Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-03

OF such expenditures as he may think II
advisable not to specify, and such certifi-
cate shall be deemed a sufficient voucher"
The law providing for the secret service
today is far different i'm character. 1t
authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury
10 spend S115.GGO for the current year to
suppress counterfeitinS of the coins and
notes Of this country and of foreign coun-
tries. The wording of the law, which has
been particularly obnoxious to President
Roosevelt. expressly states that the Sc
cret service shall be used for no other
purpose except for the protection Of the
President of the United States. it states,
too, that no part of the money appropriat-
ed for the secret service shall be paid 10
any member of the secret service force
detailed or transferred from the service
to any of the various executive depart
ments. The last provision caused Presi-
dent Roosevelt to say in his memorable
message to Congress that Congress had
done much to aid the criminals Of the
country by curtailing the usefulness OF
the secret service.
John Quincy Adams, who was serving
at that time in the House, took up the
debate and told the members what had
occurred in regard to the secret service
during his term in the White House. He
said that he was utterly opposed to the
resolution as it then stood. 1t was MS
opinion that the use Of the secret service
fund should be wrapped in profound Sc
crecy. When President he gave a certi-
ficate for one years appropriation of this
fund and it turned out to be inadequate.
Nobody except his successor had ever
been informed for what this money had
been expended. Mr.. Adams had told him
in order that he might finally accomplish
what had been begun. The former Presi-
dent declared that for the expenditure of
this money the chieg executive of the
land alone was responsible by law.
Mr. Ingersolfs resolution of inquiry was
amended SO as to take from 1t the element
of danger to the value Of the secret serv-
ice adopted, and forwarded to President
Polk.
President Polk replied to the resolution
April -, 1916. He claimed that his GER
tificate was sufficient voucher under the
law for all sums expended for the secret
service.
There are two classes of service author
lied by this law" said the President,
1.-The one private and the other public in
character. The President is the sole judge
by the law as to whether the service Shall
be public or private. All expenditures
accounted for specially are settled at the
Treasury upon vouchers. and not in
Presidents certificates, and, like all public
accounts. are subject to the call of Con-
gress and are open to public examination.
Had the expenditures OF this class been
called for they would have been promptly
communicated. But the important ques-
ton arises whether President without
violation of the spirit Of the law. can ex-
pose to public view the acts OF his pre-
decessor. which the latter had desired
should not be published. The President
for the time being might not be in pos
session of the Information upon which his
predecessor had acted and could not there
fore Judge OF the wisdom of his acts.
THE law requires no voucher but the
Presidents certificate, and the President
who makes the certificate, Il he choose.
keeps all the Information upon which he
acts strictly within his own possession.
II an answer must be made 10 this f.rst
call for information regarding the secret
service. then there must be answers to
similar calls Tor these expenditures of
CONFIDENTIAL character. made under every
administration from the beginning Of tho
government TO the present time. Never
before has Congress sought to have made
public these expenditures. and we should
greatly spprehend the establishment OF q
precedent which would render such dis
closures hereafter inevitable
IF the House Of Representatives. as
grand inquisttor Of the nation. should fn-
stitute an inquiry into the matter Of the
secret service, all papers Of the executive
department, public and private. would be
subject to tho inspection Of q House COM
mittee. and every facility would b At