The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1909-01-05
PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT SENDS
N A SPECIAL MESSAGE
Portion Of Message Quoted.


The congressman are IN fear Of being
investigated BY secret service men,"
and that ''eongregs az q whole was &C.
tuatcd by that motive in enacting tho
provision IN question:" and that this
Is nn impeachment of tho honor and
Integrity of tho congress-. These state
nenta are not | think, In accordance
with tho facts. The portion of my
message referred 20 runs ~ follows:
Last year an amendment was incor-
poFatea IN the measure providing for tho
secret service which provided that there
should be no detail from tho secret serv-
Ice and no transfer therefrom. II IN not
too much 70 say that this amendment has
heen of benefit oniy and could be VI bone'
nt emily 10 the criminal CLASSES. X delib.
0rataiy introduced for the purpose OF al.
miniHhife the effectiveness OF war against
crime Il could not have been better de-
vised 70 thia end. u forbade the prac-
ices that had been followed 10 a greater
n less extent BY the executive heads Of
various departments Tor twenty years. 10
these practices we owe tho securing Of
tho evidence which enabled ~ 10 drive
great iotterlea out 0f business and secure
4 quarter Of a million Of dollars In finos
from thslr promoters These PRACTICES
have enabled ua 10 discover some oe the
most outrageous frauds In connection
with the theft of government land and
government timber hy great corporations
and BY individuals These practices have
enabled ua 10 get aonse Of the evidence In
diHpenHahle IN order TO secure the convio-
lion os the wealthicst and most tormida-
Bile criminals with whom tho government
has 10 deal. both those operating N VIOLA
Hon % the antitrust law and others. The
amendment IN question was OF boneat 20
40 one excepting 10 these criminals. and
Il seriously hampers the government In
the detection Of eflma and the securing OF
justice. Moreover. Il not only aifects de-
partmente outside OF the treasury. but Il
tends % hamper tho secretary OF the
treasury himself IN the effort 20 utilize
the egaplayeel Of hia department 20 as 70
best meet tho requirements Of the public
service Il foFhtis him from preventing
frauds upon The customs service. from in-
yestigatlng irregularities IN branch minta
and assay Offices and has seriously Grip.
pied him II prevents tho promotion OF
employees u tho secret service and this
further hlAeoufages good effort, In itB
present form the restriction operates only
70 the advanIage X ths criminal. o. ,hc
wrohgloer.
The chief argument In favor OF the pro-
vision was that the congressman did not
themselves wish 20 hs investigated by
secret service mon. Very little Of such
Investigation has boon done In the past.
But Il II true that tho work Of the secret
service agents was partly responsible for
the indictment and conviction Of a sen.
ator and 4 congressman for land frauds
In Oregon. ! do not believe that Il IN
in the public interest 70 protect crim-
inais in any branch Of the public service,
and. exactly as We have again and again
during the past seven years prosecuted
and convicted such criminals who were
IN the executive branch Of the govern
ment. so IN my belief we should be given
ample means to prosecute them II found
In the legislative branch. But II this IL
not considered desirable q special exocp-
ton could be made In the law prohibit
ing the usa Of tho secret service force In
investigating members OF the congress.
II would be far better 70 40 this than 70
do what actually was done and strive to
prevent or at least 10 hamper effective
action against criminals by the executive
branch OF tho government,
Asl<s Careful Reading oF Message.
A careful reading OF this message
VIII show that | said nothing to war
rant the statement that "the majority
Of the congressman were IN fear Of
being investigated by tho secret serv-
Ice men" or shat congress as a whole
was actuated by that motive" / did
not make any such statement In this
message. Moreover, have never made
any such statement about congress as
a whole nor, with a few inevitable ex-
ceptions, about the members Of con-
gress in any message or article or
speech. On the contrary, I have al
ways not only deprecated, but vlgor-
ously resented, the practice Of indls-
criminate attack upon congress and
lndlacrimlnate condemnation Of oil
congressman. wise and unwIse, At and
kunflt, good and bad alike No one real
izes more than the Importance Of
cooperation betweeR the executive
and congress. and no one holds the au-
thority and dignity Of the congress of
the United Suites In higher respect
than do. have not the slightest
sympathy with the practice Of judging
men for good or for Ill not on their
several merits, but In mass, as mem
bers of one particular body or one
caste. 10 put together all men holding
or who have held particular office,
whether It be the Office Of president
or Judge or senator or member Of the
house OF representatives, and to class
them all, without regard to their In
diYldual differences, as good or bad
seems to me utterly indefensible, and
II Is equally indefensible whether the
good are confounded with the bad In
a heated and unwaranted champion
ship Of all or In d heated and unwar-
ranted assault upon all, would nell
ther attack nor defend all executive
officers in mass, whether presidents,
governors, cabinet officers or officials
Of lower rank, nor would l attack or
defend all legislative officers In mass,
The safety Of FREQ government rests
very largely in the ability OF the plain,
everyday citizen to discriminate be-