New-York tribune., 1909-01-09

only those 10 whom yoa sent requests. but those
whom you did not TO give me ell the IN
formation about the OF special attorneys
ru,ecial agents inspectors, etc. in their depart
naents which viii enable me To put before you
ali The facts which, as l understand IL your
committee desires 10 have. transmit those re-
ports herewith. 1 call especial attention 10 tle
reports Of the Secretary OF State, the Secre
tary OF the Treasury. and the Attorney DeLei'i
Let me at the outset most earnestly express
nv cordial agreement with the view that IL -
not only right but the duty Of Congress 70 III
vestigate the workings Of the Secret Service ot
detective agents by which alone the government
can effectually safeguard itself against wrong
doing, punish crime, and bring TO JusuCe ctIlIl lin
inals. / anl well aware OF the Ilapl'g 70 @ ao =
inherent in any effective detective system OK
Secret Service system; FOR the neasuIe ~S - VI tie s
efficiency of the system is also the measure OF
the seriousness OF the abuses OF the system II
he applied 20 wrong purposes or drecteO III az
i,l1..roper manner IL is eminently TO the pubic
i.,teraet that there should be vigilant inquiry
into the working OF this agency both by the
heads ~ the executive departments ana oH
Congress
DEFENDS SECRET SERVICE
It nevertheless remains true that this system
is absolutely indispensable if the popular inter
est is to be adequately s2feguarded and wrong
doors taught TO fear the law To show how IN
dispensable detectives are when important Work
of a confidential character must be done. refer
You t. the experience Of the Immigration Com
mission appointed by Congress and largely COM
posed OF Senators and Representatives, which
has found il absolutely necessary to employ
detectives in order TO achieve the best results
in NY communication OF the 1lH IUSl ~ IiiS
lower house have set forth at length the rea-
scns why. in my Judgment. il is eminently de-
srable that, in addition 10 the special detectives
or inspection service Of each department there
should be in some one department, preferably the
Department of Justice, a service which can be
used at need in any department in order 10
achieve the ends 1 have described. | would like
20 state here that very frequently accusations
have been made 20 me privately by members of
the two houses TO the effect that the Secret Ser
vice has been used as police of morals or TO
shadow Senators Congressman and other public
TfcN he
basis for such allegations has always been fruit
less ] should be greatly obliged if any lnforma-
tion could be furnished me tending to show any
instance where this has been done IN times past
Certain OF the special agents inspectors and
the like. I'm the several departments have
highly specialized work to perform. In the
Treasury Department the Secret Service is es-
peciaiIv trained 70 deal lSWith counterfeiters and
the special agents with customs frauds In the
Postofsce Department the corps of inspectors
IS especially trained and peculiarly fitted 10 de-
tect crimnality or abuses or fraudulent use OF
rhe mails in connection with the postal service
IN the Interior Department the special agents of
the land office and the inspectors of the Indian
bureau trained in similar fashion TO meet
special needs In addition il is urgently neces-
earv as set forth i'm Mr.. Roots accompanying
report, that there shall be central force of
Secret Service men who can be detailed Tor
work anywhere in the government service
OF course. in the investigation of specific
frauds sometimes come across wholly un-
expected phases of misconduct. The frauds in
the Postal Department, which were unearthed
sou.e six years ago for instance offer a case I'm
point. Ny suspicious We're first aroused by a
report made to the very extravagant and de-
hsuched manner of life of a certain postal en-
ploYe. this report being made by an official of
the Secret Service in connection with anotner
transaction which he at work. So with
of the abuse Of the franking privilege
The Postoffice never of set purpose inspects any
package sent through the mails by Senator or
Congressman. but sometimes through the acci-
def.tal breaking of such package the contents
yre exposed. and if they of a character which
makes their transmission by frankin0 privilege
illegal steps are taken by the Postoffice author
srieS q collect the fUll Some Of these
instances represent real abuses, but in other
cases they are due TO carelessness or ignorance.
and very often doubtless entirely unknown
10 the Congressman themselves, and good
purpose would be served by any publicity in the
matter
THE TILLMAN CASE.
But case has just arisen of different kind.
which il seems to me should put before you
S1ti1.s ~ =, N11s ~
which Investigations begun by any of these va
rious agents in the strict line Of their duty may
develop facts Of high Importance which the in
Testgators would not in the first instance have
sought 10 discover. which, when discovered
ought not TO be hidden or suppressed. but the
development of which may tend TO create
erroneous impression that the agents in ques-
ton were being used for purposes not within
the line of their lawful duty.
- on February i9. 1908 fsee exhibit Al. Senator
@fTflman called the attention OF the Senate TO a
y. ircular OF syndicate firm for the sale of lands
in Oregon particularly in Coos and Douglas
counties. which had been granted TO corpora
lions by the government, the circular stating
mat the company possession Of the lands
bound TO sell them for 81 80 an acre or upon their
refusal would be prosecuted by the government
and that among those who have spoken for a
part OF this land is Senator Tillman, of South
Carolina. the leader OF the Democratic party in
the Senate. who usually gets what he
goes after" Senator Tillman denied the state
,llents OF this circular and expressed wish for
an investigation and upon his request the Post
Office Department. through its inspectors made
such an investigation. He stated in reference to
This circular:
! have not bought any lands anywhere in the
rTTra tax IN hrTE I hay de
some inquiries as one naturally Would. in roaming
through the West. simply want the people of the
Portland has warrant whatever for endeayoring
10 inveigle others into his game
THE SENATOR'S LETTERS
incIose the circular referred TO. as exhibit q;
the report of the postoffice inspectors. under
date Of July -, 1908, as exhibit c. This is
oonfdential report OF a type usually not fur
nished. but in this case the matter is so serious
that feel should put IL before You. | incose
you also exhibits DI DE-, D3, D4 and Do
photogra phic facsinliles of lettsrs and envelopes
and Telegram, from senator Tilln1an and his
agent. William i. Lee. IL appears that Oc-
fobeG 90, 1907 Senator Tillman wrote letter
texhihit D3) 20 Messrs- Reeder and Watkins. OF
Iarshfield, Ore who were applicants for the
purchase OF certain wagon road land grant;
Dorr was land agent making his filings
through ReedeT and Watkins Senator Tilman's
letter runs in part as follows:
I wired you from Wausau. Wis. as follows and
~Trite 10 confirm il: William Z. Lee, my agent.
served. VIII forward signed applications and
1aeney az once Members Of my family are entry
cay wired Mr.. Lee. who resides at Moscow. Idaho,
land to locate quarters for the seven members OF
family, who are Of age. and one for my private
secretary, J. B. Knight, whom l desire to let into
himself
The letter continued. stating in detail what
Was to be done in order 10 enable the Senator
70 get the land. The William f Lee 70 whom
Senator Tiliman thus referred as his agent