Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1908-04-25
SENATOR BoRAHs EFFORT.
Words, words. words!"
Shakespeare

Senator William =. Borah of Ida
no has seen fit TO make his maiden
effort In the United States Senate by
delivering a speech IN support OF
President Roosevelt's action in dis
missing from the service without
honor Companies B, c and ID, Twen-
ty-hfth United States Infantry and
marring the military records OF every
Negro member OF that battalion.
His effort in some particulars is for
tuna;e for the members Of the brave,
black regiment for the reason that
organized labor in this country viii
, be more friendly towards the mem
bers Of that battalion than Il has
ever been before forth reason that
whatever Senator Borah favors viii
be most likely opposed and whatever
, he opposes will be most likely fs-
vored by the Western Federation Of
Miners. well nigh every member Of
which organization has been placed
on the blacklist Of undesirable cit
liens by the distinguished occupant
OF the White House.
He failed TO convict William D..
Haywood. whom he classed with be-
ing as guilty as these soldiers, al
though he made one OF the most
impassioned logical addresses ever
heard before a jury. He succeeded,
It seems IN convincing everybody Of
Haywood's guilt. but the judge, jury
and those who heard the argument
AS a result, Haywood Is a free man.
II may be then that his attitude In
this case will be the forerunner Of
the result just as It was in the other
Senator Borah deals IN many "ifs"
but fails TO produce the facts upon
which to predicate an argument.
These soldiers are not required by
the law TO do more than TO deny
guilt. They may not even do this
for the commonwealth viii enter the
plea for them upon their failure to
declare their guilt. The question IS.
Did the members OF Companies B,
c and ID shoot up the town OF Browns
Vile?
The soldiers say that they did not,
but the majority report OF the United
States Senate Committee on Military
Affairs expresses the opinion that
J some OF the members did do the
shooting The report states that
there is no evidence TO prove which
OF the members were engaged in the
affair and expresses the opinion tina,
( not more than twelve out of n total
number of 167 took any part In the
riotous disturbance. What are you
going TO do about IL. Senator Borah
I You are a lawyer. an able attorney
and you know as we'll as we do that
you could not convict a bob-tail
cur dog or a ring-tail money In a
court OF law upon such testimony.
The English law prescribes that
better that nine guilty persons es.
cape punishment than that one In
nocent one should suffer. Here you
have a case in point where the Pres
ident of the United States, sworn
to observe the law reverses the whole
criminal procedure and rules, better
that one hundred and fifty-five IN.
nocent persons should suffer than
that twelve guilty ones should es-
cape. Yet, here is a great constitu.
tional lawyer from the great woolly
West, who knows the law advocating
such a ridiculous proposition. He
knows too that the allegation thai
there was a conspiracy OF silence has
not been maintained and even the
report OF the committee does not Sc
forth any such thing.
| We have read carefully the Con
stitution OF the United States ant
no where do we find that the judi
cial power, the power to punish Grim,
is vested in the President OF tn,
United States or in the War Depart
ment. In case OF war and in time
of peace court-mzrtials perform thi
task, but we fail to find anywher
that the President has the legal RICH
to visit summary punishment for tn
commission of crime. 1t remaine'
for President Roosevelt and Attorne
Borah TO announce any such doctrine
| But what did Senator Borah say
"a cold-blooded, inhuman, incaI
nate devil blows TO pieces a forme
governor upon the doorstep OF hi
) home, is caught, and confesses, an
Z before the grave OF the man who die
a martyr to law and order is greer
sentimentalism puts a halo upon tn
brow of the blacklist spirit that eve
4 escaped the crypts of hell.
Il Men wearing the uniform of
soldier OF the Union, the insignia G
government and the symbol OF la
and order, in the quiet of nigh
: while homes are defenseless, assau'
v and attempt to murder whole fam
!, lies, and finally succeed in cornmi
ting one murder. To compromise wit
-ssuch an act or such a deed In Gov