The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-05-12
ASsails President in Senate
Speech for Exiling Army
Officer.
STRUCTURES KEEP
SENATE LAUGHING
Roosevelt Never Uses Forceful or
Vehement Language TO Sub
ordinate, Says Speaker.

With whitening sarcasm Senator Ray
sner OF Maryland assailed the course
OF the President with respect to Col
William +. Stewart the coast artillery
officer who was banished to Fort
Grant, Arizona, and then 70 Florida on
the floor OF the Senate today.
Senator Rayner declared that the
charges trumped up against Colonel
Stewart were frivolous and petty and
did not in the slightest degree affect
his character as a man, his honor as
q citizen or his courage as a soldier.
Senator Rayner spoke in support on
his resolution introduced yesterday d.
Teeting the President 10 call a court Of
anquiry 10 investigate the charges
against Colonel Stewart. In the course
Df his address Senator Rayner read 10
Uhe Senate. extracts from the letter
which the President recently sent him,
In which he assaulted Colonel Stewart IN
severe terms. Discussing the charges
Mr.. Rayner said:
They are charges, as the President Is
pleased 10 call them. OF 'temperamentai
3nfrmities.' The President has conclud-
ed that Colonel Stewart is a man, who
tc have his own way, who in
limitation OF his constitutional com
1nander-in-chlef wants TO dominate the
Senator Rsyner maintained that the
charges even if true We're not such as
10 be taken seriously, He said that one
related to &, controversy Colonel stewart
had had with q civilian at Fort VIII
liam, Me Another related TO "A contFo-
versy between Colonel Stewart and an
engineer at Pensacola, who desired tu
alse the Government barracks and whose
request Colonel Stewart had refused
Another dispute was between colonel
Stewart and plumber at pensacola.
Another charge related 10 the fact that
Colonel Stewards quartermaster was
convicted OF embeZZlement and appar-
entity was not prosecuted soon enough.
Senator Rayner explained that Colonel
Stewart had secured the conviction, out
the President somehow seemed 10 think
mat he ought to have secured the con-
viction earlier Another charge was
that Cclorel Stewart had used emphatic
Language 10 his subordinates-
Rayner Raises Laugh.
Abiding to the fact that Colonel
Stewart seemed to initiate the com
rnander in chief IN wanting 10 dominate
things, Senator Rayner aroused laughter
by saying:
These are charges, Mr.. President, not
that Colonel Stewart makes against the
President. but that the President makes
against Colonel Stewart. They relate 10
petty controversies, in which the Presl-
dent thinks Colonel Stewart ought 10
have yielded as he. the President, has
always done The President finds great
fault with Colonel Stewart for using
sforcibIs language 10 a subordinate. The
Senate we'll understands tho President
never INDUCES in any forcible or vehe-
ment language, either in oral conversa-
aion or IN written discourse. OF course,
Mr.. President, II all these charges are
true Il II a matter OF deep regret that
HCOlonsl Stewart did noI exercise that
degree Of restraint that has been eXeT-
sed BY the President for the last three
years, and that has Kept the country
gree from every kind OF tumult and COM
motion
The senator began his remarks by dis
claiming any hostility 10 the President
and by SAYING that the President had
made a great mistake in dealing with
This case. He felt the President had
made a grave error in regard TO the eN-
Seilt OF his prerogatfye- he declared ne
was aCtuated by no political motive in
bringing the matter 10 the attention OF
1he Senate. He then told fl some detail
who Colonel Stewart is and described
his long and honorable career Of forty
years in the army.
Ranks Second Among Colonies.
He pointed out that he would reach
the minimum age OF retirement in 1911
and that he was now second in rank
among the colonels OF the coast and
4ield artillery. He added that Colonel
Wheeler. who is first IN rank. would
soon retire. thus leaving Colonel Stewart
at the head. Senator Rayner followed
with description OF the abandoned fort
in Arizona. Fort Grant, where Colonel
Stewards only companions were a care
talcer and a teamster Following his
description of Fort Grant he read TO the
Senate the War Department orders in
Colonel tSewart's case, beginning with
September %, 1907, down 10 the present
time. and the replies which Colonel
Stewart had made 10 the War Depart
Snent
From these orders Il appeared the
War Department by order of the Presi-
dent had given Colonel Stewart no al
tentative except to retire Immediately
or be sent 10 Fort Grant Colonel
Stewart asked for a court OF inquiry,
but he was given none and was con-
fTOnted with no charges whatsoever.
IN one of his letters Colonel Stewart
; protested that a man was presumed TO
be innocent until proven guilty. Com
meu1ing on this Senator RaVner OBJ
served under this administration a per
tson IS presumed to be guilty until he
IS proven innocent