The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-04-27
|En|GAT WR0NG
10 COL. STEWART
nIdent and influential Congress
pn Behind Movement To Restore
Indian Fighter To Rank.

{eQ list with the rank OF briEadier-
neral.
Col. Stewart will b, remembered as
no exile Of Fort Grant. He Was
1oriyed of his command. although no
1rges had been MED against him.
N AFTER all manenr OF indirect efforts
~ been made TO force him TO retire.
II WIS sent TO q desolate, abandoned
my post In Arizona, with consump-
I've and a mule "a his only compah-
Drs and one body servant ~ his
Eou5mand. and was left there 10 ponder
~ the unwisdom OF opposing Il clique
~ the war department. which happens
~ be In power.
Col Stewart was fnall; relieved OF
Nc exile only TO be ordered 10 wash
E3Rfon. where an examining board
vent through the forms OF an exa.nina-
Non and then ordered him ulacel upon
<be retired list for disability The col.
1eFs disability was the sort which
I'D never been visible To the naked
be and which did not interfere with
long career OF hard campaigning
10 the frontier But two army doc
xork' were found who could discover
omething wrong with the palpitations
&c lis heart. and their testimony. join
- to that OF three officers carefully
Delccted by superiors in the var de-
norfment, who had shown their atti-
1ude by sending him into exile. result
"a In the retiring order.
Refrains From Activities.
Col. Stewart has been living quietly
In ~xrAshfngton ever siffce. He has
<<nrkfslly RETAINED from all activities
<WhlSh would tend 10 keep up inter
XG9t In his case. ne has kept away
ton Officers OF the war department
kon6 from members OF congress who
&mfrhf favor legislation In his interest.
&IIx.}s himself believer In the school
3cf 6tSIcf military ssipline and ne las
<obeyed in spirit OF the law which for
tblds Officers, even on the yetirct. list
I<Ddulging In any criticism or reiiec-
lions on superiors III command. The
Movement which has started Is a pure
M spontaneous one inaugurated oy MS
S(xltnds and those who have taken a
&onernl interest In his case, moved
Nv their belief that he was greatly
eypneed.
6enAtors and congressman from the
<Rocinc coast have been most active IN
>he present steps and it is anticipated
1hnt Senators Perkins and Flint Will
~ what they can TO push the bill or
<&he senate side. Reps. Mckinley and
Kahn, OF the same state, are also m
korested and one or the other OF them
Will probably father Col Stewards
I'M In The house. The great weight
6f inS1uence, however, which Bears
hromfpe OF vindication for the COZ
onel, dies In the tact that the real
1enders OF, the senate are in favor OF
nome action Of this sort. Men like
Denators Hale and Aidrich,. Gallinger
(>ullom and Warren have become cen
E&fuced that the Stewart case vas a
n6fsble example of injustice and
& mould be undone. In these opinions
thoy are understood to be In harmony
With the Views or President Taft.
The orders sending Col Stew3is
& into exile, 1t Is now claimed. never
we're approved by Mr.. Taft The IN
S jluonce which sent the colonel into
exile emanated from Maj.-Gen. w. p.
y Duvall, now in-the Philippines. This
Inflqance acted at the time directly
m ihe White House. The advice OF
The then secretary CT wa. ives not
sought.
<[ft mrs. tafte tnUuence.
An unusual factor In the case of
q <)oI. Stewart at the present time is
2 mid to be the active favor OF Mrs.
3 William Howard TAFT. While tho pres
I6ont's wife does not believe In mel
1yInK with affairs outside her proper
uphere. she does believe that a wcm-
ANS influence may he exercised a.
&limes In political, as in other fields.
with results which Justify such inter
eference. Friends OF Mrs. Taft say she
&<lid not approve OF the action taken by
President Roosevelt I'm the Stewart
ease. She feels that every effort should
& be made AT the present time to- secure
"a MEDICATION and 20 undo the wrong.
y eo far as il may be undone. suffered
~ q deserving veteran in the military
& fcrvice.
Col Stewart would like to ne re-
y 4tored TO the active list He ~ not
4 worried by the verdict OF the doctors
y rctiring him for disability. Thirty
years ago Col. Stewart was examined
ny a doctor who told him there was
frouble with his heart. For several
years he worried Then. fndirg that
there seemed to be nothing 10 worry
y shout, and that the supposed lrregu-
lerity in the valyular action If his
a heart did not interfere with his mill.
q 1nry duties, he went on eating sleep
ing, drilling and lighting Indians re.
gordless OF the doctors. Up - the
3 day he was retired he walked and
rode ard took all the forms OF exsr-
else indulged In by the youngest or
the hardest members OF the army.
The time has come 20 do justice
h TO q man who has been gricvousiy
+ and outrageously wronged." said
3 member OF the senate 10 your CORE
: spmdent. Nothing that has ever
come to light has justified the action
& taken In the Stewart case. " al.
"A the charges made against the colonel
n were true, and more added to them.
still they would not warrant tie &c.
(. ZION taken. because the coloncl vas
entitled to have those charges tried
50 n nc had committed any breach Of
4, discipline he should have been given
e rUurt-mnrtial This Is ali ne ever
N osked for. n he was as Gen. Duvall
and the war department clique said
he was. an impossible person. that
z should have been yut in the form OF
charge and he should have been
~ tried for the crime OF beiIg Al i'm
H possible person He should be rsstor.
s. 81 10 bis proper rank OF brigsdier-gen.
&rnf"
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