Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1909-01-12
SAYS ONLY CRIMINALS
NEED FEAR SLEUTHS
President Roosevelt Hits Congress
in Special Message on Secret
Service Row.
DIDN'T CHARGE CORRUPTION.
Quotes Record Against Men Whs
Had Law Changed-Frauds IN
earthed by Detectives.

@AVAS - IV AHoEt ioUtlSh QUERY imam
this against spies; only criminals need
fear our detectives" This sentence from
a former utterance of himself on the
subject is hurled at the House of Rep
resentatives by President Roosevelt
Monday in q special message ON the
secret service and the action of Con-
gress i'll cutting down the appropriation
for this part of the governments work.
The message, which was eagerly
awaited, was the Presidents answer to
a request of Congress for evidence to
support his statement in his last am
nual message that THE chief argument
in favor of the provision was that the
Congressman did not themselves wish
TO be investigated
No Charge of Corruption.
President Roosevelt declares he made
no charge of corruption against mem
bers of the present Congress. If he had
proof of such corruption, he says it
would be the duty of the government
to start prosecutions, as it prosecuted
the late Senator Mitchell and Others
and in regard to the alleged Delinquent
cies of MEMBERS he says. il is not the
duty OF the President to report ON that
subject
On the question of the secret service
being used to shadow Congressmen,
the President asserts that this was the
main argument used by the men who
were instrumental in cutting down the
appropriation. Chairman Tawney of the
committee and Walter l. Smith of Iowa,
and Swager Shirley OF kentucky. two
OF its members, are quoted as using
such arguments, while the bill was
being discussed. Mr.. Shirley's argu-
ment, put in the form of question, is
quoted from the Congressional Record,
when Mr.. Sherley opposed investigation
by the secret service of "a member of
Congress accused of conduct unbecom-
ing a gentleman and member of Con
gress."
The President says, while he makes
no sweeping charge against the mem
bers of the House, the Committee on
Appropriations, headed by Mr. Tawney,
is to be blamed for the amendment to
tAe law as passed.
Real Issue al, He Sees 1t.
Getting down to a discussion of the
issues involved, the President says:
This issue is simply. Does Congress
desire that the government shall have
at its disposal the most efficient instru-
ment for the detection of criminals and
the prevention and punishment of
crime or does it not? This action Of
the House last May was emphatically
an action against the interest of Justice
and in effect Of benefit only to law
breakers. Is the House now willing to
remedy the wrong|
The President then gives list OF
cases where frauds against the govern
ment were unearthed and punished by
the aid of the secret service. These in
cluded the Nebraska and Oregon land
frauds, the Gaynor & Greene contract
swindle, the Honduras lottery. the ink
scandal in the bureau of printing, and
other simils deIiquencies. A letter by
Secretary Cortelyou to Chairman Taw-
ney last May which accompanies the
document gives further data on these
cases.
Welcomes Probe of Departments.
As indicating the PRESIDENTS attitude
to Congress on the'subject, the message
says:
ANY instance Of abuse by the secret
service or other investigating force in
the departments should be unsparingly
punished; and Congress should hold it
self ready at any and all times to in
yeStigate the executive departments
whenever there is reason to believe that
anysucI instance Of abuse has occurred.
| wish to emphasize my more than cor
dial acquiescen@e in the view that this
is not only the right OF Congress, but
emphatically its duty. TO use the Sc
cret service in the investigation Of pure
~ private or political matters would be
gross abuse. There has been 50 single
instance of such abuse during my term
of President"