Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-02-27
condemned in all quarters.


But the misuse of the secret serv-
ice division under the Roosevelt ad-
|ministration." says Representative w.
P. Kimball of Kentucky, docs not give
congress any reason for limiting the
scope of secret service work to the
protection of the person of the presi-
dent and the treasury department.
What congress should do, in my opin-
ion, is to enact legislation that will
make the secret service division indie
pendent of the treasury department.
and make secret service operatives
accessible to any of the departments.
1.-The secret service operators have
accomplished work of great value for
the public. They have prevented gil
gantic land thefts, and made it posi-
BILE to prosecute scores of persons try
| ing to defraud the government. The
way things stand now congress prac-
tically says to that class of law-break-
ers the secret service men have in the
past investigated: You can go ahead
now. The secret service men are
bound hand and foot. They dare not
modest you in your work."
Record of the Service.
Here is a partial record of the Sc
cret service, showing only the class
of work henceforth forbidden:
INSTRUMENTATION of crimes under
peonage law in Alabama and Missis
sippi; several convictions; illegal
practice abandoned.
| Government land Office investigated
gigantic conspiracy involving bribery
of employees and fraudulent acquisition
of public lands barred; prosecutions
lstill continuing.
/ Systematic silk smuggling at New
York, and opium smuggling at Seattle
barred; successful prosecutions.
1904-EXtensiven naturalization frauds
revealed in New York and Pennsylva
mia; several hundred convictions.
Thefts of government properly a
West Point, Fort Hamilton and the
Preside investigated; thieves detected
and convicted.
Valuable assistance rendered depart
ment of justice in beef trust investiga
ton in Chicago; fines inflicted in case,
investigated by secret service
1905-Investigation of fraudulen
acquisition of government land in Ne
braska and Wyoming; hundreds G
thousands of acres restored to govern
ment: thieves convicted.
1996-Land fraud investigation Ii
Oregon; enormous acreage recovered
prominent citizens indicted and con
victed
Conspiracy among revenue collec
tors in North Carolina revealed; -
convictions.
Mysterious thefts from assay Office
Seattle, investigated: losses traced Il
cashier; $4,000 in stolen gold recoy
cred; conviction secured.
1907-Lottery investigation made
wholesale arrests; 100000 in fine
collected.
Government land valued at hundreds
of thousands recovered under actions
in equity based on secret service in
vestigation
in Virginia investigated; conspirac.
disclosed; convictions secured.
4 Irregularities in ink department O
bureau of engraving and printing dis
closed; government employee and inl
manufacturer under indictment: gov
eminent saved 100000 a year on on,
kind of ink
190S-Violations of internal revenu,
laws by prominent distillers in Vii
ginia investigated; offenders cor
victed.
Frauds in construction of the Pla
quemine lock at Plaquemine, La, dis
closed; civil engineer in charge an,
several assistants. and CONTRACTING
firm, under indictment.
Need I'm Court.
No reference has been made to tn