Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1906-12-29

THE RICH
the fields afar OF. He declares that
there is no question but that many
OF their comrades have combined to
shelter the guilty. but he has pro-
cesded 20 punish all of them. with
out a legal trial as specihcaisy pro-
yided for by the Constitution and
laws OF this country.
The President seems 20 intention
ally forget that be did not only turn
them all out as he had right to do,
but ne coupled with this an infa-
nous punishment denominating the
men as being thugs and murderers
and forever debarring them from
civil or military service. Here is
the order
ct recommend that orders be is
sued as soon as practicable discharg-
/ ing without honor every man in
Companies B. G.. and ID of the Twen-
I ty-ffth Infantry serving az Fort
Brown. Texas on the night of Au-
gust 18Th. 1906 and forever debarr-
Z ing them from re-enlisting IN the
army or navy of the United States
as well as from employment in any
I civil capacity under the govern
ment."
And here is the law:
Nor shall any person be subject
for the same Offense 90 be twice put
in jeopardy of life or limb; nor snail
DE compelled in any criminal case
90 be witness against himself. nor
be deprived of life. liberty or pro-
perty. without due process of law.
Constitution of the United
States. Article "
I'm all criminal prosecutions. the
accused shall enjoy the right 10 a
speedy and public trial. by an i'm
partial jury OF the State and Dis
trict wherein the crime nad been
committed. which district SHALL nave
been previously ascertained bv law.
and be informed OF the nature and
cause OF the accusation. to be con
ironted with Witnesses against him.
90 nave compulsory process for OBJ
tanning witnesses in his favor. and
Go have the assistance OF counsel
for mis- defense. Constitution OF
the United States, Article VI
Granting that the members Of
Companies b. c and d were guilty
and We do not admit anything Of the
kind they could not be compelled to
give evidence against themselves
and this is exactly what President
Roosevelt and the War Department
are furnishing them for not doing
He charges them with being Grim
inals and murdercrs. without estab-
fishing that fact before legal tri-
huual and then proceeds TO dismiss
them from the army and debar them
from re-cniistment or employment
iu ANS military or civil capacity un-
der the government
He convicts and Furnishes these
mon by order and then seeks 20 SEE
cure evidence 90 Justify the afore-
said punishment. thereby admitting
the nsumc.ency of the evidence on
which he acted
10 viii Dee astounding % every one
Who reads this extract from his mes
sage. Here are his exact words.
People have spoken as 30 this
discharge from the service was "a
punishment deny COMPATIBILITY
that such is the case. because AS
punishment 30 is utterly made
quate.'
Now. lct MS Sec. The American
Cyclopaedic Dictionary says:
Punishment That which is i'm
nicted ass q penalty. amy pain. loss
confinement. or other penalty. lnnict
ca on person for any crime or of
Tense hy "a duly qualified authority
90 which the offender is subject"
Webster says.
ANY pain. suffering. or loss in
hictcd upon q person because of a
crime or onense."
What then becomes of President
Roosevelt's emphatic assertion that
the discharge from the service. with
the order debarring the victims from
the civil and military branches of
the government is not punishment?
He argues that a lashing is not
lashing because il is an inadequate
flashing; that blow is not blow.
because it is an inadequate blow.
that a whipping is not a whipping,
because it is an inadequate whip
ping; that a stab is not a stab, be
cause il is an inadequate stab. Was
ever language more ridicuously alb
surd coming as il does from the pen
OF a statesman and a scholar? Why
any schoolboy knows better. He
said further: