Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-01-04

possipiIiry of doubt that what the Sec
rotary Of the treasury and had both !
written prior to the enactment of the
obnoxious provision and what l have /.
since written in my message to the J
congress state the facts exactly as
they are. The obnoxious provision is
Of benefit only TO the criminal class
and can be of benefit only to the GRIM
inal class. If 1t had been embodied in
the law at the time when l 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 q 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 q body as the secret service,
such q body Of trained investigating
agents, occupying a 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 far
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 q force like this
| can be misused it is only necessary to
answer that the condition of its use
fulness if handled properly is that it
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 ia.
stance Of abuse has occurred. wish
to emphasize my more than cordial ac-
quiescence in the view that this is not
only the right Of congress, but en-
phaticaly its duty. To use the secret
service in the investigation of purely
private or political matters would be
a gross abuse. But there has been no
single instance of such abuse during
my term as president. ~
The Presidents. Appeal. s.
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 bring
Ing to justice yiolators Of the federal
laws wherever they may be found,
whether in public or private life. that
a fo l-av 1,y-f no laSf
be reversed. When this action was
taken the senate committee, under the
lead Of the late Senator Allison hav-
Ing before 1T 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
- conferees5 insisted on the retention of
the provision they had inserted, and
the senate yielded. [Appendix D. con-
sists of letter from Secretary Cortel-
you to the late William B. Allison.
chairman of the senate committee on
appropriations. dated May 5. 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. -
The chief of the secret service II
paid n salary utterly inadequate to
the Importance of his functions amt
to the admirably way in which ht
, has performed them. l earnestly
urge that it be increased to $4,000 pei
annum. 1 also urge that the secre,
service be placed where it properly
belongs and made a bureau In the
, department Of justice. as the chief OF
the secret service has repeatedly re
Guested. But, whether this is done OIL
not, 1t should be explicitly provided
that the secret service can be used t.
, detect and punish crime wherever 4
, is found.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
The White House. Jan. 4, 1909.