The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1909-01-07

Colorado of more than 1000 ncres of min
erai land. ana suits are now pending In
yoiving 100, 0O6 acres more.
How II Was Done.
AL these Investigations in the land
cases were undertaken Iii ~Que OF.
Mr.. Hitchcock, the then secretary of the
Interior. becoming convinced that there
were extensive frauds committed in his
department, and the Qualifications of the
afraid to trust his own officials to 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 OH this work. The
first thing ne discovered was that tho
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 consequence
to be made by secret service men.
II the present law. for which Messr:s.
TaWney Smith, and the other gentlemen
I have mentioned abova are Irresponsible.
had then been in effect, this action would
nave been impossible, and most of the
criminals would nnqnestionaoly have es-
imagined of the desirability OF having a
central corps of skilled Investigating
# 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
pubic servants We're in the executive
branch of the government. But in Ore
{, gon, where an enormous acreage of fraud-
ulentty allenated public land was recoy-
cred for the government. a United States
the lower House, Mr.. Williamson, were
convicted on evidence obtained by men
transferred from the secret service. and
another member of congress was Indicted.
Inc secret service was used to assist in
the investigation OF crimes under the
peonage laws. and owing partly thereto
numerous convictions we're secured and
the objectionable practice was practically
stamped out, at least in many districts.
4 TIC nnSfI nv ~ txyn HGt>,r ,,rrr1 - ,-f an .x,.1
opium in the history of the treasury de-
pertinent was investigated by agents of
the secret service in New York and Sc
attic anu a successful prosecution of the
offenders undertaken. Assistance of the
utmost value was rendered to the depart
naent 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-
ment was investigated and the RESPONSE
Bile parties located. What was done in
conectson 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
Louisiana Lottery was entirely
the work OF the secret service. = . =
rms excellent work vas accomplished by
Mr.. Wiikie and his subordinates. 1 thought
Il might De timely to recall this prosccu-
Three hundred thousand dollars in fines
lottery cases. Again the ink contract
fraud in the bureau of engraving and
ment, was investigated by the secret SER
vice and the guilty parties brought to JUS
this was not investigated by the secret
! service but by a clerk down there" con-
Eeyiilg 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
I "OIE n nfS ~ a ia 1, E
The total expense for the office and field
force OF the secret service last year was
saved the government over $1,000 a year.
Thanks to the restriction imposed by con-
gress. 1t is now very difficult for the sec-
service freely, even in his own 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 crirni-
mails, only by the use, either of the secret
It in using the one, and forbid it to resort
to the other. can inure TO the benefit OF
none save the criminals.
Just the Facts.
Thu facts above given show beyond pos
sibility of doubt that what he secretary
of the treasury and ! had both written
prior to the enactment of the obnoxious
provision, and what | havo since written
in my message to the congress, state the
facts exactly as they are. The ohniyions
provision is of benefit only to the criminal
class. ana can be OF benefit only to the
criminal class. If it had been embodied
in the law at the time when became pres
ident. all the prosecutions above mon
TONED, and many others of the same gen
eral type. would either not have been
undertaken or would have been under
taken with the government at a great dis
advantage; and many, and probably most
of tie chief offenders would have 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 fron, local
investigating forces in different depart
ments, is all absolute necessity if the hes
work is to be done against criminals. il
is by far the most efficient Instrument
possible to use against crime. or course,
the more efficient an instrument is. the
more dangerous it Is il nlisused. TO the
argument that a force like this can be
misused. it IS only necessary TO answer
that the condition of its usefulness, il
handled properly, is that it shall be so er-
ticient as to be dangerous il 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 ernpia-
size my more than cordial acquiesccncc in
the view that this is not only the right Of
use the secret service in the investigatjoo
OF purely private or political matters
would be a gross abuse. But there has
been nc 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 wherayer
they may be found whether in public or
House last year be reversed. When this
action was taken. the senate committee,
SON.. having before it a strongly worded
protest lAppendiX ID from Secretary Cor
telyou like that he had sent 10 Mr.. raw
ney. accepted the. secretary's views: and
the Senate passed the bill IN the SHAPE
presented by Senator Allison. Ii, the
conference, however. the Eousa conierces
insisted on the retention 81 the provisior
they had inserted. and the Senate Yielded
The chief OF the secret service IS paid q
salary utterly i~nedaqsiate to the Import,
ance of his functions and to t;le adn{..
able way in which he has performed
! them. I earnestly urge t,:at & be Increased
L tn Sc coo r,er at;,1,,rD ~ aisn a ,.erra H.. i. -