
lthorlzlng the board of education to
aintain a course of scries of free eveng
lectures, some of them to be held
some of the public school buildings.
4r. Mann wanted to know how much
oney the free lectures would cost and
ggested that the bill was nothing but
1 X?g on which to hang a future approbation."
In reply to a statement by
r. Olcott thftt only a small amount of
oney would be needed for the lectures.
Mr. Mann sarcastically rejoined that
ice lie had voted for an appropriation of
O.uOO for rural free delivery and had
en that appropriation grow to ?4000t>,0
a year. He didn't like indeterminate
opositlons where money was concerned.
"Anyhow." cried Mr. Mann, "liow far is
is tiling of 'pleasing the people' going
go? We are as bad as the old Romans
th their feasts and tights, etc., for the
nefit of the people.'1
Mr. Olcott suggested that other cities
id free lecture courses.
'Yes." cried Mr. Mann, "and those ci'.ies
y their own bills. Here the people of
e United States have to pay half the
lis at least."
Representative Goulden of .New York
eaded for the lecture course, and ofred
wh'lc the yonse laughed, to deliver
lecture free himself if the bill passed.
K-p. esentative Giilett of Massachusetts
Id the matter had been threshed out by
e appropriations committee several
>ars ago. and that committee had deled
the lectures were not necessarily
ong the line of education, but were a
cans of gratifying the tastes of the peoe
who attended. It was not in the
evince ol' Congress to go into the busisss
of entertaining the people of the
istrlct of Columbia.
Representative Foster of Vermont antunced
himself heartily in favor of the
opositlon. The free lectures, he
ought, constituted a step toward ideal
hool system conditions. When the Dis(Continued
on Second Rage.) -
CHARGES IN SENATE
AGAINSTPRESIDENT
Unexpected Cropping Out of
the Brownsville Case.
MR. FORAKER THE ACCUSER
Says Detectives Were Sent to In*
timidate Ex-Soldiers.
INTERRUPTED BY MESSAGE
Resumes After Executives com*
munication on Same Subject Is
Received?Sarcastic Reference
to Secret Service.
Charging the President with having
sent detectives to try to frighten the
colored soldiers discharged as a result of
the Brownsville affair by an executive
order. Senator Foraker in the Senate today
precipitated the discussion of the affair
earlier than was expected, and even
before the President's special message on
the subject, sent to Congress today, could
! be read.
Mr. ForaJcer first presented an amendt
ment to his bill for the re-enlistmcnt of
the discharged soldiers, providing for a
commission to hear the individual cases
and determine which of the soldiers ought
to be allowed to re-enllst. In the amendment
he named the following as members
of the commission: Lieut. Gens. Chaff eo
and Bates, Maj. Gens. Davis and Jesse
Lee and Brig. Gen. Daggett, all retired
army officers.
Wants Fair Tribunal.
He explained that his purpose in introducing
this amendment was to provide a
; tribunal where the accused soldiers might
! confront their accusers and answer testl[
mony with testimony. He had not be
lleved sucli a move would be necessary,
he said, but during the summer vacation
he received .letters from several of the
soldiers, who said that government detectives.
or men who said they were
government detectives, had been trying
to get them to make confessions by telling
them that their comrades had confessed
and by threatening them with summary
action on Xhe part of the Texas authorities,,
to whom they might be turned over
if they were not careful.
"Of course these were not secret service
men," declared Mr. Foraker, "because
that would be contrary to law."
He read one of the letters in which a,
soldier declared that a Texas detective
tokl him that It had been proven that
Company B did the shooting and that
the government knew already the names
of three of the men, "but we want to
know the whole gang." He said*the detectives
had asked him whether Mr.
Foraker had told him how to swear, and
he had replied in the negative. He said
also that the detectives had told him that
if he did not confess he wou'.d be sent
to Texas and might never return.
Mr. Foraker declared that this letter
showed what efforts the government was
making to find out the names.
Contrary to Constitution.
"I believe none of the soldiers did the
shooting." he went on, "but I may bo mistaken.
But there is a right way and a.
wrong way to do this sort of thing. These
men shou.d have an opportunity to confront
their accusers. Anything else is
contrary to tHe spirit of the Constitution.
It is time this whole matter was brought
into the open."
At this point Senator Culberson of Texas
said that he understood the Pres.dent
had sent a special message to Congress
today on the subject of the Brownsville
raid, and lie asked that it be read at once.
The President's message was then read.
Air- Culberson then asked that the report
of He.rbert J. Brown, the governments detective.
should be read in full, and this
was done. This report accompanied tha
message.
During the reading Senator Foraker
waited very impatiently, and aa aoon aa
it was over he took the floor again and
declared that his information about the
employment of the secret service detectives
by the government had merely beeu
corroborated by the President's statement
and the report of Mr. Brown. He believed
the testimony of the colored boIoie.s
betore tne Senate committee on military
affairs had been the truth.
Signed "His Mark.*'
"I call attention to the fact," he said,
"that the negro Lawson, who makes such
a smooth and high-sounding statement,
signed It with his mark."
Thlr- reference to one of the affidavit*
contained in tho President's message
caused much laughter.
"Oh. Mr. President, we haven't got to
the bottom of the matter yet, and I believe
when wo do wo will be very mucli
ashamed of it."
Several letters from Boyd Conyers, one
I of the discharged soldiers, now living at
Monroe. (5a., were read by Mr. Foraker.
The Conyert' '.etters told of the efforts of
a colored detective to "pick" him about
the Brownsville affair, and how he had
succeeded in making the detective leave
town after the detective had tried la
vain to make him teil lies,
Mr. Foraker then read (our letters wlilclt
nan passed between himself and Conyer^
and when lie tiad flms/ied them oeciared
that they were the entire correspondence
wnich was referred to hy the President,
lie asked if exception could be laaen to
any of thern.
Sixth Time on Trial.
"Is anything more atrocious than thm
treatment of tnese men?" he asked. "TtUe
is the sixtih time they have been placed
on trial, and. I believe, acquitted.
"On. shame upon ? government that will
employ all of Its power not to protect
men who are charged with crime and
give them a fair trial, but to prove an
Innocent man to be guilty. It is the most
cowardly thing I can conceive of.
"I did not know the President would
send a message today on ' thin matter
until I got Into the chamber. That did
not make me offer my amendment nor
did it deter me. Let us give these men
a chance before an Independent and juat
tribunal."
Mr. F'oraker was still speaking whta
jrhe Star's report closed.
v