The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1909-03-18
Tillman and the Negro Soldiers.

expected and sensational alinement
of Senator Tillman with Senator
Foraker in the bitter fight against
President Roosevelt for dismissing
the battalion of negro soldiers, some
of whom were guilty of shooting-up
Brownsville and all of whom appear
ed to be in conspiracy to protect the
guilty. Senator Tillman, it will be
remembered, spoke vehemently
against the injustice of the presi-
dents action. That proved to be a
great advertising card.
Recently, a bill came up in the
Senate to permit the reenlistment Of
those negro soldiers discharged
without honor, who could prove
their innocence of participation in
the shooting-up of Brownsville. 1t
was said that that measure had the
Endorsement of both Senator Fora
ker and President Roosevelt. The
bill passed the Senate by big ma
jority, but, singularly, Senator Till
man voted against it. In attempting
to explain his vote the Senior Sena-
tor from South Carolina said in
part:
My position then was that the
president ought not to have dismiss
ed and punished innocent men be-
cause some men were guilty. We
have to-day illustrated what used to
be called on the Scotch border Jed
wood justice. When the lords of the
marshes caught some man who
might have been suspected of steal
ing cattle or con; hitting some other
offense, ttey would hang him first
and then try him afterwards. These
negroes have been hanged" 80 far
as the president could do it, and
now the Senate proposes to give
them a trial and a tardy justice to
those who may be able to prove their
innocence, although I doubt if any
can prove it. But it is cardinal
legal principle that man must be
considered innocent until he is
proved guilty, and proving a mega
tive is an impossibility. But my at
titude is that somebody shot-up
Brownsville, and I believe some OF
the negroes did it, but not more than
rs of them were ever charged with
lit, while 16S were dismissed. Now,
to turn the whole bunch back into
the army, as they doubtless will be,
to admit into the service of the
United States some men who have
committed murder, for there is no
doubt in my mind that you will
never be able to find out who COM
mitted this crime. Therefore, as l
did not want innocent men to be
kicked out of the army, I do not
want any guilty men to get back
into the army, and so voted "nay'
on this proposition.
We have upon occasion comment
ed upon Tillman's remarkable lack
of logic, upon his incapacity for
strong reasoning. Here is another IL
Illustration. Deprive our ''Noble Lead
er" and "Great Statesman" of his
sner, snarl, inevective, and rough re-
partee, and where would be the
greatness of. him?
The measure against which Sena-
tor Tillman now votes does exactly
that which Tillman insisted should
be done when he opposed Roosevelt s
discharge order. It enables those
who can prove their innocence to be
reinstated in the army.
Tillman opposed discharging the
battalion because he believed only 25
out of 16S to be guilty; now he op-
poses letting reinlist those who
can prove their innocence because
some of the guilty may get back.
And when we decline to take pride
in the representation of South Caro-
lima by one who makes such exhibits
we are told that bitterness" and
"prejudice'' blind US to the exalted
craftsmanship and masterful strength
of Mr.. Tillman!