The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-01-04
SECRET SERVICE
MESSAGE OUT
Continued from page ~

he sent to Speaker Cannon April 80.
protesting against interference with
tho secret service in which he said.
There is no more foolish outcry than
this against spies only criminals
need fear our detectives.
The message reviews The operations
c. the secret service men since 1901.
They uncovered system for the
fraudulent acquisition and fencing of
public lands. In this work one of the
detectives was assassinated. Ir Ne
braska sixty men were indicted for
land frauds, and of thirty-two so far
tried, twenty-eight have been convict
ed. The government has secured the
return of 100000 acres of grazing
land and of 1000 acres of mineral land
in Colorado. 1t is suing for 10000
additional acres.
OF the land frauds, the President
says: mo more striking instance can
be imagined of the desirability of
having a central corps of skilled in
vestigating agents who can at any time
be assigned if necessary in large num-
bers, to investigate some violation of
the federal statutes, in no matter what
branch of the public service.
The secret service men obtained
hundreds of convictions of conspira-
tors who sol fraudulent naturaliza-
ton papers. They located in Canada
Greene and Gaynor, who were impli-
Gated in big government contract
frauds, and arrested them. They Sc
cured many convictions in peonage
cases and in silk and opium customs
frauds. They assisted in the beef trust
Investigation and located Tie cotton
leak in the agricultural department.
Their destruction of lottery company
Melted the government 100000 in
fines. In revealing the l. contract
fraud in the bureau of engraving and
printing they saved the government
100000 year. The total expense of
600
Such body as the secret service"
continues the message, such a body
of trained investigating agents. occu
plying permanent position in the
government service, and separate from
all local investigating forces in differ
ent departments is an absolute neces-
sitv if the best work is to be done
against criminals. To provide for this
is not only the right of congress but
To h
cret service in the investigation of
purely private or political matters
would be a gross abuse. But there
has been no single instance of such
abuse during my term as president.
Il most earnestly ask, in the name
of good government and decent admin
istration in the name of honesty and
for the purpose of bringing to justice
violators of the federal laws wherever
they may be found, whether In public
or private life, that the action taken
by the house last year be reversed.
81 also urge that the secret service
be placed where it properly belongs,
and made a bureau in the department
o. Justice, as the chief of the secret
service has repeatedly requested; but
whether this is done or not, itsshould be
explicitly provided that the secret
service can be used to detect and pun
ish crime wherever it is found.
Attached to the message is letter
from Secretary Cortelyou, of the treas
ury department, to the house commit
tee on appropriations the Busbey ar
!, lie and letters from the President
to Speaker Cannon and the late Sen
ator Allison, all bearing on this sub
jet.
The House this afternoon referred
the Presidents secret service message
to a select committee of which Per-
,ins of New York is chairman.