Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-12

Pinckney of Maryland. The senator re-
fviewcd again the conditions of Col Stew
arts exile and said: 1T makes my blood
| boil to fever heat to hear the President
| announce such an outrage against any
| man. If the man is guilty he should be
| convicted: if innocent, he should be ac-
| Quilted: in any event he should be tried
| In an aside, the Senator said:
| And why is he treated in this manner
because he got into a quarrel with a
plumber Quarrel with a plumber. in
deed.'
Petty Quarrels.
How many quarrels do you suppose
the President has had with plumbers and
everybody elsno Suppose the President
should he sent to place like that for
every quarrel he gets into? Why. this man
has initiated the President and he is be-
ing punished for it. ! suppose he had
some advice on the subject. The AttOr-
ney General may have whispered into the
PRESIDENTS ear tnh: he had no right to
inihct punishment on this officer. Hardly
| that. though for / Suppose the Attorney
General and all the res: of his advisers
! say to the Presidel., just what he wants
them to say.
At this juncture Senator Foraker Of
fered to Senator Rayner a letter which
! Col. Stewart had written to the War De-
partment from Fort Grant asking permits
| in his own defense against the hardships
inflicted upon him. Mr.. Foraker asked
ar Raynor if he would be willing to read
the letter.
IF it is in my favor l will read it
replied Mr. Rayner.
Mr.. Bailey suggested to Mr.. Rayner
that he ned have no hesitancy in read
ing anything on that subject which
comes from the senator from Ohio.
Mr.. Rayner failed to grasp the fact
that Mr.. Bailey referred to the relation
ship between Mr. Foraker and President
Roosevelt. and MIR. Bailey was COM
PEELED to explain, saying:
The senator from Maryland was so alb
| sorbed in his subject that he did not per-
| ceive that | had reference only to the
well known cordial relations which exist
| between the President of the United
States and the senator from Ohio
Disapproves of the Levity.
The laugh which greeted this sally
awakened Mr. Rayner to the knowledge
that the subject was being treated with
some levity. of which he disapproved.
Presidents Reply Read.
In the course of his remarks Senator
| Rayner read letters which he had writ
ten to the President demanding court
of inquiry for Col. Stewart. and at the
close of his speech had the clerk read
the volumnous reply of the President
In this reply the President refers several
times to the punishment of Col Stew
art and to the "temperamental capacity"
of that officer.
Mr.. Rayner said that upon several oc-
casions he had differed widely with the
President in remarks before the Senate.
but that he always did so in deferen-
tial and respectful way. He said he was
not on this occasion going to make a per-
sonal attack
He then launched upon the story Of how
Col Stewart came to be sent to Fort
Grant, Ariz.. giving his record since the
time he entered the army over forty years
ago. He declared that Col Stewart had
received medals and had been promoted
for gallantry. He also referred to the
fact that he will be sixty-two years old
June 13, 1911. and called attention to the
War Departments orders Tn which 1t Is
Col. Stewart at Fort Grant until that time
when he can be retired under compulsion.
Conditions at Fort Grant.
Mr.. Rayner then gave graphic descrip-
ton of Fort Grant as a place consisting
of a few abandoned buildings. where he
would have the company only of two CIV
ilians caretaker and a teamster. The
nearest surgeon. said Mr.. Rayner. is
seventy-five miles away and the nearest
railroad station twenty-five miles away.
Referring to Col. Stewards statement in
a letter to the War Department that he
presumed he would not be adjudged gull
ty until his guilt should be proved, Mr..
Rayner said:
The colonel is mistaken. Under this
administration everybody is presumed to
be guilty unless he has proven his inno-
cence. The maxim is reversed. He is la
boring under a delusion.
Continuing. Mr.. Rayner said: Nov
the Senate will understand that Col
Stewart has never received notice of the
charges that have been preferred against
him. He has never been allowed to see
copy of the charges.
AT this point Senator Foraker of Ohio
asked Mr.. Rayner if he could not pro-
duce letter written by Col. Stewart re-
sarding the insantary condition of Fort
Grant.
Mr.. Rayner said he had not such a let
ter. but that the conditions were ade-
quately stated in the charges which the
President had sent to him (Mr. Rayner)
and had afterward demanded the return
of. Mr.. Rayner declared. however. that
the conditions at Fort Grant could not be
much worse. He called attention to the
fact that the War Department had Of
fered to make some improvements there
to make it d little more comfortable for
| they did for Dreyfus. and "they even did
more than this for Dreyfus. l under
stand.
Worse Than Dreyfus Case.
Mr.. Rayner referred again a little far
ther on in his speech to the Dreyfus case,
saying that the latter was not so bad as
| that of Col Stewart because there was
| some semblance of court while there
had been no inquiry whatever In the case
| of Col Stewart and no opportunity af-
forded him of replying to the charges.
After he had finished his speech. Mr..
Rayner gave notice that he would allow
his resolution to lie on the table until to-
morrow and would then move to take it
up and dispose of 1t. He said he wished
II acted upon by the Senate and House
before the adjournment of Congress. In
order that Col. Stewart might no: have to
stay ut Fort Grant under a decree of ban
| ishment until the next session OF Con-
gress. He said he would leave the Ques-
| tiop Of referring it to the military affairs
committee ~ tie judgment OF the Senate.
The Presidents Letter.
The following is a part OF the Presi-
/ dents letter to Senator Rayner:
Now as to your suggestion for trial
For the reasons given above and In the
| memorandum which / herewith forward
| there is no point in having court-mar-
| tial AS present 1 do not see how a court
| Of inu,Iirv could be of use, for l do not