Morris tribune., 1909-01-23
VOLSTEAD'S DEFENSE.
Anent the Controversy with the
President.


The "other side" of the controversy
between President Roosevelt and
congress in regard to the secret SER
vice is given by congressman A. J.
Volstead in letter to Hon. Ell. w.
Stone. The letter follows -
January Is, 1909.
Mr.. FL. w. Stone,
Morris, Minnesota.
My dear Stone:-Your kind favor of
the 8th inst, received, l am very
glad to have your views in reference
TO the pending controversy between
Congress and the President. re-
'gret very much that there should have
been any controversy. I have always
tried to support the Presidents
policies and admire him very much
for the work he has accomplished, but
I confess that could not approve of
his course in impugning the motives
of the House. When his message was
received it was contended by his
friends that the language was simply
ambiguous and not intended as an in
suit to the House. The House then
asked the President to explain. His
explanation clearly shows tina he did
impugn the motives of the House,
and under such circumstances I could
see no other course for the House to
pursue than to show its disapproval.
The contest between the House and
President does not involve the eff
cheney of the secret service but is, as
it is generally understood here, a fight
between the Treasury Department and
other Departments. The President is
in favor of having the force in the
Treasury Department of about forty
men, whose duty it is under the law
to guard against counterfeiting and
attend to some other minor matters,
, act as general detective force for all
departments, while Congress thought
this force should eonfine its operations
to the duties prescribed for it by law,
and to accomplish this inse rted in an
appropriation bill limitation tend
ing to effect this purpose. The other
departments of the government have
no need of the secret service force in
the Treasury Department as they have
inspectors and other employees doing
this same class of work. When this
limitation was place upon the activi-
ties of the secret service men in the
Treasury Department the Attorney
General, as head of the Department
of Justice, was given an appropria-
tion to enable him to form secret
service force in his department, the
proper department. for such a force
as he is charged with the enforce
ment of all laws. The Department of
Justice thereupon organized secret
service force for it's own use. The
President was no doubt ignorant of
this fact when he wrote this message.
Congress thus provided secret SER
vice that could legally investigate at
any time any illegal transaction that
any of its members might be guilty Of.
The force which was created in the
Department of Justice is just as eff
cient as that in the Treasury Depart
ment. There is not the slightest reason
for the insinuation that. Congress in
any way sought to shield itself from
investigation, nor that Congress in
any way sought to hamper the admin
istration of justice or protectcriminals.
The amount now appropriated an
nually for services of this class is
simply stupendous. More than
seven million dollars is authorized
specifically for services of this kind,
while there is available nearly thirty
million dollars for like purposes. The
appropriation in question is only one
hundred and fifteen thousand dollars
and relates only to this small force in
the Treasury Department. This ap-
preparation was made only ten thou
sand less than that for the proceeding
year when the appropriation was
some nineteen thousand dollars in
excess of that required, while for
other purposes of this nature the ap-
preparations were i'll the aggregate in
creased more than half million. |
will try to secure for you copy of
the speeches delivered upon the
resolutions passed in the House,
in which Congress laid upon the
table the offensive part of the Presi-
dents message. If you will read
carefully think you will become sat-
isfied that the house was fully justified
in it's course. Nearly all the PAYERS
in this section, where they have am
pie opportunity to know what the
facts are, have approved of the course