Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1906-12-15

yet he brands as liars the non-com-
missioned officers of Companies B.
C, and d of the Twenty-hfth Infan-
try as against the assertions OF Tex
ans, who swore that twelve colored
soldiers were guilty of the crime.
when an investigation OF the charges
in their own court established the
fact that there was not one scinuna
of evidence upon which to hold
them. Secretary Taft then plunges
into a discussion of the subject that
would serve its purposes well on
the frontier. where Vigilance Com
mittees and lynching parties are
the rule and trial by legal tribunals
the exception.
What is TO be thought OF such bun
come INDUCED in by one OF the
greatest men in the United States
to-day? Read the following:
Under these circumstances the
question arises. Is the government
helpless2 Must &c continue in it's
service battalion many OF the mem
bers OF which show their willing
ness to cOndone crime of a capital
character committed by from ten TO
twenty OF its members. and put on
front of silence and ignorance which
enables the criminals 20 escape just
punishment? These enlisted men took
the oath OF allegiance 20 the govern
mont. and were 90 De used under the
law TO maintain IFS supremacy. Can
the government properly therefore
keep in it's employ for the purpose
OF maintaining law and order any
| longer a body OF men. from 90 10
/ per cent of whom can plan and com
NIT murder. and rely upon the si-
lence OF "a number of their comDan-
ions to escape detection"
Secretary Taft loses sight of the
fact that me- has mo- right to auege
that any Of the members of the
companies designated committed
the crimes. He does not know
who committed the oneuses charg
on and he cam only legally
know by civil trial or 10y court
martial The civil court I'm Texas
declared that Ct did not know who
committed the crime and it dis
charged the colored soldiers who
were alleged to have committed st..
Iu 'this the Texas court showed
more of leaning TO Justice taau
did the distinguished Secretary of
War and the tronscendent Presi-
dent of the United States.
We venture the assertion t0at mo-
southern white man outside of the
TWman-Vardaman type would have
INDUCED in the use of such Ian
guage Traced to it's logical con -
clusion. it would bar every white
man south OF tho Mason and Dixon
lire from The army aud navy of the
United States. Has not Ube nation
al government itself continued I'm
the Union states. whose officials
have shown a willingness TO condonc
crimes OF cayital character. COM
miued by from ten TO twenty thous-
and of it's white citizens? Have
they not put ON "a front of silence
when efforts We're made TO discover
che butchers of men. women and
children2 Have they nat success
fully concealed the murdcrcrs of
helpless citizens of color aud cna-
BLEED criminals Co escape punish
mont2 These citizens who nave
condoned these crimes had taken
the oath OF allegiance 90 the govern
ment and were 90 be used under the
law TO maintain it's supremacy.
Nay more. did not a Senator of the
United States openly boast ON the
floor of the United States Senate
chat De had killed Negroes and that
he would do il again?
Has any effort been made TO
either punish him or 90 expel him
from that body? Did not this same
Senator Tnlman declare in Chica-
go recently. when confronted with
constitutional law say. "To hell
with such law" and did not this
same Hon. William H. Taft sit down
10 supper with this same Tinman at
the annual banquet OF the Grid
iron Club at Washington. D. c..
Saturday December LIST. 1902
Was not President Roosevelt also
present as the guest OF this club?
Secretary Taft should remember
that the sword that ne is using is
two-edged and "cuts both ways. &"
For our part, we do not believe in
combining the innocent with the
guilty We believe that there are
as good white men even in Texas
as ever walked the green carpet Of
the globe.
Under Secretary Tafts rule of
conduct all of the white people of
Atlanta, Georgia would have been
placed in jail and kept there as
felons until they proved themselves
innocent of the massacre OF the col