The Glenwood post., 1909-01-09
BIG STICK SMASE7ES:
ROOSEVELT DEFENDS
THE SECRET SERVICE
In Message to House President De.
clareS His Statements i'm Previous
Words to Congress Were Gross
ly Misunderstood.

| Minnesota, Smith of Iowa Sherley of
| Kentucky, and Fitzgerald of New York,
when the executive sent special message
| to the house of representatives. berating
those solons for being champions of the
successful move to place limitations upon
the scope of the secret service.
| The president also declared that the
Interpretation of the house of the secret
service clause in his last message
| misunderstood and had there been any
evidence which would point to the nnces-
sity of an investigation of members. such
| evidence would long ago have been turned
| over to the proper authorities.
The message was in answer to the res
| olution transmitted from the house in
| which the representatives asked for evil
| dence upon which Mr.. Roosevelt based
| his statements that the chief argument
in favor of the provision was that the
| congressman did not themselves wish to
be Investigated by secret service men,"
Message Of the President
and Reasons Therefor.
The message IN part:
ITO the House of Representatives:
| have received the resolution of the house
of representatives of December II. 1908.
running as follows:
Whereas. there was contained in the
sundry civil appropriation bill which
| passed congress at its last session and be-
| came a law, provision in reference to
the employment of the secret service in
| the treasury department; and
Whereas. in the last annual message
of the president of the United States to
the two houses of congress it was stated
| in reference to that provision: 1T is not
too much to say that this amendment has
| been of benefit only and could be of ben
| eft only. to the criminal classes" and 1t
| was further stated: THE chief argument
| in favor of the provision was that the
| congressman did not themselves wish to
| be investigated by secret service men,,
and 1t was further stated: But II this is
not considered desirable a special excep-
| tion could be made in the law. prohib-
iting the use of the secret service force
in investigating members of congress 1t
would be far better to do this than to
do what actually was done, and strive to
prevent at least to hamper effective
action against criminals by the executive
branch of the government" and
Whereas, the plain meaning OF his
words is that the majority of the con-
gressmen were in fear of being investi-
gated by secret service men and that con-
gress a whole was actuated by that
motive in enacting the provision in Ques-
| ton Now. therefore.
BE it Resolved That the president be
requested to transmit to the house any
evidence upon which he based his state
ments that the chief argument in favor
of the provision was that the congress-
men did not themselves wish to be in
vestigated by secret service men, and
also to transmit to the house any evil
dence connecting any member of the
house of representatives of the Sixtieth
congress with corrupt action in his official
capacity. and to inform the house wheth-
er he has instituted proceedings for the
punishment OF any such individual by the
courts or has reported any such alleged
delinquencies to the house of represent
atives'
Cannot Understand Trend Of
the House Resolution.
81 am wholly at loss to understand
the concluding portion of the resolution.
! have made charges of corruption
against congress nor against any member
of the present house. II had proof of
such corruption affecting any member of
the house in any matter as to which the
federal government has Jurisdiction, ac-
ton would at once be brought, was
done in the cases of Senators Mitchell
and Burton. and Representatives William-
son. Hermann and briggs. at different
times since have been president. This
would simply be doing my duty In the
execution and enforcement of the laws
without respect to persons But l do not
regard 1t as within the province the
duties of the president to report to the
house alleged delinquencies' of members
or the supposed corrupt action of
member in his official capacity The
membership of the house is by the con-
stitution placed within the power of the
house alone. In the prosecution of Grim
inals and the enforcement of the laws
the president must resort to the courts
OF the United States.
'In the third and fourth clauses of the
preamble II is stated that the meaning of
my words is that the majority of the
congressman are In fear of being inves-
tigated by secret service men and that
congress as whole was actuated by
that motive in enacting the provision in
question: and that this is an impeach-
ment of the honor and integrity of the
congress. These statements are not I
think in accordance with the facts.
Declares He Said Nothing
to Warrant the Statement.
IA careful reading of this message will
show that said nothing to warrant the
statement that the majority of the con-
gressmen were in fear of being investi-
gated by the secret service men, or that
congress a whole was actuated by that
motive did not make any such state
ment in this message. Moreover I have
never made any such statement about
congress- a whole. nor. with few in
evitabe exceptions, about the members
of congress-. in any message or article or
speech. On the contrary I have always
not only deprecated but vigorously re-
sented the practice Of indiscriminate at
tack upon congress. and indscriminate
condemnation of all congressman, wise
and unwise. fit and unfit. good and bad
alike. No one realizes more than 1 the
Importance of cooperation between the
executive and congress. and no one holds
the authority and dignity of tho congress
of the United States in higher respect
than do. have not the slightest SYM
pathy with the practice of judging men.
for good or for i'll. not on their several
merits. but In a mass. members of
one particular body or one caste To put
together all men holding or who have
held particular ofllce. whether 1t be
the office of president. or Judge, sena-
tor. or member of the house of represent
atives. and to class them all, without re-
gard to their individual differences. as
good bad. seems to me utterly inde-
fensible; and 1t is equally indefensible
whether the good are fonfounded with the
bad in a heated and unwarranted cham