The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-01-04

investigated by agents OF the secret
service In New York and Seattle ana
successful prosecution OF the onenu-
ers undertaken. Assistance u the ut
most value was rendered to the depart
ment OF justice I'm beef-trust investiga-
ton at Chicago. prosecutions were lol-
lowed up and fines inflicted. The cotton
leak scandal I'm the agricultural depart
ment was investigated and the respons-
ible parties located. What was done In
connection with lottery cstigatiops
Is disclosed In a letter Just sent 10 me
by the United States attorney for Del
aware. running as follows:
The destruction OF the Honduras
National Lotte-v COMPANY. success
sor TO the Louisiana Lottery com
pany, was entIrety ,ae work OF the
secret service. This ex
Mr. Willie and his subordinates.
] though IT might be timely 10 re-
call this prosecution.
Beneht TO Criminals.
Three hundred thousand dollars In
fines were collected oy the government
tcact fraud in the bureau OF engrav-
ing and printing "a bureau OF the
treasury Department. was investigated
parties brought to Justice. Mr.: Tawney
was not investigated by the Sc
t t5 seryiSe hut by clerk mnrs ss%n
that the clerk was not In the Sc
cret service. AS n matter OF fact he
was In the secret service, his name was
ant chief for the excellence OF his work
in this case The total expense for the
office and field force or the secret SER
vice last year was $4,000; and by this
one investigation they saved to the gov
ernment over 100000 a year. Thanks to
the restriction imposed by congress IL
Is now very difficult for the secretary
OF the treasury 10 use the secret SER
vice freely even ~ his own department;
for instance. to use them 10 repeat what
they did so admirably In the case OF
further crippled by the law forbidding
IL TO employ detective agencies OF
course the government can detect the
most dangerous crimes. and punish the
of the secret service or of private de-
tectives: to hamper ~ in using the one,
and forbid IL TO resort to the other, can
inure to the benefit OF none save the
criminals.
In conclusion, most earnestly ask. IN
the name OF good government and de-
cent administration, in the name or
honesty and for the purpose OF bringing
TO Justice violators of the federal laws
wherever they NAV be found, whether
in public or private life. that the ac-
ton taken by the house last year be re-
versed. When this action was taken.
the senate committee, under the lead OF
the late senator Allison, having before
II strongly-worded protest (appendix
ID from Secretary Cortelyou like that
he had sent to Mr.. Tawney, accepted
the sccretarys views; and the senate
passed the bill in the shape presented
by Senator Allison. In the conference,
however, the house oonferees insisted
on the retention OF the provision they
had inserted, and the senate yielded.
The chief of tho secret service is paid
a salary utterly inadequate to the i'm
portanoe OF his functions ana 10 the ad
mirable way in which he has performed
them. / earnestly urge that IL be In
creased to $4,000 per annum. / also
urge that the secret service be placed
where II properly belongs, and made a
bureau in the department of Justice, as
the chief OF the secret service has re-
peatedly requested; but whether this is
done or not, 1t should be explicitly pro-
vided that the secret service can he
used to detect and punish crime where
ever IL Is found.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
The White House, Jan. 4, 1909.