Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1909-01-05

be was promoted to assistant chie1,
for the excellence of his work n this
case. The total expense for the ONES 3
and field force d the secret servics
last year va 3186, 600, and by this
one investigation they saved to the
government over 500 600 : year.
Ehanks to the restriction imposed by
congress, II 10 now very dimcult Tor
the secretary" Of the treasury to use +
the secret service freely even in bis
own department for instance, TO use !,
them to repeat what they did 60 I'd
mirebly in the case Of this ink com
tract. The government IL further Grip
pied by the law forbidding It to en-
ploy detective agencies. OF course the
government can detect the most dan
.gerous crimes and punish the worst
criminals only by the use either Of the
secret service or Of private detectives.
To hamper 1t in using the one and for
bid It to resort to the other can tnuse
to the benefit of none save the crimi-
mails. s19s, =. I'LL. .z4ss, h sa %}s%.e
q Secretary cortsiyou 6ustainsd.
The facts above. given show beyond
possibility Of doubt that what the sec
rotary of the treasury and had both
written prior to the enactment Of the
obnoxious provision and what have
since written in my message to the
congress state the facts exactly -
they are. The obnoxious provision is
of benefit only to. the criminal class
and can be Of benefit only to the Grim
inal class. II It had been embodied in
the law at the time when became
president, all the prosecutions above
mentioned and many others Of the
same general type would either not
have been undertaken or would have
been undertaken with the government
at a great disadvantage, and many
and probably most Of the chief Offend
ers would have gone scot free instead
of being punished for their crimes
Such a body as the secret service,
such body Of trained investigating
agents, occupying permanent posi-
ton in the government service and
separate from local investigating forces
in different departments. Is an absolute
necessity If the best work is to be
done against criminals. 1t is by tar
the, most efficient instrument possible
to use against crime. OF course the
more efficient an instrument Is the
more dangerous it is If misused. To
the argument that force like this
can be misused it is only necessary to
answer that the condition Of its use
fitness If handled properly Is that 1t
shall be so efficient as to be dangerous
If handled improperly. 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 in
stance Of abuse has occurred. I wish
to emphasize my more than cordial &C.
quiescence in the view that this is not
only the right Of congress, but en-
phatically its duty. To use the secret
service In the Investigation Of purely
private or political matters would be
q gross abuse. But there has been no
single instance Of such abuse during
my term as president.
The Presidents Appeal.
In conclusion, most earnestly ask
In the name Of good government and
decent administration, In the name of
honesty and for the purpose of bring
ing to justice viOlators Of the federal
laws wherever they may be found,
whether in public or private life, that
the action taken by the house last year
be reversed. When this action was
taken the senate committee, under the
lead Of the late Senator Allison, hay
ing before it a strongly worded protest
Appendix d. from Secretary Cortel-
you like that he had sent to Mr.. Taw-
ney, accepted the secretary's views,
and the senate passed the bill In the
shape presented by Senator Allison.
In the conference, however, the house
conferees insisted on the retention of
the provision they had inserted, and
the senate yielded. [Appendix D con-
sists of 4 letter from Secretary Cortel~
you to the late William B. Allison,
CQAlEIQdn Oh tue SeNdte COIuullIcc OA
appropriations, dated May s. 1908. In
1t the secretary protests vigorously
against the amendment to the sundry
civil bill prohibiting the payment of
ANY person detailed or transferred
from the secret service division" He
gives reasons for such details and In
an appendix cites instances In which
the secret service men have been de-
tailed effectively In cases outside the
treasury Department. I. +.
The chief Of the secret service Ia
paid a salary utterly inadequate to
the Importance OF his functions and
to the admirably way In which he
has performed them. earnestly
urge that It be increased to $4,000 per !
annum. also urge that the secret
service be placed where It properly
belongs and r4ade d bureau IN tie
department Of Justice, ~ the chief of
the secret service has repeatedly re-
9uested. But whether this = done or
not. It should be explicitly provided