Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-02
BAN ON ESPIONAGE.
Restricting the Activities Of Secret
Service Agents,

Although 1t looked for a time yesterday
as IL the efforts Of Representative Ben
net Of New York would result In the
black cabinet OF Washington continuing
to flourish like the green bay tree. Rep
resentative Tawney of Minnesota. chair
man OF the appropriations committee and
bitter enemy OF the spy system in the
United States. got very busy. mesmerized
the chairman of the committee Of the
whole and succeeded In securing the
adoption OF a paragraph limiting the
activities Of government detectives to the
detecting of c0unterfeiters and the pro-
lection OF the President The paragraph
offered by Mr.. Tawney containing this
provision which was finally included in
the bill. was practically identical and ac-
cOmplshes' the same ends as the para
graph originally in the bill which was
eliminated on the floor by Representative
Bennets point of order.
During the debate on the proposition
reference was made to the investigation
OF a domestic scandal by secret service
men When the point of order was made
by Representative Sherley OF Kentucky.
a member of the appropriations commit
tee declared there could be no justifica-
tiOn of the fiat violation OF the law by
the diversion of secret service subOrdi-
partment and bureau heads. and he said
that he voiced an earnest protest against
further violation OF this sort.
Mr. Tawney admitted that the section
was subject to point of order, but said
he hoped no one would insist upon 1t. as
the section corrected the evil that had
been brought out in the hearings on the
bill that secret service men were being
employed by other departments Of the
government to do work that did not prop
erly belong to them. Owing TO these
practices he said the secret service was
compelled to employ an additional force
of twenty men. and the committee hearth
ly disapproved of It, The work of the Sc
cret service. he said. by law is limited
exclusively to the guarding of the Pres
and alleged counterfeiting. and it was for
the purpose of putting stop to the abuse
of using this service in every conceivable
way by other departments OF the gov
eminent that the committee inserted the
paragraph In the bill.
Mr.. Bennett. who made the point OF
order. upheld the practice of using these
men in other branches of the government,
and. replying to Mr.. Fitzgerald OF New
York, said he approved the employment
Of secret service man to SHADOW the
wife OF a naval officer whose husband ac-
cused her of intimacy with midship-
man. The naval service is supposed to
be composed of gentlemen, he said. and
when a member of 1t SO hagrantly FlO-
lates tine law the Secretary of the Navy
should use every Endeavor 10 procure
the evidence on which to convict him
and throw him out Of the service.
do you believe these secret service
men ever prevent any President or high
government official from being shot?"
asked Mr. Clark, Missouri They did not
prevent Mckinley from being assassinat-
ed" he added.
Mr.. Bennett said he could tell every
man who has been shot despite the eff
forts of their guards. but de could not tell
the gentlemen who have escaped assas-
sination through their efforts.
IL don't believe they ever prevented
anybody from being shot" retorted Mr.
Clark.
Mr. Bennett and Mr.. SherIey became in
volved in q controversy over the right of
heads of departments to inquire into the
private conduct of their subOrdinates.
What private conduct should be in
vestigated by the head of any depart
ment of this government" asked the for
mer.
None" replied Mr.. Bennett. except
what affects him in his public capacity"
The point of order made by Mr.. Ben
net was sustained. whereupon Mr.. Taw
ney offered an amendment to the para
graph intended to restore. in effect. the
eliminated restriction. Mr.. Bennett at
tackled this amendment with point of
order and the debate went on.
Ultimately the amendment was adopted.
and by this action the Limitation prac-
tically as recommended by the appro-
priations committee was agreed to.