The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-12-01
A NEW VIEW

The Hartford Courant has a new suggestion regarding the much deba- ted Brownsville affair. It .s that the riotinE was undertaken and carried on with the full knowledge of all the officers and men of the three compa- nies of cslored soldiers at Fort Brown. It argues that 1t would have been ifn- possible for a few men to have done what is charged and the others not know it, but, it continues, If we take the other assumption--the entire bat taIion knew of the plan to make an assault upon the sleeping people of BrewnsvilIe--thsn the celerity and se- crecy with which the riotous work was done are fully explained. The roll call was made twice that nighf--a check roll call at 7I o'clock by tbe oficer of the day. and another socn after mid- night when the huKle cailai the men or the battalion out The officers be- iieved ct the time that every man was present and answered at 10th roll calls. Tn the case Of two companies at the second roll eall--after the riot s--a name was answered for each man !; in the case of the third company the lieutenant, who had no light. counted his men and found the required mum. ber The night is said to have been very dark, and the officers came out from their quarters. under inc impress sion that town roughs had heen malk- ing an attack on the post That ten or dozen men could have got back i into the fort and accounted for them selves at this second roll call, without attracting the attention of their com rades-supposing that only those per- sonaIly engaged in the affair had prior knowledge of it, and also sup | posing that all the rioters were ac- tually in line at this second roll call --is. as we have said, possible, but cer- talnIy not probable"
 In 1ther words, The ceurant is in- clined to the opinion that the rioting was the result of deliberately plan- ned and carrled-out conspiracy, and that none of the members Of the bat talion were ignorant; consequently,
 all shared in the guilt and all deserv- ed punishment; consequently, again, the President was justified in his act
 of dismissal. This Is the way The Courant inelines to look at the affair and to defend the Presidents course.
 And The Courant's position reminds us of recent view taken by The Brock lyn Eagle, which says:
 There is a scrap of silver lining to | the cloud that hangs over the 18th 1 infantry. One loophole is presented | through which the innocent may es- l cape at least a portion of the penalty 1 inflicted upon them in common with | the guilty by the Presidents sweeping | order of dishonorable discharge. Any man in the three companies concerned | in the Brownsville outbreak may bs | reinstated when he satisfies the Secre- I tary of War that he had no part in the | riot, and that he can give TO lnforma- | tion concerning those who had. This ! sets forth a new principle in law which will be regarded with the curi- osity due to it's extreme novelty. A man in the army is no longer assumed i to be innocent until he Is proved to be guilty. He Is assumed to be guilty until he proves himself to be innocent The burden of proof no longer rests 1 upon the prosecution. It Is transferr- | ed to the defense. This is not Anglo | Saxon. It is French.