The Washington herald., 1908-03-13
The Sequel to Brownsville.

! The upshot Of Che Brownsville inquiry,
as shown by the various reports sub
mitted TO the Senate. is unanimous
agreement that justice requires the re-
instatement in the army of a certain
proportion of the discharged members
of the Twenty-fifth Infantry. Senator
Foraker believes all OF them innocent Of
any part in the shooting up of Browns
Vile. The majority report couvicts from
eight 10 twenty OF them Of actual COM
plicity in the affair and considers it
reasonably certain that an additional
though unknown number must have had
guilty knowledge Of it. but admits that
while the proof is abundant and con-
elusive that members Of the Twenty-hfth
Infantry were the perpetrators of this
unprovoked attack. the evidence fails to
identify the particular soldier. or soldiers
who participated In the affray." Mr.
Foraker undoubtedly states the truth
when he says. in his report. that what
ever may be the fact as to who did the
shooting, many of the men discharged
were innocent of any Offense in con-
nection herewith" but this has been ac-
knowledged from the beginning. and 1t
is the one fact upon which everybody.
from President Roosevelt to the Senator
from Ohio. is in full accord.
Inasmuch as a certain proportion Of
the discharged soldiers were innocent
OF any wrongdoing. II follows that the
discharge of these men did them an in
justice which ought 20 be repaired, II
possible; and in this opinion Mr.. Roose-
welt concurs with Senator Foraker. But
how Is the wrong TO be undone2 IL there
is no evidence 20 show either the guilt
or innocence of any particular indivld-
ual. as the majority report alleges. how
shall the President satisfy himself that
any discharged soldier applying for re-
enlistment had no participation in or
guilty knowledge Of the Brownsville af
fair. as is provided in the committee
bill for the relief OF the dismissed men?
Or how shall the President arrive at a judg-
ment that the applicant shall appear
not to be within the class whose dis
charge was deemed necessary in order
to maintain the discipline and morale OF
the army" which is the condition OF re-
enlistment suggested IN Mr.. Roosevelt's
message? On November 5. 1906. when he is
sued his famous order OF dismissal. the
President believed that the discharge OF the
entire battalion without honor was neces-
sary TO maintain the discipline and morale
OF the army. II was necessary. he
thought because II was impossible to
separate the innocent from the guilty
Since then. 5000 pages Of evidence have
been taken. not one item OF which goes
to show the guilt Of any particular in
dividuaI Nor is there much. II any evil
dence tending TO show the innocence Of
particular soldiers. unless We except that
which Senator Foraker believes 70 es-
tablish the innocence Of all the mem
bers OF Company G. The difficulty,
therefore, which confronts the President
in determining the innocence Of appR-
cants for reinstatement Is precisely that
which confronted him IN determining the
guilt OF those who "shot up" Brownsville
Senator Foraker's bill for the re-en-
listment OF the discharged men. we think
solves this difficulty. 1t provides for their
reinstatement in the army upon making
oath that they had no part in the Browns
Vile affair, that they knew Of no SOL
der who did have part in It. and that
they are Withholding no information with
respect 10 It, But this is just the sort
Of evidence which the War Department
and the President have heretofore re-
fused TO accept Gen. Darlington, whose
original recommendation for the dismis-
sal of the black battalion was accepted
by the President, would not believe the
negro soldiers under oath. VIII the Presi-
dent believe them? II not. where does
he expect them to get evidence OF their
innocence?