The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-03-12
Presidents Message.

The following is the text of the pres
ident's message:
ITO the Senate: On Dec u, 1906 the
secretary of war, by my direction, is
sued the following order:
Applications to re-enlist from for
mer members of the companies b. g
and d, Twenty-fifth infantry, who
We're discharged under the provisions
of special order No. 266, war depart
ment, Nov. g. 1906, must be made in
writing and be accompanied by such
evidence, also in writing, as the appli
cant may desire to submit to show that
he was neither implicated in the raid
on Brownsville, Tex, on the night of
Aug. l3. 1906, nor withheld any evil
dence that might leads the discovery
of the perpetrators thereof.
Time Limit Expired.
Proceedings were begun under this
order; but shortly thereafter an inves-
tigation was directed by the senate
and the proceedings under the order
We're stopped. The senate committee
entrusted with the work has now COM
pleted the investigation and finds that
the facts upon which my order of dis
charge of Nov. 8, 1906, was based are
substantiated by the evidence. The
testimony secured by the COMMITTEES is
therefore now available, and I desire
to revive the order of Dec. u, 1906, and
to have 1t carried out In whatever
shape may be necessary to achieve the
purpose therein set forth, any addi-
tional evidence being taken which may
be Of aid in the entertainment of the
truth. The time limit during which it
was possible to reinstate any individ-
ual soldier in connection with the
terms of this order has, however, ex-
pired. I therefore recommend the
passage of a law extending this time
limit so far as the passage of the law
and permitting the reinstatement by
direction of the president of any man
who in his judgment shall appear not
to be within the class whose discharge
was deemed necessary in order to
maintain the discipline and moral Of
the army.
(Signed)
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
THE White House. March Ii. 1908"
The Various Reports.
The majority report contended that
the shooting was done by some mem
bers of the Twenty-fifth infantry
though the testimony fails to identify
the particular participants. It states,
despite the considerable contradictory
testimony, the majority's case is
proved. The principal minority re-
port, presented by Senator Scott, rec
ommends that the negro soldiers be re-
stored as it has been Impossible to as
certain who did the shooting.
Senators Foraker and Buckley
turned in a supplementary report de-
claring that the testimony of eye-wit-
nesses against the negro soldiers is I'M
reliable and the weight of evidence
shows that none of the negro soldiers
participated.
A supplemental report by Senators
Warren. Lodge. Warner and Dupont
declares the evidence shows the as
sault was perpetrated by members of
the battalion, but that it is reasonable
to believe that all the soldiers were
not concerned, and recommends res
toration of all rights and privileges to
the innocent men. This and the For
aker report include remedial bills.
Comment of Mr.. TilImsn.
After the reports had been read, SEN
ator TiIlman expressed the desire that
all of them might be printed as one
document and that the Presidents mes
sage taking back" his order of dis
charge should be printed with them
He said he wanted the entire report
for the benefit of the 'niggers.'
Senator Bailey also commented aon
the report, saying that there seems to
Continued on page 2.