Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-01-12

This re-enactment was in 1893,
reads as follows:
That hereafter. no employee of the
Pinkerton Detective agency, or similar
agency shall be employed in any gov.
eminent service or by any officer of the
District of Columbia
This statue is still in force and eff
| feet, unrepealed and unqualified 1t
was in full force and effect at the time
when these contracts with Browne and
Baldwin were made by the secretary
of war.
in view of these statutes, all these
payments are clearly Illegal, not only
| without warrant or authority of law,
but in plain violation thereof
AAtrOciOus, Revolving, Shocking
Speaking of the use of private de-
tectives in investigating the Browns
vile affair Mr. Foraker declared that
'it is impossible to find language with
which to fittingly characterize such a
| procedure as this detective business
has been from its incipiency down to
the monstrous stages it has reached.
| 1t is atrocious, revolving, shocking to
every sense of fairness, justice and
even common decency.'
Speaking of the reply of the presi-
dent and of the secretary of war to a
senate resolution calling for informa-
ton on the detectives investigations
into the Brownsville affair, Mr.. For
| aker said
| Of fha al,
| its exhibits and this report of the sec
| rotary of war present new and most
serious feature of this unhappy bust
ness. They not only disclose deter
mined effort on the part of the presi-
| dent to again bolster up the case
against these men which he has here
tofore. on numerous occasions, both
officially and unofficially characterized
as conclusive and overwhelmingly,
but that he has resorted to a method
in his effort to secure such testimony
that can not be fittingly characterized
without the use of language which, il
employed, might appear to be disrecpect-
full to the chief executive. And worst
of all, in this endeavor to secure such
Testimony the president has, himself
committed the serious offense-con.
demned by every court that admins
tiers the common law, that has ever had
occasion to speak on the subject-of
ment. or a reward, for giving such tes
ltimony in the form of reenlistment
with full pay, and reinstatement to
all their rights as soldiers.
Hints President Does Not Know.
1T does not lessen the gravity OF
his offense that it appears TO be i'm
lperceptible to him; or, if not so, thai
he has become utterly oblivious to al
the restraints of law, deceIcy, and pro
priety in his mad pursuit of these help
less victims of his ill-considered action
Moreover, l shall be able to show,
think, that all this has been done with
out authority of law and with public
money that has been filched from the
public treasury in fiat defiance of the
constitution and a statute in full force
land effect
| Il do not hesitate to say that in m!
opinion, aside from the question
whether there has been misappro
priation of public funds, no preceden
for anything so shocking can be fount
in all the history of American crimina
jurisprudence
Fraud to Gain Testimony.
at will appear from the president.
message and the exhibits thereto at
tached showing the mode in which tn
detectives are operating, and the ties
timony in answer thereto, that fradu
lent impersonation, Misrepresentation
lying, deceit, treachery. liquor and in
toxication, coupled with promises @
immunity and the excitement of hop
and fear and the offer of employment
and remunerative wages, have beel
5 resorted to to. secure the testimon
sought for, and that the so-called cor
e fessions' are not confined to such Il
D affect the parties making them or [
: those affected by them who may b
= present when such confessions ar
4 made, but extend also to those nc
y present when they are made, but wh
e are absent and without knowledge G
t what is transpiring, and without an
o opportunity whatever to be heard
l. their own defense-even to make a
d objection that such statements an
d such confessions are untruthful.
= 'These facts make all such test
y mony utterly incompetent and wort
II less
e Receives Strict Attention.
e The renewal of the discussion of tn
Brownsville affair in the senate toda
called out large gathering that file
T. the galleries to overlooking. Senate
Q Foraker received the strictest atte
l. ton of his colleagues and a numbt
Y of members of the house who occupie
E. places in the rear of the chamber.
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