The weekly herald. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 1906-19??, 1908-12-10


eral development and TO asslmllate
and use the central facts about our
streams.
AMENDMENT CRIPPLEs
U. s. SECRET SERVICE.
Last year an amendment was In
Corporatod In the measure providing
for tho Secret service, which proyid-
cd that there should DO no detail
from the Secret service and no trans
for therefrom. IL is not too mtfch
~ say that this amendment has been
of benefit only. and could be OF bene-
flt only, 10 the criminal classes. II
deliberately introduced for the pur-
pose OF diminishing the effectiveness
OF war against crime II could not
have been better devised 10 this end,
IL forbade the practices that had been
followed TO greater or less extent
by the executive heads OF various
departments for twenty years. TO
these practices We owe the securing
OF the evidence which enabled as to
drive great lotteries out OF business
and secure quarter OF a million Of
dollars in fines from their promut-
ers. These practices have enabled
us 10 discover some OF the most out
rageous frauds In connection with
the theft OF government land and
government timber by great corpor-
ations and by individuals. These
practices have enabled us TO get some
OF the evidence indispensable in or
der 10 secure tho conviction OF the
wealthiost and most formidable
criminals with whom the government
has 20 deal. both those operating in
violation OF the antitrust law and
others. The amendment in question
was OF benefit to no one excepting TO
these criminals, and Il seriously ham
pers the government In the detection
OF crime and the securing OF Jus
tice. Moreover II not only affects
departments outside OF the treasury
but II tends TO hamper the secretary
OF tho treasury himself in the effort
to utilize the employees Of his depart
ment so as to best meet the require
ments OF the public service. It for.
bids him from preventing frauds up
on the customs service, from inves-
tigating irregularities in branch
minis and assay offices, and has SER
iously crippled him. It prevents the
promotion OF employees In the Secret
service, and this further discourages
good effort. In It's present form the
restriction operates only to the adj
vantage OF the criminal, Of the wrong
doer. The chief argument In favor
OF the provision was that the Con-
gressmen did not themselves wish 70
be investigated by Secret service
men. Very little OF such investiga-
ton has been done in the past; but
II Is true that the work o. the Sc
cret service agents was partly respon-
sible for the indictment AMI Convic-
ton of a Senator and Clngress-
man for land frauds in oregon do
not believe that 1t is in the public
interest to protect criminals In any
branch OF the public service, and ex-
actly as we have again aud again
during the past seven years prose-
cuted and convicted such criminals
who were in the executive branch OF
the government, so in my belief We
should be given ample means to
prosecute them II found In the legis.
latiye branch. But II this is not
considered desirable a special ex-
ception could be made In the law
prohibiting the use of the Secret
service force in investigating mem
bers OF the Congress. II would be
far better TO do this than to do what
actually was done, and strive to pre-
vent or at least to hamper effective
action against criminals by the ex-
.ecutive branch Of the government.
RENEws RECOMMENDATION
for SAVINGS BANKS.
x again renew my recommendation
Dor postal savings banks, for depos-
iting savings with the security OF
4he government behind them. The
object Is TO encourage thrift and
ECONOMY in the wage-earner and per-
Bon OF moderate means. In fourteen
states the deposits in savings banks
IS reported to the comptroller Of the
currency amount to s3,5aO.245,4O9,
or ss.4 per cent OF the entire deposits
Fhile In the remaining 90 states