Gilpin observer., 1909-01-07
Mr.. sherIey stated that there hsd

'Mr. SherIey stated that there had
been pronounced abuses growing out Of
the use of the secret service for purposes
other than those intended putting his
statement In the form of a question, and
in the same form further stated that the
private conduct of members of congress,
senator's, and others ought not to be in
vestigated by the secret service and that
they should not Investigate a member of
congress- who had been accused of con-
duct unbecoming a gentleman and
member of congress. In addition to these
assertions couched as questions. he made
one positive declaration. that This secret
service at one time was used for the pur-
pose of looking nito the personal con-
duct of a member of congress- This ar
sument OF Mr. Sherley. the only real ar
gument as to the merits of the question
made on behalf of the committee on ap-
preparations. will be found in columns l
and of page $3.50. and column 1 of page
o55f OF the Congressional Record In COL
umn OF page 5556 Mr.. Sherley refers to
the impropriety of permitting the secret
service men to investigate men in the
departments. officers of the army and
navy and members of congress; in COL
umn j, page 5557. he refers only to mem
bers of congress. His speech puts most
weight on the investigation of members
of congress-
What appears in the record is filled
out and explained by an article which an
peared in the Chicago Inter-Ocean Of
January 3. 1904. under Washington
headline, and which marked the begin
ming of this agitation against the secret
service II was special article of about
3oOO words, written, as was then in
formed and now understand by Mr.. l..
w. Busbey. at thGt time private secretary
10 the speaker of the house 1t con-
famed an utterly unwarranted attack on
the secret service division of the treas
ury department and its chief
AT the time of this publication the
work OF the secret service which was
thus assailed included especially the in
FestlSation of great land frauds in the
west, and the securing of evidence to
heip the department of justice in tho
oeet-trust Investigations at Chicago.
winch resulted in successful prosecutions,
Efforts to XIII Move
Found to Be UnavaiIina
Ihese methods proved unavaiIing to
prevent the wrong Messrs Tawney and
oIhith' and their fellow members on the
appropriations committee paid no heed to
tne protests; and as the obnoxious pro-
VISION was Incorporated in the sundry
civll Dill, 1t was impossible for me to con-
sider or discuss 1t on its merits as
should have done had 1t been in a SEN
arate Dill. Therefore I have now taken
inc only method available. that of dis
as all EFFORTS to secure what I regard AZ,
proper treatment of the subject without
recourse to plain speaking had failed.
nave spoken plainly and directly. and
nave set forth the facts in explicit terms
Since 1901 the Investigations covered
by the secret service division-under the
practice which had been for many years
recognized as proper and legitimate and
which had received the sanction OF the
hghest law officers OF the government
nave covered wide range of offenses
against the federal law. BY far the most
important of these related to the public
domain. as to which there was un-
covered far-reaching and widespread
system of fraudulent transactions involv-
ing both the Illegal acquisition and the
lleSal fencing of government land: and
IN connection with both these offenses
the crimes of perjury and subornation of
perjury. Some of the persons involved
In these violations We're of great wealth
and of wide political and social influence
Both their corporate associations and
their political affii iations. and the lawless
character of some of their employees
made the Investigations not only difficult
but dangerous. In Colorado one of the
secret service men was assassinated