Daily Arizona silver belt., 1908-12-24
AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PAcIFICA
 TTnN


 The congressional programme of Gre buke'' to the president has advanced to the point of requesting information that will serve as basis for action. Both the house and the senate resolu- tions are temperate and well phrased, although vitally different in the method proposed for ascertaining the facts, which, all seem to agree, are essential to the formation of conclusive opinion. An investigation of the secret service is authorized by the senate an inves- tigation that will go into the question whether the restrictive legislation the president complains of tended to crip- pie the prosecution of offenders against the government, as well as into the whole matter of the employment of secret agents by various departments. That such an inquiry should be made is obvious. All sorts of rumors are aioat concerning the growth of government spy system, which has reached such for midable proportions, according to rather insubstantial gossip, as to be rivaled on ly by the Russian secret police. We have no doubt Chief wilkie and the heads of departments employing special agents, will be only too glad to supply exact information on this topic, so that it may be dealt with legislatively in the proper spirit.
 The house resolution approaches the business from quite antoher angle Like the senate, the house reserves final ac- tion until it gets the information sought for, but applies to headquarters for the goods. Mir Roosevelt is asked upon what ground he based his alleged slur upon congressional probity. He may or may not answer as it suits him, but if he does reply, the resolution appears so adroitly worded as to make it practi- cally certain that whatever response he makes to it's specific requests will largely vindicate the membership of the house. For no one believes that the president has in his possession any facts connecting any member of the house with corrupt action in his official capac- ity,'' or showing that any member has been haled before the courts by the gov ernment, or that any member s miscon- duct has been reported to the house. Whatever the president has up his sleeve, it is extremely improbable that he has any evidence of official corrup- tion of sort that could be prosecuted or punished by judicial process. Should this belief prove correct, nothing contro- versial remains in the resolution save the first item, relating to the assumption that congress was actuated in the pass age of restrictive secret service legis- lation by unwillingness to be subjected to espionage. As it is not easy to de- termine what was passing in the minds of members who voted for that legisla- tion, there is plenty of room for dispu- tation as to motives and purposes, with out reaching any satisfactory conclu- sion.
 As matters now stand between the ex- ecutive and the two branches of the leg islature, an excellent occasion is afford ed for composition of differences and an assuagement of ruffed feelings.
 Certainly the leaders of both house and senate have handled delicate sit uation with abundant reserve and con sideration. What is to follow depends on whether MT. Roosevelt intends to en- gage in bitter controversy, or hopes to justify himself by an appeal to req son. We think an opportunity is open for pursuing the latter course.