Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-09
ANGRY AT SECRET SERVICE
Claims Political Opposition Was III
spired by Washington.
INDIGNANT AT THE PRESIDENT
congressman Resent His Structures
on Them for Condemning the
BLACK Cabinet

! That the secret service branch of
! the Treasury Department inspired the
bitter campaign against him in his dis
] trict, aided his opponents and had n
government detective stationed in his
| district for d month is the astonish-
| ing statement made by Il promirent
| member of the House of Representa-
| tlVes to a Star reporter today.
| This is one OF the many and perhaps
sensational developments which are ex-
pected result of the President s
! fearful roast. in his message of yester-
day. of the provision in the sundry civil
bill of last year intended to circum-
| scribe the activities of the secret serv-
| ice, or, as it is better known among
members of Congress. the black cabi-
| net of the United States government.
! The member of Congress referred to
above having made the statement III
question was one of those who voted Tor
the provision in question. and who. as is
we'll known. has long been opposed to
any extension of the duties of secret
service men outside the sphere provided
for by laW--the detection and capture OF
counterfeiters and the protection Of tie
President. This member spoke for the
! adoption of the provision in question when
the matter was up last session.
During the campaign last fall this Sc
cret service matter, much to his surprise.
was made an issue in his district and ar
guments based on an assumption similar
to that in the Presidents message OF yes
terday isthat members of Congress wanted
the provision adopted. as they themselves
were afraid of being investigated by
government detectives-were advanced
against his reelection to the House,
where he has served. in the opinion of his
colleagues and the public. faithfully and
long.
Revealed to Stenographer.
But more than this. He discovered
through one of his stenographers. d Young
lady, that a secret service operative had
been in his district for a month during the
hottest part of the campaign The stenog-
rapher became acquainted with the secret
service man. vino. not knowing she was
in the employ OF the representative in
question. confided to her sufficient of his
views concerning the candidate and his
own purpose in the district during cam
paign time to convince the congressman
that the bitterness of the campaign
which beat all records for his section
and resulted in great reduction of his
majority, had been inspired, in part at
least, and aided as we'll, from Washing
tor.
This member of Congress is highly in
dignant. He has prepared a statement
which. unless he changes his mind by
reason of policy at this time. he will read
to the House of Representatives under
a question of the highest personal priv
ilege, containing all these facts and more
and If he makes it public, he now in
clined to do, it will create the biggest
kind of stir
Many members OF Congress this morn
ing obtained the printed hearings on the
sundry civil bill of last year, with the
idea of looking them over and determin
ing what part of the testimony led Presi-
dent Roosevelt to make the fiat state
ment that the principal argument used
in favor of the provision limiting the ac-
tivities of the secret service branch Of the
Treasury vast hat congressman We're
afraid of being investigated.
Indignant at the President.
y Star reporter saw many OF these
members who had gone carefully over
the hearings at which Assistant Chief
Moran of the secret service was the prin-
cipal witness. and each and every one OF
them said he had absolutely failed TO
find anything which, directly or indirect
Il. could furnish basis for the Fresi-
dents statement. All of them, whether
or not they were directly concerned i'm
the framing OF passage of the limiting
provision, profesSed to pe highly indis-
nani at the language used by the presi
dent which. they asserted. was unfair
and uuWarrInted
With respect 20 the arguments used for
the passage of the provision in question:
IL was recalled today that testimony be-
fore the committee-2xpurgatcd before
the manuscript Of the bearings reached
the government printing office-shoned
as published III The Star at the time
that secret service operatives had been
used TO shadow navy officer, off on
leave. to make Photographic copies al
hotel registers and to do keyholc and
transonl spying. for the purpose of OBJ
tanning evidence TO convict the officer of
improper actions. This evidence was used
for the purpose for which it was secured
and the officer was forced oUt Of the serN--
ice.
Improper Detective Work.
1t was claimed. moreover, during the
progress Of tho hearings that there
were other cases of the same. sort. ana
il was admitted by the assistant chief
OF the service thit men had been loaned
ami transferred. upon rcqucs, from
the heads of the various government
departments to do various kinds of de-
tectivc work, some OF n public and
some OF u private nature.
The storm raised by the Presidents
criticism of the provision limiting the
activities OF the BLACK cabinet shows
no signs OF 1hating, and unless some
influential members of Congress de
eide to cool off and take their medicine
as the best. If not the fairest. way ont
uf the difficulty. then there will DC some
warm statements on the floor Of the
House before very long.
--S-
DR.. Northrop Resigns.
MINNEAPOLIS Mimi. December 3