The Washington herald., 1907-07-08

J ter senator DIdkeIt OF Olilv. Nill lNHi
a reward for q courageous stand against
/ the combined forces of the administra-
| t.on. headed by the fearless and aggres-
/ sive leader IN the White House. The
settlement Of the Brownsville matter will
/ be- a compromise that VIII be approved
/ By the President and the Ohio Senator,
10 the end that the negro may thereby
receive the greatest possible benefit, and
the racial issue. which was 50 accentu-
/ ated by tho unfortunate incident, VIII
/ be given a lasting qUietus.
/ In other words, the result Of this in
/ QUiry will be a unifcati0n Of the warning
/ Republican elements, 10 the discomilt
ure Of the Democrats. More than this,
/ the report Of the Senate committee on
! tho Brownsville case VIII bring about
a more advanced step by President
/ R00sevelt's administration IN the reCog-
milton Of the coIored race, so far as
/ the army Of the United States is con-
| Cernod
/ The report upon the Brownsville inves-
| tigaton by the Senate committee will
not be made until Congress convenes in
! December, but It will fail 10 uphold
. President Roosevelts course IN all par
. ticulars. and viii pave the way for the
, discharged colored soldiers TO re-enter
the army.
May Not Make Minority Report.
This much has been disclosed az this
time from a study and analysis OF the
hearings before the Senate Committee
on Military Affairs. and Il will be brought
. out clearly IN the final report by that
committee Senator Foraker viii not
win on every point. but he may be so
well satisfied with the conclusions Of
the majority OF the committee that be
VIII make no minority report, There are
.. assurances also that President Roose-
welt viii be satisfied with this result
The programme as outlined. provides:
T First-Tle committee viii make no di-
rect charge. ia its report that the negro
. soldiers Individually or collectively shot
up the town OK Brownsville. but viii let
the people draw their own conclusions
from the testimony taken IN the case,
I which win be- printed and made a part Of
the report
Seconl-The committee viii recommend
the passage of a law by Congress which
VIII authorize the discharged soldiers 70
re-eHust without prejudice and their
army status Doe fixed as IL was before
they were d.shOnorably discharged pro-
vidiug each soldier who desires 20 re-
enlist shall make a statement that he did
not participate In the shooting.
VIII satisfy Them.
While this result VIII not give the dis
charged soldiers as clean a bill Of health
as they had hoped FOR. it viii no doubt
satisfy them II will restore 10 them
their civil and military rights which they
lost through the Presidents order. Thus
the President viii share In this act Of
mercy, and while the negro soldiers will
always remember with gratitude what
Senator Foraker has accomplished for
them. they VIII gladly forget the hard
ships inflicted upon them by the Presi-
dent
There IS politics as well as the quality
of mercy tn this decision. There has been
10 doubt since the action Of the admin
is,ratl1n in the Brownsville case that the
negro race has been stirred TO resent
meut that lt has az no time felt since
emancipation. There are limitations that
the President has been advised by his
cordial friend. Booker T. Washington.
that this resentment did not extend be-
yUud the negro politicians. and would
soon blow over Further investigation,
. however. has shown that % extends from
the more advanced negroes Of the border
States 20 the field hanls on the pl8uta-
. lions of the South and the farms OF the
, Central West. The reason for this is not
p far % seek.
Based on Racial Pride.
J tt IS not based upon political prejudice,
but upon racial pride. For more than q
hundred years the American negro has
maintained spotiess record as a soldier.
/ Through the days Of slavery and the
seasons OF ardu0us toll since freedom
came the negro has had little opportunity
for making progress In literature. state
craft. and art. He does. however, pride
himself upon his splendid record as a
/ soldier in every war In which this nation
, has been engaged.
/ The Brownsville incident and the terri
BILE punishment meted out constituted the
, first blot upon the splendid military rec
. ord Of the negro. II has been insisted
by the uegroes-and i'm that Senator For
aker has been their spokosman-that such
- punishment should not be visited upon
r the representatives Of their race without
i positive proof Of guilt. This is the view
the Senate committee VIII take OF the
. matter.
e. The approval by President Roosevelt OF
s -{tf fr..
will be accepted the country over as re-
I nawed adherence 20 his doctrine of the
S square deal" No doubt this idea can
r. be squar6ly based upon the elementary
[ principles of sound law. President Roose-
3 welt and his administration were shocked
S by the horror Of the Brownsville outrage
b Acting upon what h. believed 10 be the
- most convincing proof Of the guilt Of the
D negro soldiers. and having an exalted
d opinion Of military discipline. he deter
, mined 20 make an example by the prompt
discharge of these soldiers.
e Adept Mc-CifuI Course.
He asserted that his order would stant
unless convincing proof were submitted
TO him OF the innocence IF the negro sol
. diers. In other words. he condemned
I them upon CircUmstantial evidence ans
insisted that they must furnish proof OF
To- innocence. The course of the Senat,
committee viii be more merciful. Tht
report will neither affirm nor deny Tie
guilt or innocence of the discharged sol
dicrs, but VII provide a sure means foi
? zach soldier e. assert his innocence ant
= obtain "a restoration of the civil and mill
70 tary status which he lost.
The report of the Committee on MIL
= tary Affairs will not be completed until
. In November. During the summer, how
= ever. each member Of the committee vii
4 be engaged IN making q draft OF the rec
S concentrations, and all tha; will remain
fer the full committee 70 do when thel
.