The sun., 1909-01-05
PRESIDENTS REPLY TOULOUSE
DIfLNDS HIS ALLEGED ATTACK
ON CONGRESS-.
penlc, That Tie said That = Majority OF
onEressmen Feared Investigation
uy the secret Ser,ice-Tawney and
smith Enrolled In :he Ananias Club.


message which he sent to Congress to-
DIV President Roosevelt defended the
r,.griphs in his recent message dealing &
Wi'h the secret service and declared
tha, he had made no charges OF corrup-
tIun against Congress or any member
of the House. The Houses statement
Of his meaning in the paragraphs referred
e. are not" the President stated, -in
accordance with the facts
quoting the portion OF his last annual
message which dealt with recommenda-
tons as to the secret service the Presi-
den, asserts that a careful reading Of it
will show that he said nothing to war
rant the statement that the majority
uf the Congressman we're in fear Of being
Investigated by the secret service men
or that Congress as whole was actuated
hy that motive"
The President first takes uI the reso-
hrion Of the House OF Representatives
Of December H. 1908:
Be il rtsolged. That the President be
requested to transmit to the Houss any
Evidence upon which he based his state
inents that the chief argument in favor
Of the provision was that the Congressman n
did not themselves wish TO be investiga tied
hy secret service men" and also 10 transmit
to the House any evidence connecting any
member OF the House OF Representative
Of the Sixtieth Congress with corrupt action
IN his official capacity. and TO inform the
House whether he has instituted proceedings
for he punishment OF any such individual
hy the courts or has reported any such
alleged delinquencies to the House Of Rep
resentatives
i am wholly at loss he says. ito
understand the concluding portion Of
the resolution. have made no charges
Of corruption against Congre as nor against
any member Of the pre- esent Houss IL
had proof Of such corruption affecting
any member Of the Houss in any matter
asto which the Federal Government has
jurisdiction action would, be brought at
once as was done in the cases Of Senators
Mitchell and Burton and Repre- 8 'ntatives
williamson. Hermann and briggs at
different times since have been Prtsi-
dent. This would simply be doing my
'duuy in the execution and enforcement
o. the laws without respect to peis ors
But | do not regard II as within the
province or the duties Of the Pre- sident
TO report to the Houss alleged delin-
Guencies' Of members or the sIppcs I'd
corrupt action OF a member in his
cfflcial capacity The membership Of
the House is by the Constitution placed
within the power Of the Houss alone. In
the prosecution Of criminals and the
enforcement Of the laws the President
must resort to the courts Of the United
States.
In the third and fourth claus's OF the
preamble it ia stated that the meaning
Of my words is that the majority Of the
Congressnen are in fear Of being investi-
gated by secret service men and that
Congress as a whole was actuated by
that motive in enacting the provision in
question and that this is an inpeach-
ment Of the honor and integrity Of the
Congress. These statements are not.
think in accordance with the facts.'
Then Mr.. Roosevelt presents his own
comments ON the secret service from
the last annual message and defends his
attitude:
careful reading OF this message viii
show that said nothing to warrant the
statement that the majority OF the Com
gressmen were in fear OF being investi gated
ny the secret service men, or that Con-
gress as a whole was actuate1 by that
motive" ! did not make any such state
nent in this message. Moreover | have
lever made any such statement about Con-
Eress as whole nor. with few inevitable
exceptions. about the members OF Con gress.
IN any messl ge or article OF speech On the
csntrary. have always no only deprecated
but vigorously resented the practice OF
igdscnminate attack up on Congress and
ludsciminate condemnation OF all Con-
tressmen. wise and unwse. AT and UNIT.
good and bad alike. No one realizes more
than the importance OF cooperation be-
tween the Executive and ongress, and no
one holds the authority and dignity OF the
Ton gress OF the United States in higher
respect than do. have not the ghtest
sympathy with the practice OF judging
men for good or for III not on their several
merits. but in mass. as members OF one
particular body or one caste. To put to-
gether all men holding or who have held a
particular oflce, whether il be the once
Of President or Judge or Senator or member
Of the House OF Representatives, and to
ASS them all. without regard to their
individual differences, as good or bad
seems 10 me utterly indefensible: and IL is
equally indefensible whether the good are
Confounded with the bad IN a heated and
gnUarranted championship OF all or in a
would neither attack nor defend all execu-
I'VE officers in a mass, whether Presidents.
Governors. Cabinet officers or officials OF
ie~er rank: nor would attack or defend
all legislative officers in mass. The safety
OF tree government rests very largely IN
tie ability OF the plain. everyday citizen
10 discriminate between those public SER
wants who serve him we'll and those public
seryants who serve him ILL., He cannot
thus discriminate II he is persuaded to pass
Judgment upon a man not with reference
70 whether he is a III or unflt public servant
h.t With reference TO whether he is an execu-
i've or legislative oflcer. whether he be-
orfs to one branch or the other OF the
nCNernment.
The President enters into a detailed
d.1cussion Of that part OF the House rsso-
ItIon which said: That the President
- requested 10 transmit to the House
any evidence upon which he based his
s'ataments that the chief argument
~ favor Of the provision was that the
ongressmen did not themselves wish
10 be investigated by secret service
..ou'"
This statement which was an attack
pOn no one. still less upon the Con-
ross. is sustained by the facts is Mr..
LJoscvelts comment. He thought that
art of the resolution had been adopted
-"ause many members were simply
,pntent to follow the lead of the COM
"Ittee, which had considered the matter
without having any articular knowl-
Co. ige Of the point at issue: following the