The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-01-04
Says President Roosevelt to
Congress To-day
HE DID NOT HIT AT HOUSE
He Renews His Appeal for Withdrawal
of Restriction On the Work Of the
Secret Service Cites Illus
trations.

Washington, D. G., Jan. 4.--In spe.
cial message to-day, President Roosevelt
denies that he charged Congress with
corruption. He says:
/ have received the resolution OF the
house Of representatives Of Dec. II,
190B, running ais follows:
whereas, There was contained in the
aundry civil appropriation bill which
passed congress at it's last session and be-
came law provision I'm reference to the
employment or the secret service In the
treasury department. and.
Whereas, In the last annual message OF
the president Of the United States 10 the
two houses OF congress It was stated In
reference TO that provision, .It Ia not too
much TO say that this amendment has
been Of benefit only and could be Of bene-
At only To the criminal classes" and III
was further stated, 1.-THE chief argument
In favor OF the provision was that the
congressmen did not themselves wish to
be investigated by secret service men"
nHd X wma fsMthef stated sfBut tf this ts
not considered desirable a special excep-
tfen could be made ia the law prohibiting
the xe OF the secret service force In tn-
vestiEatin@ members OF congress-. 1t
woHid ha Car better TO do this than to DO
what actually was done and strive to
prevent or at least to hamper effective
action aguizast criminals BY the executive
brnnch of the government: and,
A Whereas, The plain meaning OF tho
shove words 10 that the majority Of the
0ongressmen were In foar OF being inves-
tignted by secret service men and thnt
congress aH a whole was actuated NY that
tnotfve In enacting the provision In qucs-
tinn; and,
whereas, Your comnittee appointed to
consider these statements Of the pregi-
can't and to report Ia the house cannot
ind In the hearings before committees
nor in the records Of the house or sem
attn nny Justification cg this inipeach-
naes1t qf tho homer ard intasritv OF tho
cengross: ana.
III order to make an intelligent and COM
prShanSiva report. just to the president
bin weTl as to the congrsss. ID have sill
the infcxraaxion which the president may
hH1ts to- tpscnnsnurtteste; now, therefore,
me NJ xssuIve4, Tat the president be
raupo0ted To transmit to the iaouSo my
esfdpnoA npDn wls3eh NIL bAssa hiH state
saenxs that the .tchieE argument In favor
o< fha provision WAS that the congress
rnan ala not themselves wish TO be in
veHtdgAtad Nv saoret service men, ana
aIao to transmit to the house any evil
dsnoe connecting any member OF the
hoasa 81 representatives Of the Slxtieth
congress with corrupt action in his ofIl-
eiaI capacity and to inform the house
whether hs haE Instituted proceedings Ger
tho runishnent OF any such Individual
by The cor Or has reported any such
alleged deisslqucnciea to the house of rep
resentatives
r cauHot Understand Resolution.u
/ am wholly ait d loss to understand
the concluding portion of the resolta-
ton. have made no charges of cor
ruptfon against congress nor against
amy member OF the present house, re
] had proof Of such corruption affect
ing any member Of the house ia any
matter as to which the federal gov
ernment has jurisdiction. action would
at once be brought, as was done in the
cases Of Senators Mitchell and Burton
and representatives Williamson, Herr
mann and briggs at different times
since have been president. This
would simply be doing my duty in the
execution and enforcement OF the laws
without respect to persons. But do
not regard IT as within the province
or the duties Of the president to report
to the house alleged delinquencies"
Of members or the supposed corrupt
action, Of member 'tin his official ca
pacity." The membership or the
house Ii by the constitution placed
within the power of the house alone.
In the prosecution Of criminals and the
enforcement OF the laws the president
must resort to the courts Of the United
States.
Portion OF Message Quoted.
IN the third and fourth clauses of the
preamble 1t is stated that the meaning
OF my words is that "the majority Of
the congressman are in fear Of being
Investigated BY secret service men,"
and that congress as a whole was ac-
tuated by that motive in enacting the
provision In question. and that this
Is an impeachment Of the honor and
integrity Of the congress. These state
ments are not, think, In accordance
with the facts. The portion of my
message referred to runs as follows:
Last year an amendment was moor
porated In the measure providing for the
secret service which provided that tkere
should be ne detail ffenn the secret serv-
lee and ne transfer therefrern IT is not
too much to soy THAT this amendment has
been of benefit only and could be Of bcne-
it only to tho criminal classes. II dslfb-
krateiy introduced for the purpose Of d.
minishtng the eYectivepess OF war against
crime II could fiet have been batter de-
vtsed TO this end. II forbade the prae-
hces that had been followed 10 a greater
OF less extent by the executive heads of
various departments for twenty years. To
these practices we owe the securing Of
he Evidence whioh enabled US to drive
Ereat ietteriss cut OF business and secure
q duarter Of million Of dollars IN fines
from their promoters These practices
have enabled NJ to discover some OF the
most outrageous frauds ia connection
with the theft Of government lard and
government timber by great corporations
and by iadsziduals. These practices have
snetlsf Us u get rcnas Of the avfaBnes IN
siEpsnsefSs In order 20 secure tiss cenvfe-
tlnn 81 he vsalthisEt snd Ksst fernlda-
be criniuzis With uken the rsvsrnszaHt
- to dsai. beth ttsze operating In vtsla-