The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1909-01-05


hged for the purpose Of looking into
The personal conduct Of d member d
e0ngross." This argument of MIR. Bher,
10y, the only reni argument az to the
merits OF the question made on behalf
Of tho committee on appropriations,
will be found IN columns and 2 Of
page $3.50 and column / Of page b557
OF tho Congressional Record. In col.
umn ! Of page b556 Mr.. sherIey refers
70 tho impropriety Of permitting the
secret service men TO investigate men
In the departments, officers Of the
army and navy and senators and con.
greaamen. In column 2 be refers 10
officers OK the navy and members OF
congress. In column |, page 6557, he
refers only to members Of congress.
His speech puts most weight on the
investigation Of members Of congress.
Newspaper Article Reproduced.
What appears In tho record Is filed
out and explained by an article which
appeared IN the Chicago Inter Ocean
Of Jan. 8. 1904, under d Washington
headline and which marked the begin
ming Of this agitation against the &c.
cret service. II was a special article
Of about 5000 words, written, as l was
then informed and now understand, by
Mr.. L. w. Busbey, at that time private
secretary TO the speaker Of the house.
| inclOse copy OF certain extracts
from the article, marked Appendix b.
IAppendix II consists Of an article
from the Chicago Inter Ocean Of Jan.
q, 1904 In this John u. Wilkia, chief
Of the secret service Of the treasury
department, Is described as ambitious
Of becoming "the Fonehe OF the United
States" in imitation Of Fouehe, chief
Of the secret police Of Napoleon /. The
article declares that the secret service
bureau exists without warrant Of con-
greeBional action and that congress has
always been antagonlgtic 10 the bu-
reau.l II contained an utterly unwar-
ranted attack Oh the secret service
OF the treasury department
and It's chief. The opening paragraph
includes, for instance. statements like
the following:
Ho (the chief OF the dlylsion) and his
men are dcslrous ql doing the secret de-
teotlya work for the whole government
and are not particular about drawing the
llne between tho lawmakers and the law.
breakers. They arc ready 70 shadow tho
former aH well as the latter.
Then. after saying that congress win
insist that the men shall only be used
10 stop counterfelting. the article goes
On:
coneress does not intend to have
Foucho or any other kind OF minister Of
police TO be used by the executive de-
pertmcnta against tho legislative branch
pf the government, II haa been 10 used,
and Il IA suspected that II has been 50
used recently ss The legislative
branch of tho government win not toler-
ate tho modelling OF detectives. whether
they represent the president. cabinet ON
serp or only themselves. Con-
gressmen resented the secret interference
u the secret service men who for weeks
shadowed some Of the most respected
nombers Of the house and senate.
When II was discovered that the secret
lervice men were Rhadowing congress-
men there was q storm OF indignation n
he capitol, and the bureau came near
being abolished md the appropriation
oF the suppression Of oounterfalting cut
M Az another time the chief OF
he secret service had his men shadow
'ongressmen with a view to involving
hem In scandals that would enable the
bureau 10 dictate 10 them as the price OF
flenoe - Tho secret service men
iAYe shown an inclination again to
lhadow members OF congress, knowing
hem 20 b0 lawmakers. and this Is no
oke, Several Of the departments have
slrod congress for secret funds for I'm
'estigatlon, and the treasury department
wants the Limitation removed from the
for suppressing counter
citing, This shows tendency toward |
and secret watch on other
fileiais than themselves.
At the time Of this publication the |
york OF the secret service which was
hns aSsailed included especially the in-
estigation Of great land frauds In the |
vest and the securing Of evidence to
ielp the department Of justice in the
'eef trust investigations at Chicago,
ghich resulted In successful prosecu-
Ions
In view Of Mr.. Busbey's position /
ave accepted the above quoted state
nents as fairly expressing the real
meaning and animus Of the attacks
nade In general terms on the use Of
be secret service for the punishment
{ criminals. Furthermore, In the per
ormance Of my duty to endeavor to
nd the feelings Of congressman on
ublic questions OF note | have fire.
uently discussed this particular mat
sr with members Of congress-, and on
uch occasions the reasons alleged to
10 for the hostility Of congress to the
scret service, both by those who did
nd by those who did not share this
ostility, were almost invariably the
anne as those set forth in Mr.. Busbey's
rticle. | may add, BY the way, that
aeae allegations as to the secret sery-
% are wholly without foundation In
let. I'M
Real Issue Named.
But all of this Is Of insignificant I'm.
ortance compared with the main, the
lal, issue. This issue is simply, Does
ongress desire that the government
hall have at Its disposal the most
1lcient instrument for the detection
/ criminals and the prevention and