The Nashville globe. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1906-193?, 1908-03-13
FORAKER FOR JUSTICE.

The New York Sun, which from the
very outset has condemned the action
of the President in dismissing the
black battalion, has the following to
say anent the recent decision of ma
jority of the Committee on Military
Affairs:
When Senator Foraker opened his
campaign for the rights of the dis
charged soldiers of the Twenty-fifth
Infantry his opponents charged him
with playing politics" He bore these
unjust attacks with patience and dig
nifty and demanded a fair hearing for
the alleged offenders. The boot is now
on the other leg. The administration
has failed to show that men of the
Twenty-fifth Infantry were the Of
tenders and has failed in its efforts to
identify the culprits. 1t is now report
ed that the Administration side is
playing politics.
We learn from what appear to be
responsible sources that the supporters
of the Administration are alarmed by
the menacing political consequences
of their attitude. 1t is said that they
will approve a proposal for the rein
statement of such of the discharged
soldiers as are able to prove their in
nocence. 1t does not appear that this
door of return is to be opened as an
act of Justice to men who have been
made the victims of a hasty and
wrongful act. 1t is no more than a
political device, an attempt to pro-
pitiate those colored voters whose SYM
pathies are naturally with the dis
charged soldiers We doubt the allur-
ing quality of the bait. The hook is
too much in evidence.
If the Republican party would clear
it's skirts in this matter it must re-
pudiate the act of the President as far
as it can do so by an approval of the
reinstatement bill already introduced
in the Senate by Mr.. Foraker. The pro-
posal that these men be reinstated only
on proof of their innocence is absurd
How are they to prove their limo
cence? The affair has been as thor
oughly investigated as it can be. A
civil grand jury failed to find case
against the soldiers. An investigation
by the Inspector Generals department
failed to identify the offenders. The
Presidents special commission was
equally unsuccessful. A majority o.
the Senate committee asserted theil
belief that some of the soldiers were
guilty, but their verdict was not il
accordance with the evidence. HaC
the committee been sitting as a jur!
in a criminal court the Judge on tn
bench would have rebuked severel!
that majority for it's decision.
The Foraker bill for the reinstate
ment of the soldiers is based on jus
: tice. The bill reported as forthcon
ing from his opponents is at it's bes
: contemplate political plan, havin
no other object than that of vote gel
ting. 1t is Of course still conceivabl
that some of these men may be guilty
; but their guilt has not been shown b
i all the forces at the disposal of the AC
ministration, and no pains have bee
e spared in the effort to justify M
: Roosevelt's act Admitting the pol
q sible guilt of few, a more than doub
d full concession, the innocence of all e,
cept those few has been establishe
+ beyond any reasonable doubt. M
+ Foraker's bill provides for correctio
of the records, the reenlistment of tn
: men and the restoration of all IL
t rights of which they have been d
= prived by the Presidents order.
J.. is probable that no more than this ca
be done. Justice requires that no lel
3 shall he done. and that whatever
done shall be as matter of right ar
e not for the purpose of catching vote