Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1909-01-08

mfr. eherlcy stated that there had
been pronounced abuses growing out OF
\ the use Of tho secret service FOR purposes
other than those Intended putting his
statement In the form Of o question. and
In the same form further stated that the
private conduct OF members OF congress,
senator's, and others ought not TO BE- In
yestigated by the secret service, and that
they should not investigate a member OF
Fcongrcss' who had been accused OF con-
duet unbecomlng gentleman and .
member Of congress- In addition to these
assertions couched as questions. he made
one positive declaration. that This secret
service ut one time was used for the pur-
pose Of looking nito the personal con-
duct OF q member OF congress- This ar.
gument OF Mr.. Sherley, the only real ar
gument as to the merits Of tho question
made on behalf OF the committee on an.
preparations will be found IN columns i
and Of page $3.50. and column OF page
tsa7 Of the CONGRESSIONAL Record. i, col
nmn OF page b556 Mr.. Sherley refers to.
the improperly Of permitting the secret
service men to investigate men tn the
departments. officers OF the army and
navy ana members OF congress; In col.
umn ], page sS57. he refers only 70 mem,
bers OF congress. His speech puts most
weight on the investigation OF members
OF congress-.
What appears in the record Is nlled
out and explained by an article which APP
peared In the Chicago Inter-Occan OF
January 5 1904. under q Washington
headline and which marked tho begin
ming OF this agitation against the secret
service. It was a special article or about
SouO words, written, as ] was then In.
Formed and now understand, by Mr.. L.
W. Busbey, at that time private secretary
70 tho speaker OF the house. It con-
.sined en- utterly unwarranted attack on
the secret service division OF the treas
ofy department and Its chief.
At the time Of this publication the
work Of the secret service, which was
thds assatled. included especially the In
vestigation OF great land frauds in the
west, and the securing OF evidence 10
help the department Of justice in the
neef-trust investigations at Chicago,
which resulted In successful prosecutions.
Effcrts to XIII Move
Found 10 Be unavalllna.
These methods proved unayailing to
prevent the wrong. Messrs. Tawney ana
smith, and their fellow. members on the.
appropriations committee paid no heed 10
the protests: and as The obnoxious pro.
vision was Incorporated In the sundry
civA OIL. Il was impossible for me 10 con-
sader or discuss It on It's merits. a.
should have done had II been In I sep.
arate bill. Therefore have now taken
the only method available. that OF dis.
cussing II In myinessage to congress; and
as all Efforts to secure what regard Al
proper treatment of the subject without
recourse to plain speaking had failed, !
nave spoken plainly and directly. and
nave set forth the facts IN explicit terms.
Since 1901 tho investigations covered
oy the secret service division-under tho
practice which had been for many years
recogpized as proper and legitimate, and
which had received the sanction OF the
highest law officers OF the government
nave covered wide range OF offensea
against the federal law. BY far the most
important OF these related to the public
domain, as to which there was UNI
covered far-reaching and widespread
system Of fraudulent transactions inyolv-
Ing both the illegal acquisition and the
Illegal fencing OF government land; and.
In connection with both these offepses
the. crimes OF perjury ana subornation OF
perjury. Some Of the persons involved
In these violations were OF great wealth
and OF wide political and social Influence
Both their corporate associations and
their political Affiliations, and the lawless
character OF some Of their employees
made the investigations not only difficult
but dangerous. In Colorado one Of the
secret service men was assassinated.
Instances In Which,
D. Secret Service Starred.
TN connection with the Nebraska prose-
cution the government has by decree So
cured the return to the government Of
4 over million acres of grazing land
IN Colorado OF more than 2,o0o acres Of
mineral land, and sints are now pending
Involving 10000 acres more. Is
"All these Investigations IA the land
/ cases were undertaken in consequence
OF Mr.. Hitchcock. the then secretary
OF the interior, becoming convinced that
there were extensive frauds committed
in his department.; and the ramifcations
OF the frauds were so far-reaching that
he was afraid to trust his own officials
to deal In thoroughgoing fashion with
them. One of the secret service men ac-
eordlngly resigned and was appointed
In the interior department. to carry or
this work The first thing he discovered
was that the special agents division or
corps of detectives OF the land Office of
the interior department wns largely un.i
der the control of the land thieves and
In consequence the Investigations above
referred to had to be made by secret
service men.
IF the present law. for which Messrs
Tawney, Smith, and the other gentle.
men have above mentioned are respon-
sble, had then been in effect. this ac-
ton would have been impossible and
most of the criminals would unqueston-
ably have escaped. No moro striking In
stance can he imagined Of the Desirable
ity OF having a central corps OF skilled
investigating agents who can at any time
HHn t.. Ta~,z
bers. to investigate some violation OF the
federal statutes. IN no matter what
branch OF the public service. In this par
ticular case most Of the men Investigated
who were public servants We're in the
executive branch of the government. But
In Oregon. where an enormous acreage
Of fraudulently alienated public land was
recovered for the government. United
States senator, Mr.. Mitchell, and mem
Der OF the lower house, Mr.. Williamson,
were convicted on evidence obtained by
men transferred from the secret service.
and another member Of congress was IN
dicted." !.
Chief Asks for Reversai
Of action o. solons.
The president then gave number Of
other instances. NIL Of which tend to
point out the efficiency OF the secret
service, and he concludes:
"In conclusion, most earnestly ask. IN
the name OF good government and de-
cent administration, In the name Of hon
esty and for the purpose Of bringing
to justice violators Of the federal laws
wherever they may b found, whether In
public or private life, that the action
taken by the house last year be reversed.
When this action was taken, the senate
COMMITTEES, under the lead OF the late
Senator Allison. having hafore u
strongly-worded protest from Secretary
Cortelyou like that he had sent to Mr..
Iso1 1.x.sa NiASRa.