The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1909-01-08
R. DEFENDS THE
SECRET SERVICE
ROOSEVELT DECLARES HIS
STATEMENTS IN FORMER MES
SAGE WE'RE misunderstood.
ASKS REVERSAL Of ACTION
President Scores Four Solons for
Championine the Move to Place
Limitations Upon the Gov.
eminent Sleuths.

Washington, Jan. 4-President
Roosevelt in special message,
the resolution sent from the lower
house of congress, in which the re-
representatives. asked for evidence upon
which the chief executive based his
statements that the principal argu-
ment in favor limiting the scope.
Of the secret service was that they
themselves did not wish To be in
vestigated by the secret service men.
The Message In Part.
Il am wholly at a loss to under
stand the concluding portion Of the
resolution. / have made no charges of
corruption against congress nor
against n member Of the present
house. 1t | had proof of such corrup-
ton affecting any member of the house
in any matter as to which the federal
government has jurisdiction, action
would at ono be brought, as was done
in the cases of Senators Mitchell and
Burton, and Representatives William
son, Herman and briggs, at differ.
ent 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 presi.
dent to report to the house alleged
delinquencies' Of members, or the sup
posed corrupt action of a member in
his official capacity The member
ton placed within the power of the
house alone. In the prosecution of
criminals and the enforcement of the
laws the president resorts to the courts
of the United States.
This allegation in the resolution,
therefore must certainly be due to an
entire failure. to understand my mes
sage"
Attack Upon Nc One.
The resolution continues: That
the president be requested to transmit
to the house any evidence upon which
he based his statements that the
chief argument in favor of the provi-
sion was that the congressman did not
themselves wish to be investigated by
secret service men," This statement,
which was an attack upon or me-, still
less upon the congress, is sustained
by the facts.
Content to Follow.
The amendment was carried in the
committee of the whole where 40 votes
of the individual members are record
ed, so l am unable to discriminate by
mentioning the members who voted
for and the members who voted
against the provision. but its passage,
the journal records, was greeted with
applause. / am we'll aware, however,
that in any case of this kind many
members who have no particular
knowledge of the point at issue are
content simply to follow the lead of
the committee which had considered
the matter, and l have no doubt that
many members of the house simply
followed the lead OF Messrs. Tawney
and Smith"
After soundly demonstrating with
Representatives Tawney, Smith, Sher-
ley and Fitzgerald for their stand
at the last session in favor of placing
limitations upon the duties of secret
service operatives, the president set
about to defend the operations of that
branch of the federal government
and declared that the scope of the de-
partment should be extremely wide in
order that all criminals might be
brought to justice and that there
might be no unjust determinations.
Not One Investigated.
He also pointed OF numerous in
stances where the powers of the de-
partment had brought justice upon the
heads of criminals and cited cases
within the memory of the present ad-
ministration. Mr.. Roosevelt also de-
clared that none of the members of the
house had ever been investigated as
set forth in various allegations, the
gist of which was appended to the
message.
In conclusion, l most earnestly
ask, In the name of good government
and decent administration, in the
name of honesty and for the purpose
of bringing to justice violators of the
laws wherever they may be
whether in public or private
life, that the action taken by the house
last year be reversed. When this
action was taken, the senate committee |