The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1909-01-08

statement IN inc form OF question: anu
in the same form further stated that the
private conduct OF members OF congress,
senator's, and others ought not to be In
vestigated by the secret service, and that
they should not investigate member OF
congress VINO mad been accused OF con-
duct unbecoming gentleman and
member OF congress- In addition to these
assertions couched as questions, lie made
one positiVe deciarauon' that ms secret
service at one time was USED LOT the pur-
pose oi looking INTO the personal con-
ouct Oh MEMBER OF congress- rms ar
gument Oh MI Sheriey, the only real ar
suinehl Us 10 the Hierits u tne questioh
hiaue on oehali Oh the committee on ap
preparations, Will De 1ound In columns
5557 Of the Conrressional Record In Coz col.
umn 1 of page $3.50 Mr.. Sherley refers to
- " Pe.,ii'e"6 lne sooro'
sc. 80 M W ihveslsa.e men III tne
'a 'len's, oiieeis VI the army anu
u IN, VI congress- III ooi-
-. :. paoe ooo', AT ieieis oiiy " hiehi
,,'a,o,t ~ us speeoh puts most
w ISL e, vi Tic iH'es'salioh vi hheihoers
what appears IN the record Is filled
out anu explained py an article which ap-
peareu III lhe Cmcago lnter-Ocean OF
yehuiy o. i'Vf uhuer washington
heaohhe' ana when marked the beg1n-
ming Oh TINS agitation against the s>2ret
se noN II was special arucie OF ABOUT
S'VoV WORDS, written as was then In
formed I, ana now understand, by Mr. L.
" usoey, a. tiiat TIME private secretary
-, speaher Vi the hsuse. IL con-
.aiheu al Utterly un"arrahteo attack on
' .ne seoiet serVioe uiVisioii OF the teeas-
uiy department anu lts chlet.
Al the time or this publication the
WORK OF the secret service which was
thus assalied, Included especially the in
Vestigation or great land frauds in the
west ana the securing OF evidence to
help the department of justice in the
beef-trust Investigations at Chicago,
winch resulted In successful prosecutions.
Efforts to Xiii Move
r..L p,,,,
IVAN" ~ 10 o,ava''''s'
These methods proved unavailing to
prevent the wrong. Messrs. Tawney and
Smith, and their fellow members on the
appropriations committee paid no heed to
the protests; and as the obnoxious pro-
vision was Incorporated in the sundry
civil bill, 1t was impossible for me to con-
slider or discuss 1t on its merits, as
should have done had 1t been in a sep
the only method available, that of dis
cussins !. IN my message TO congress; and
proper treatment of the subject without
recourse to plain speaking had failed, l
have spoken plainly and directly, and
have set forth the facts in explicit terms
"Since 1901 the investigations covered
by the secret service division-under the
practice which had been for many years
recognized as proper and legitimate. and
which had received the sanction of the
highest law officers of the government
have covered wide range Of offenses
against the federal law. By far the most
important of these related to the public
domain, as to which there was I'M
covered far-reaching and widespread
system OF fraudulent transactions involv-
ing both the illegal acquisition and the
Illegal fencing of government land; and.
In connection with both these offenses.
the crimes of perjury and subornation of
perjury. Some of the persons involved
in these violations were of great wealth
and of wide political and social influence.
Both their corporate associations and
their political affiliations, and the lawless
character of some Of their employees.
made the Investigations not only difficult
but dangerous. In Colorado one Of the
secret service men was assassinated.
instances IN Which
Secret Service Starred.
In connection with the Nebraska prose-
cution the government has by decree Sc
cured the return to the government of
over million acres of grazing land;
in Colorado of more than 1000 acres of
mineral land, and suits are now pending
involving lSV'ooo acres more.
All these Investigations In the land
cases were undertaken in consequence
OF Mr.. Hitchcock. the then secretary
OF the interior, becoming convinced that
there We're extensive frauds committed
In his department; and the ramihcations
or the frauds were so far-reaching thar
he was afraid to trust his own officials
to deal In thoroughgolng fashion with
them. One or the secret service men ac-
cordingly resigned and was appointed
In the interior department to carry on
this work. The hrst thlng ne discovered
corps of detectives of the land office OF
S Snr the nontroI az The IomS tbiaves, and
in consequence the investigations above
referred to had to be made by secret
service men.