Page:The Presidents of the United States, 1789-1914, v. IV.djvu/163

THEODORE ROOSEVELT 127 everything, the President ordered the entire bat talion dismissed without honor, never to be em ployed again in the civil or military service of the Government. Now if regulars had indeed fired upon citizens in such circumstances, extreme and quick and very public punishment was imperative. But the sweeping severity of the order while the facts were in the dark was widely condemned. Mr. Roosevelt later regretted to a friend in private that he had not balanced his act with a court of inquiry for every commissioned officer at the Post. Such had been his impulse; the War Department dissuaded him from it. Congressional investiga tion followed, with much bitter oratory. In the end, February 23 and 27, 1909, Congress provided an opportunity for these negro soldiers of the 25th Infantry to make themselves eligible for reinstate ment. This whole incident was a great chance for Mr. Roosevelt s enemies, by this time ravenously on the watch for any chance whatever, even the smallest. We must now take up those economic and humane policies which were the cause of this ravenousness : "Trusts," "Conservation," "Em ployers Liability," "Pure Food," "Interstate Commerce" here are the words which suffice to suggest what these various policies were. Policies Economic. The conspicuous suit against the Northern Securities, brought by the Govern ment during Mr. Roosevelt s first term under the