The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1908-03-05
(StaH Correspondence:)

! (Staff Correspondence
| Washington, D. c., March 4.-Now
| that the Brownsville incident is ap-
! preaching it's final stage, it will be
| well for the thoughtful members of
| the race to pause moment and take
| sober counsel with themselves. The
report Of the committee on military
afalrs, which has been given to the
country, Indicates a division Of SEN
timent that satisfies nobody, proves
nothing, and leaves the whole situa-
| tion in condition almost as chaotic
as before. While the president is up
| held IN a sense, the charges of Gar
l1ngton, Blocksam, ct al, are not ,sus-
tanned, and the soldiers are not bene-
fitted. There Is no clean-cut victory
for anybody, and those who hoped
to find d clarified atmosphere follow
Ing the result Of the long, investiga-
tion, are grievously disappointed. The
discussion. now goes to the senate,
and another siege Of passionate GRIM
nation and recrimination may be
| expected, with the outcome shroud-
ed in gloom for all concerned. Just
which segment of-the committees di-
versified report will be adopted, Is
problem: The fate of Senator For
aker's bill for the restoration to the
rolls of oil soldiers, who will make
oath that they had no part. In the
shooting-up of the town, is likewise
enyelOped in a maze Of doubt. If the
committee refused to accept Senator
Foraker's resolutions, having the
same eHect as his bill, there seems
little hope that a favorable report
can be secured for the latter through
the same body. The truth of the mat
kter is, there has been too much pol
tAtes; and passion in connection with
this BrownayiiI Ia IGbse from, the very
beginhidK and I'll fBAs .banefp effect is
being fslt5 BY everybody who has had
hand In the business. Few level
headed Negroes believe the president
discharged the soldiers because they
were colored: The general feeling is
that he was fhisfed by the damaging
reports Of his trusted subordinates;
! but 1T Is likewise, the general feeling
that these damaging reports were
largely cooked up" by the said sub
! ordinates, who had no good blood for
| the Negro soldiers and who were
willing to go to any length to rid the
| army-or Brownsville, at least,-of
| their presence. 1t is not believed that
| the serious, charges would not have
been made had the soldiers been
| white, and the dase would have fall
en- through before it reached the
president. But, as the mischief has
been done, some way should be found
, to remedy, 1t. In making the SOL
| diers' cause a political issue, with
the prestige OF the administration
swaying in one balance, and the per-
sonal fortunes Of an element Of the
republican party In another, with
the democrats Logging on" both
sides, with the hope of destroying all
concerned and putting the Negro ont
of the army in toto, the poor black
man Is being ground to death be-
| tween the upper and neither mill
stones, and the republican party is
being disrupted by an issue which
| should never have been anything but
q judicial c91se, to be settled through
the orderay processes Of the law. 1t
may not be too late 70 mend matters,
If the situation is approached calm
ly by the senate and the republicans,
white and colored, who represent the
| opposing viewpoints. The elimina-
tion Of politics and passion, and the
consideration Of the case strictly on
it's merits as. a problem Of law and
the facts, are the only method by
which the poor black soldiers can
emerge from the ruins with their rec
ords rehabilitated and the party
again united. Sensible colored men
are anxious to enter the coming cam
paign with clear vision, aud want to
be able to discuss the issues of the
day, without being asked to "remem-
ber Brownsville" morning, noon and
night.