The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-01-08


consideration to the Presidents fur
ther Views regarding the secret ser
vice. contained in his message to tnc
House of Representatives last Monday
the special committee appointed L
deal with the subject today brought In
its final report
Accompanying it was a resolution
which declared II TO be the sense oi
the house that it shall decline TO con
slider any communication from any
source which Is not respectful. recon-
mendlng that the Objectionable pOr
,lon of the Presidents annual message
DO laid on the table and that similar ac-
tlon be taken with respect TO the mes
sage of last Monday because Of its be
ing "unresponsiye 10 the inquiry OF
the house" as 10 what the President
meant wnen he said. referring To the
Limitation placed upon the field ol
operations Of tho secret service. that
the chief argument In favor Of the
proyision was that the congressman
did not themselves wish TO be inyesti.
gated"
When Chairman Perkins of New
York. Of the special committee. arose
10 make mis- report. he faced an almost
full membership while the galleries
were packed with interested specta.
tors.
Messrs. Tawney. Smith Of Iowa,
Sherry and Fitzgerald were on tho
floor prepared by word Of mouth. 10 re-
sent what thev deemed 20 be the in.
Il - th. IOrnzId1rf haf
as members OF the committee on ap-
proprlatons. They were not alone In
their Indignation Indeed. for some
time past the feelings OF the members
had been growing more and more In
tense. and some Of them have been Civ
ing wav 10 their sentiments In
language which fully testified to their
wounded pride.
Mr.. Perkins addressed the house as
follows:
ITO your committee were referred
certain passages contained in the an
nual message OF the President. We
were 70 decide whether, IN our opln-
ION. those portions of the message
we're couched in such form that a
proper regard for the dignity Of a
great legislative body should forbid
their reception. We are OF the opin-
ion that some portions Of the message
do constitute breach of the privileges
~ this house and that, therefore, fol-
lowing the precedent set In similar
cases, the house should decline 10 CON
slider them.
With the merits Of the question
a Al.
cret service men. this committee has
nothing TO do. We fully recognize
the right Of the President 10 express
his disapproval of legislation adopted
by the congress, TO point out It's de-
fccts and TO ask that they be rem
edicd
The question will doubtless be con-
sidered by congress and such action
taken as may seem to be In the public
interest.
But your committee has TO consider
the criticisms made by the President
upon the motives OF congress In its ac-
tlon last session 10 consider his sug-
geStions as TO future legislation and
10 report whether congress with prop
or self-Tespect can receive them. II is
stated In the message that the chief
argument In favor OF tho provision was
that the congressman did not them
selves wish TO be investigated by Sc.
cret service men, and this Is repeated
IN the annual message. II ;his were the
chief argument. IL must have been bv
tnls argument that the majority OF the
members were led 10 vote In favor of
the offending provision. Your com,
mittee is unable 10 share in this be.
lief. In the arguments Of the house
The gentlemen from Kentucky. speak
Ing In favor of the amendment asked
II II was intended that II a member nj
congress were guilty Of unbecomIne
conduct the department would be war
ranted In investigating his conduct b,
secret service men. And the gentle
man froW New York. opposing thu
amendment. stated that we all knew
ns lawyers. that We were not fedora
officers; that we were component mem
hers OF the government and there wa.
no one over us Then the gentleman
from Kentucky said, notwithstanding
the views OF the gentleman from New
York. the private conduct OF n mann
Der OF congress had once been inyestI
gated by secret service men. but IN,
gentleman from New York denied ever
this one and solitary instance mn,
stated the investigation In the cas-,
cited had not been made bv membe
of the secret service. but by a polio,
officer OF Washington.
I'VE do not think that even the mos
umorous OF congressman could hny,
been induced by these arguments I,
vote In favor OF tne amendment ffon
fear that II he voted no the secret SO,
Vice might ferret out his secret sins.
Nor does IL seem tnat staterzent
made In 1904. even BY newspaper 2,
porter. are convincing evidence in IN
motive which actuated congressman 4
their votes In 1908. The statemen,
made In newspapers are sometime
questioned even at the White House.
The statement contained IN IN
message that the chief argument I
favor OF the provision was thai IN
= congressman did not themselves wis
10 be investigated. can have bu; on
meaning 10 means that congres
voted for tho measure from an Impro-
or motive ANY congressman who's
vote can be determined b. unwillin,
ness to have his own conduct invest
gated by secret service mon. or by an