Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1909-01-15

cured the return to the government OF
over 100000 acres OF grazing land; In
Colorado of more than 1000 acres OF min
eral land. ana suits are now pending In
volving $50, 0oo acres moro.
How II Was Done.
All these Investigations IN the land
cases were undertaken ia consequence OF
Mr.. Hitchcock. the then secretary OF the
interior, becoming convinced that there
were extensive fran committed IN ms
department, and the ramtfications or the
frauds were SO far-reaching that he was
afraid to trust his own officials 10 deal in
t~horoughgoing fashion with them. one
of the secret service men accordingly re-
signed and was appointed IN the interior
department to carry on this work. The
first thing ne discovered was that the
special agents division or corps OF de-
~tectives of the land office OF the interior
department was largely under the control
of the land thieves: and In consequences
the Investigations above referred to had
to be made by secret service men.
IL the present law. for which Messrs.
Tawney, Smith, and the other gentlemen
l have mentioned above are responsible,
had then been In effect, this action would
have been impossible, and most of tho
criminals would unquestionably nave es-
capped. No more striking instance can be
imagined OF the ~deSirability of having a
central corps OF skilled investigating
agents who can at any time be assigned,
If necessary In large numbers, to investi-
gate some violation Of the federal stat
utes, In no matter what branch OF the
public service. In this particular case
most OF the men investigated who were
public servants were in the executive
branch OF the government. But In Ore
gon, where an enormous acreage or fraud
ulently alienated public land was recov-
cred for the government, a United States
senator, Mr.. Mitchell, and a member OF
the lower House. Mr.. Williamson, were
convicted on evidence obtained by men
transferred from the secret service. and
another member OF congress was indicted.
The secret service was used to assist In
the investigation of crimes under the
peonage laws, and owing partly thereto
numerous convictions were secured and
the Objectionable practice was practically
stamped out, at least In many districts.
The most extensive smuggling OF silk and
opium In tho history of the treasury de-
partment was investigated by agents OF
the secret service in New York and Sc
attic and a successful prosecution of the
offenders undertaken. Assistance of the
utmost value was rendered to the epart
ment of justice In the beef trust investi-
cation at Chicago. prosecutions were fol-
lowed up and fines inflicted. The cotton
leak scandal In the agricultural depart
ole parties located What was done in
Connection with lottery Investigations Is
disclosed in a letter just sent to me by the
United States attorney for Delaware. run
ming as follows:
Lotteries Destroyed.
The destruction OF the Honduras Ma
tional Lottery company successor TO the
Louisiana Lottery company, was entirely
the work OF the secret service. ' .
This excellent work was accomplished by
Mr.. Wilkie and his subordinates. l thought
It might be timely to recall this prosecu-
ton"
Three hundred thousand dollars in fines
were collected by the government in the
lottery cASpS a gain the ink contract
fraud In the bureau of engraving and
printing Ga bureau OF the treasury depart
ment) was investigated by the secret SER
vice and the guilty parties brought to JUS
tice. Mr.. Tawney stated In the debate that
this was not Investigated by the secret
service but by q clerk down there con-
veying the impression that the clerk was
not In the secret service. AS a matter OF
fact, he was In the secret service: his
name was Moran, and he was promoted to
assistant chief for the excellence OF his
work In this case.
The total expense for the office and field
force OF the secret service last year was
$l35, 600; and by this one investigation they
saved the government over $lO,OW a year.
Thanks to the restriction imposed by con-
gress. It is now very difficult for the Sec
rotary or the treasury to use the secret
service freely, ever in his W department.;
for instance, to use them to repeat what
they did so admirably in the case of this
ink contract. The government IS further
crippled by the law forbidding it to en-
ploy detective agencies. OF course, the
government can detect the most danger
Gus crimes, and punish the worst crimi-
nails, only by the use, either of the secret
service or OF private detectives; 10 hamper
it in using the one, n forbid it to resort
to the other, can inure 10 the benefit OF
none save the criminals.
Just the Facts.
me facts above given show beyond pos
sibiiity of doubt that what the secretary
Of the treasury and ! had both written
prior to the enactment OF the obnoxious
provision, and what I have since written
in my message to the congress-, state the
facts exactly as they are. The obnixious
provision is OF benefit only TO the criminal
class, ana can be of benefit only to the
crimina class, II it had been embodied
in the law at the time when ] became pres
ident, all the prosecutions above men
toned, and many others OF the same gem
eral type, would either not ave been
undertaken or would have been under
taken with the government at a great dis
advantage; and many, and probably most
OF the chief offenders would nave gone
scot free instead of being punished for
their crimes.
Such a body as the secret service. such
a body Of trained investigating agents, oc-
cupying a permanent position in the gov
eminent service, and separate from local
investigating forces In different DEPART
ments, is an absolute necessity IL the best
work Is TO be lone against criminals. 1t
is by far the most efficient instrument
possible to use gains crime. OF course.
the more efficient an instrument Is, the
more dangerous It Is IL misused. To the
argument that n force like this can be
misuSed, it is only necessary to answer
that the condition of its usefulness, IL
handled properly, is that II shall be so ef-
fcient as to be dangerous If handled I'M
properly. Any Instance OF abuse by the
secret service or other investigating force
in the departments should be unsparingly
punished; and congress should hold itself
ready at any and all times to Investigate
the executive departments whenever there
Is reason to believe that any such instance
of abuse has occurred. ! wish to enpha-
size my more than cordial acquiescence In
the view that this Is not only the right of
congress, but emphatically its duty. To
use the secret service In the investigation
Of purely private or political matters
would be a gross abuse. But there has
been no single instance OF such abuse
during my term as president.
Raise Wilkes Pay.
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 federal laws wherever
they may be found, whether In public or
private life, that the action taken by the
House last year be reversed. When this
under the lead OF the late Senator AIN
son, having before II a strongly worded
protest (Appendix ID from Secretary Cor
telyou like that he had sent TO Mr.. Taw-
ney, accepted the secretary's views; and
tho Senate passed the bill IN the shape
presented by Senator Allison. In the
conference. however. tho House congerces