Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1909-01-09
HOUSE ATTRACTS A CROWD
Debate on Presidents Message the
Magnet Which. Draws People.
SMITH SPEAKS OF STEWART CASE
Denies His Action on secret Service
Question Was HnHueneed bR
Fact Stewart wns Fellow
Townsman of His.
tFrom a Staff correspondentl


WASHINGTON. Jan. S.--(Special Tele-
gram.)-It has been years since senator's
OF the United States showed as great in
terest in what their associates in the lower
branch OF the national legislature were
doing as today, when Representative
Perkins OF New York. chairman OF the
special committee appointed to consider
President Rooseveit's statements as to the
secret Service in relation 10 members of
the house of representatives, made his re-
port.
In anticipation OF a field day. the gal
leries were jammed long before midday
there being every indication that smarting
under the structures Of the chief executive.
members of the house would hand the
president some extremely spicy and very
warm language in Justification OF the
resolution which condems the president
for his outspoken criticism of a coordinate
branch OF tho government. In this as
sumption the crowds in attendance upon
the house were not disappointed, fer there
was humor and satire, irony and invec-
tive. attack and parry Splendid oratory
| graced the occasion, the house rising in
many instances to warmth OF language
of those supporting the resolution, while
the opponents of the resolution, friends of
President Roosevelt, made a magnificent
| stand for the rights of the executive,
arguing that Mr. Roosevelt meant no dis
respect to members of the body in singing
| out Messrs. Tawney OF Minnesota, Walter
I. Smith of Iowa. Sherley of Kentucky and
Fitzgerald OF New York for special mem
tion in connection with the defeat of an
appropriation asked for the purpose OF
furthering the work of the secret service
Among the senator's noticed on the flooi
during the debate were Brown and Burket
OF Nebraska, Gamble and Kittridge o.
South Dakota. Dolliver OF Iowa, Warner o
Missouri. Burrows OF Michigan, HemenwaI
of Indiana, Borah of Idaho, Kean Of New
Jersey and quite a number of democratic
senators, headed by Gore of Oklahoma.
smith Attracts Attention.
1t was late in the day when Judge walte
I. Smith, member of the appropriation
committee. was recognized In support o
the resolution. Rather than trust to mem
ory. and probably fearful that he might sa!
something that was not we'll considered O.
justified by the facts. Mr.. Smith read hi
speech. which occupied about forty minutes
in its delivery. Always a forceful speaker
he was particularly SO today, choosing hi
words with great care and discrimination
the galleries and exceedingly large member
snip present according tne COuncn bluII
representative the closest possible attention
He was especially emphatic in telling tn
story OF the prosecution of Charles I
Stewart of Council Bluffs, charged witt
conspiracy to defraud the government o
title TO public lands in Mcpherson county
Nebraska, and who was also indicted 70
maintaining an unlawful enclosure OF publ
lands. Judge Smith, In commenting on thi
case, which the president called attention
to in his message of January and whic
created great excitement in Iowa and Ne
brsska, said:
ut is quite generally known that m
home is at Council Bluffs Why this spe
cial reference TO these cases which chance
10 be prosecuted in my vicinity, althoug
the offenses were all committed more tina
300 miles from my home, and In anothe
state, unless 1t was that It was intende
to insnuAte that the proximity OF thes
cases had in some way influenced my actio
in this matter, but for the fact that tn
president said all this TO illustrate tn
ramificatiOnS OF interests with which tn
government has 20 deal
''I am not at liberty TO even suspect
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