Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1906-12-22
SECRETARY TAFT AND THE COL
DRIED SOLDIERS.

OAAfaAN NNAaANAN4AAf0.
The remarkable outbursts of CON
domination of Hon. William II. Taft
Secretary of War as set forth fin his
annual report to the Congress of.
tae United States would seem to in
dictate that he and his department
have been "nard hit" and thorough
ly exasperated by the just criticism
10y the people of the United States.
He INDUCES in language that is
hardly I'm keeping with the digniied
position which he occupies.
In ali Of this most remarkable
argument which can hardly be pro-
perry designated as a report. so far
MS il relates 20 the dismissal of Com
uanies b. G., and ID OF the Twenty
ifth Infantry. he has proposition
which mas not been eliminated or
answered. Not one word of mis- neat
ed protestations and allegations has.
tended Co clarity the situation. what
Justification can there Doe for the
within the confines of q
republic. of one hundred and fifty
soldiers coufcssedly Innocent Here
is what Secretary Taft says.
Might not any community into
which the War Department should
ou1 this battalion. In which Is lis
known That there are from nine TO
twenty murdcrcrs justly complain
llat the battalion is not a proper
instrument for maintaining the SUI
rremacy OF the law2 could we pro
ucry send such battalion 90 the
Philippines. or Cuba. 90 maintain
peace or furnish an example of or
DERBY conduct ~ similar out
break were there TO occur. could
Wc relieve ourselves from response
liity Tor g. ON the theory That we
Guild not detect The particular ten
.r twenty who were guilty of tAe
lrst murder
The above is a question easily
asked and can Dee easily answered
In the first place. il is not legally
known that there are from nine 90
twenty murderers in this battalion
This fact must be established 10y al
legal trial or by "a legal court-mar-
tial and this has not been done.
On the other hand the investiga-
ton has resulted in the statement
by white Texans that some of the
colored soldiers fired the shots and
ON the other hand the records at
Fort Brown and the sworn state
ments of the troops show that col
ored soldiers did not fire the shots.
The learned Secretary Of War.
who is an able jurist knows what
every cross-road criminal lawyer is,
acquainted with; namely, that this
leaves the burden of proof in favor
of the accused. who must be pre-
sumed innocent until they are legal
~ proven guilty. Secretary Taft
mas reversed this rule by boldly an
nOuncing that these soldiers shall
be presumed guilty until they prove
themselves innocent. At the same
time ne admits that even the Tex
ans concede that one hundred and
fifty colored soldiers. whom ne mas
punished are limo
cent.
Secretary Taft asks if the govern
ment could properly send these
troops to the Philippines or 10 Gu
ba TO maintain peace or TO furnish
an example of orderly conduct?
This question is superfuous. In
the ordinary affairs OF life the best
evidence that a man can do a thing
is for the man to do it. These
troops have done this very thing
that Secretary Taft alleges that they
are not qualified to do. If he wish |
es an answerer. let him ask the
Spanish generals. who met them at
FL Caney, San Juan Hill and at San
tiago. Let him ask the Spanish |
residents of Cuba, whose homes they |
protected when peace came.
Let him ask the Rough Riders |
Let him read the records made with |
reference to these men by Cen |
Shafter, Gen. Joseph Wheeler, Gen. |
Chaffee and Gen. Nelson A. Miles |
and then his own record as 20 their |
conduct and with this weight OF
preponderating evidence decide for
himself whether or not these brave
colored soldiers are the proper in
struments 10 send to Cuba OF to the |
They have conducted themselves
With signal bravery and uniform
Their abject humility |
md good conduct are testified TO by |