The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1908-12-17

washington, D. c., Dec. 16.-His-
tory is being made, these days ut q
rapid pace. Tho week has been re-
tplete with startling incidents, with
every scene appealing strongly to-
contemporaneous human interest
us the playbills would describe the
situation. : President Roosevelt has
surprised everybody by, his special
message to Congress telling of the
discovery of new evidence in the
Brownsville case giving out clews
that may lead to an unravelling Of
the tangled skein In which the truth
about the famous shooting-up of the
Texas town has been enmeshed. The
President, with characteristic vigor
and directness of statement, points
q way by which the innocent soldiers
may be reinstated and the guilty
ones punished. Senator Foraker is
having his ''dayT In COURT" likewise,
and the thgeshing process is being
carried out. with such thoroughness
on. both sides that the lawmen may
venture the hope THAT somewhere
between the two extremes the exact
story maytcome2 out and full justice
roay be done to all concerned The
belief is common that the President
Is anxious to give the soldiers ac
square DEAL and now that appar-
ent guilt has been placed with more
or less definiteness, it will: be easier
to establish the innocence Of those
who were in no position to have
knowledge OF the events OF the troub-
lous night and morning of August 13
and 14,~1906. It looks as&if we are
approaching the beginning Of the
end OF this historic episode. ,,. ),
The iassagSs1,.sst art Before the
North Carolina Society in New York
is being tliscussed upon all sides. and
everywhere praise is- heard Of it's
soundness and statesmanlike tone
1t breathed wholesome spirit of ma
tional unity, and bespoke justice for
the black man and fair play for both
races in the Southland. The we'll
poised references to the Negro prob
lem, the contention for equality Of
opportunity, for, advancement and
for protection under the law, the ar
rangement Of the suffrage so as to
place the burden of responsibility
upon the shoulders of electors who
have stake in : the community,
treating white and black intelligence
and white and black ignorance exact
ly alike, and SO adjusting economic
advantages that the South and North
could each work out their common
destiny as integral factors in the
great American nation In peace and
harmony, could not be gainsaid.
They were timely and to the point
no equivocation, no lodging and no
recantation Of the pledges openly
made Throughout the recent CAM
paign. Mr.. Taft makes it plain that
he intends to be President of the
whole people, and the Negro, in
agreement with the thinking citizens
of the republic, are confident that he
will live up to the highest expecta-
tions in his dealings on both the
economic and the, ethical issues
which he will &e compelled to face
in the next four--or eight-years.
Even these colored men who bitterly
opposed Mr.. Taft's nomination and
SOluS WIZ \CttIIISu Ou IuSlT URnJ TO
the finish, are obliged to go far afIeld
to pick anything akin to flaw in
this, his first significant declaration
OF policy on the race question since
his election. His utterances were
particularly happy and those who
have believed In hdm thoroughly
from the start are delighted and his
opponents are at least agreeably dis
appointed. While the latter ere re-
luctantly granting him suspension
of judgment, the former are more
than ever determined to hold up his
hands and give, him that cordial
measure Of support that will spell
success to his broad-gauged policies
and make for our betterment as
American citizens. Far-seeing col
cred men, are realizing, as Mr.. Taft
is realizing the republic is on
the eve Of a new. order Of things, So
cia1, intellectual, moral and indus
trial, and it behooves all Of us to
prepare we'll for the ordeal before
us. ...
President Roosevelt has given a