The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1907-10-10

Who can answer these perplexing
queries? Thousands of solutions are
being offered daily around these
parts by wise-acres of varying de-
grees of oracular power, and any of
them is apt to come true-unless!
Yes, unless" something else hap
pens. Will you, dear reader, hazard
a guess in this great national guess
ing match? You will win-'unless!"
There is no denying the fact that
the President infinitely stronger
with the colored people of the coun-
try now than he was three months
ago. The Brownsville episode dealt
the Negroes a blow on their tender
est spot. and it was all the more
acute coming from one who had been
idoiiZed by the race because of the
Booker T. Washington dinner, the
Crum appointment, the Indianola af-
fair, and the declaration for "a
square deal unto all men, black as
we'll as white. Men Of prominence
have since visited the President and
talked over the matter with a frank
ness that cannot yet be made public,
a ngressiOnal investigating COM
mittee. 1t has been made very plain,
however, that the colored people are
greatly eXeciSed over the discharge
without honor Of the "black batal-
ion, and it is being made equally
N mi IN jcf rot ur;ll
not permit this stigma to rest upon
d single member of that battalion
longer than is necessary to do Justice
under the laws of the military estab-
llshmcnt and the examination of the
final papers in the case 1t is be-
ginning to be seen that the action
Of the President was based upon the
official report Of trusted subord;-
nate. and that the blame, if any,
;hould rest with those who misled
the President, rather than with the
Chief Executive himself Those who
are familiar with large affairs we'll
know that no head of an institu-
;lon can be familiar with every de-
tail Of that establishment He must
be informed by some one under him.
who is supposed to keep closely III
touch with the matter in hand. The
president accepted, in the ordinary
channels OF business, the informa-
| ton furnished by Gen. Darlington
and others. He acted upon what he
| thought was reliable evidence. This
evidence, If true, warranted sum
mary punishment. Then followed the
discharge without honor. Convic-
| tlOn by cOurt-martial might have
brought even worse consequences.
secretary Taft, led to doubt the au-
thent1city Of the Darlington evidence
sought to hold up the executive or
der until fuller investigation could
De made; but. with the President out
OF the country, and no good reason
Dc1n8 advanced for distrusting the
report Of the Brownsville officials.
Ihe episode became the property Of
congress and The vigorous examina-
uOn OF details has brought out Suf-
Ihclent doubt as to the guilt Of tho
I'o'Or"d soldiers that j. is not too
nl"ch 20 expect that when the report
OF the committee is submitted to the
freSldent and the War Department
Chat all errors in Judgment will be
r'gh'ed, that full restitution for loss
e7 VIII b" made and that the dove
lot peace Will hover smiling1y over
me race and the administration
president RoO&evelt's magnetic per
SonaIitH and Secretary Taft's natural
representatives have appealed fore
lOiY 70 every Negro of prominence
VINO mas visited the White House or
me war Department, and no one ac-