The sun., 1908-05-10
ROOSEVELT LIKE The KING
so HE rs REPORTED TO HAVE
SAID TO 4 VISITOR
In Discussing His Authority over the
Army and Navy and His Purpose TO
Ignore Congress senators Rayner and

Ignore Congress Rayner and
Foraker to Press the Attack on Him,
WASHINGTON, May 9.-It is with feelings
Of the keenest pleasure and satisfaction
that the Republican leaders in Congress
are reading the all too brief press de-
spatches from North Garden, Va, telling
Of the active outdoor lie which President
Roosevelt is leading among the red hills Of
| Albemarle county. Each account OF the
discovery Of a wrens nest or the flushing
| of cuckoo Is hailed with delight There
is no mention Of a stenographer in any Of
these reports. 1t s good news to the Sem
ate and the House that the President is en-
ioying himself and the hope is expressed
that he and his venerable naturalist friend
John Burroughs will continue their studies
Of bird life for several days to come.
But II il hardly likely that the President
will remain away from town beyond
Monday. Senator RAyner Of Maryland
has received word through Secretary
Loeb that the President will be back then
and will be obliged II Mr.. Rayner will not
present any resolution for investigation
Of the case Of Col William. + Stewart Of
the army until his return. From all accounts
as we'll as appearances Mr.. Rayner is inn
patient Of any delay and is not disposed
10 keep silent for more than tweuty-four
hours after the President arrives in Wash
Il l. HiT,I. kkaN
will grant Col Stewards demand for court
Of inquiry. and In that event Mr.. Rayner
will deliver an attack on the Presidents
position which may precipitate a crisis in
the relations between the Executive and
the Congress.
In his letters 10 Senators Rayner, Smith
of Michigan and Stewart Of Vermont con-
oerning the efforts in Congress 70 restore
TO the army the negro soldiers dismissed
for alleged participation in the Brownsville
ARRAY and TO obtain justice for Col. Stewart
the President laid down the principle that
as Commander lin Chief Of the Army he was
supreme in his authority over the military
establishment and in that supremacy was
not amenable 10 thedictates Of the legislative
branch Of the Government. As The Sun
told this morning, these letters created
sensation among Senators, who generally
manifested a disposition to resent Mr.,
Roosevelt's claim 10 be immune from obey
ing laws that affected the personnel Of the
army.
Political expediency had come TO the
front over night, however. and had tenn
pered the feeling Of indignation which
threatened to break out in open denun-
ciatiop. Leaders we're at work seeking to
bring about an arrangement whereby the
opportunity would not be presented for
reference 10 or the reading Of the Presi-
dents letters, for it is realized that should
the Presidents announcement that he
would refuse 10 obey law Of Congress
directing him 10 restore the discharged
negro soldiers become a matter Of public
reoord the Senate would feel obliged TO
'ake declaration in response that would
he tantamount TO censure Of the Executive.
The Republicans are concerned over the
political effect Of any such oensure, yet for
the life Of them they do not see how il can
be avoided once the Presidents defiant
language becomes known 10 the country.
Senator Rayner in the speech which he
intends to deliver on the Stewart case will
conhne himself to the legal points involved
and will not 60 into the allegations respect
ing COL Stewards personality. He will
refer to the Presidents contention that
Congress has no right 10 interfere with his
exercise Of control over the army. and this
may serve 10 bring into notice the more
sensational communications Of Mr., Rooee-
welt TO Senators Stewart and Smith. To
prevent the likelihood of any Republican
Senator taking advantage Of this opening
10 call on Mr.. Stewart and Mr.. Smith to
produce the letters written to them is the
present effort OF the leaders. and by adjourn
ment to-day they we're fairly hopeful Of
success.
Senator Foraker, however. has made il
known that he will demand a vote before
adjournment on his bill to restore the dis
charged negro soldiers TO the army on oath
in each case that the soldier did not par
ticipate In the Brownsville riot and had no
guilty knowledge Of il, In his letters to
Senators Stewart and Smith the President
made special reference TO this bill and said
he would veto II II il was passed and
would refuse TO obey it's provisions If II was
enacted over bis veto. Should the written
expressions Of the President embodying
that position get before the Senate there
will be trouble. which the leaders are eX-
trerely anxious TO avoid for political and
other reasons.
The Presidents friends in the Senate
are working on Mr., Foraker to induce him
to let the Brownsville case 60 by the board,
but he has not shown any disposition to
abandon his attitude Of insisting that justice
be done to the discharged men, Some Of
the leaders take the postion that no good
can come Of action by the Senate on the
Foraker bill II it is passed by that body.
they say, the House will not follow suit. and
taking IL all in all further agitation Of the
subject will only tend TO give the negro
voters further cause for anger against the
Republican party.
A story was told around the Capitol to-day
Of a conversation between President Roose-
welt and a caller in which the President
expressed the view that as Commander in
Chief Of the Army his authority over the
military establishment was supreme and
could not be curtailed in any way by Con-
gress. The President il was related, de-
clared that the King Of England was not
amenable to Parliament in any order affect
ing an officer or enlisted man Of the army,
and, drawing an analogy between his own
status and that Of the English sovereign,