Omaha daily bee., 1908-12-10
THE FEDERAL SECRET SERVICE.

President Roosevelt has taken con-
gress to task for it's attempt to ham
per the work Of the secret service
department of the government and, in
the main. it must be admitted that his
point is we'll taken. The last congress,
in providing for the maintenance of
the secret service, adopted a proyi-
sion that there should be no detail
from the secret service division and
no transfer therefrom and the presi-
dent properly, we believe, asserts that
none but crooks and criminals have
profited or are likely to profit by this
congressional enactment.
Under the organization of the de-
partments of the government, the Sc
cret service branch is attached to the
Treasury department. 1t is primarily
intended to be used in the detection
of counterfeiting, violations of the
customs rules and similar matters af-
fecting the finances of the nation. In
practice, however, every branch of the
government service has need and has
heretofore had the privilege of using
the secret service. 1t is no secret that
this service was used in ferreting out
the land frauds in the west and north
west, in exposing the lottery and mail
frauds and in working up the evidence
IN the prosecutions of the Standard
Oil, the Beef trust, the railroad COM
bine and other violators of the anti
trust law. To this extent, the secret
service bureau performed a public
duty that it would have been difficult,
II not impossible, to have accom-
plished by any other method. The
president makes the charge direct
that the limitation of the activities of
the service was made by congress be-
cause the congressman did not them
selves wish to be investigated by Sc
cret service men" The president adds:
Very little of such Investigation ha
been done in the past; but IL is true that
the work of the secret service agents was
partly responsible for the Indictment and
conviction of a senator and a congress
man for land frauds in Oregon, 1 dc
not believe 1t is in the public interest to
protect criminals in any branch of the
public service, and exactly as we have
again and again during the past sever
years prosecuted and convicted such Grim,
inals 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 legislative branch
But IL this is not considered desirable, a
special exception could be made in the
law prohibiting the use of the secret serv.
ice force in investigating members of III,
congress. 1t would be far better TO d.
this than to do what actually was done
and strive to prevent or at least TO ham
per effective action against criminals by
the executive branch of the government
This proposition that congressman
may exempt themselves from investi
cation by the secret service is not par
ticularly complimentary to the con
gressmen, but the president is doubt
less justified in handing them the
rebuke, in view of the excellent worl
that has been done by the secret serv
ice and the opportunities always ex
listing for further work for the gen
eral good of the government and tn,
people.
Some excuse might obtain for tn,
action of congress II 1t could be show
that the secret service has been use,
} for political purposes. Espionage 1
un-American anf should not and will
not be tolerated. but a vast mount o
splendid and valuable work can b