The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-01-18
BIG STICK STUCK INTO
LIVELY HORNETS NEST
Secret Service Explanations Do Not Explain to
the Satisfaction OF Senators and
House Members.
By Ernest G. Walker.
Mail Special to the Advertiser. J

| Mall special to the Advertiser.)
WASHINGTON, January 4. Pres
J ident Roosevelt today salved the wounds
OF an offended Congress with twenty
eight page pamphlet message about the
Secret Service. But there was not salvt
for all. Salt was applied for members
OF the House appropriations. committee
They were the men who insisted on last
years legislation that tied the hands
of those operating the so-called "black
cabinet
He specifically disclaims representa-
tons that the majority of the Con.
gressmen are in fear of being inves-
tlgated by Secret Service men, He
says he has made ''no charges of cor
ruption against Congress nor against
any member of the present House y
With these disclaimers, as a preface
TO his reply, the President proceeds to
deal hard blows upon Representative
James A. Tawney, chairman of the
House appropriations committee and
upon Representative Walter L Smith,
OF Council Bluffs, Iowa. He also
! thwacks hard at L. White Busbey.
| Speaker Cannon s private secretary. By
inference, at least, he attacks the
Speaker himself, for he says that the
views expressed in a newspaper article,
written by Mr.. Busbey, he (the Pres.
| ldent) has personally found to prevail
among the Congressman who are oppo,
| nents of the Secret Service. The Pres,
ldent leaves one to infer that the cam
paign was conducted in the Speaker 3
office.
Placed in the Ananias Club.
The President says that the aIlega-
tions made by Mr.. Busbey "are wholly
without foundation in fact. y Secretary
Cortelyou wrote letter to Mr.. Taw-
ney about the Secret Service in which.
according to Mr.. Tawney's statement
to the House Mr.. Cortelyou admitted
that the provisions under which the
appropriation has been mace have been
violated year after year for number
OF years in his own department. The
President appends copy of Mr.. Cortel-
you's letter with this comment, cit
makes no such admission as that which
Mr.. Tawney alleges -
The President cites letter he wrote
to the Speaker, protesting against sFthe4
provision about the employment of
Secret Service men, in other DEPART
ments and declaring that "there IS no
more foolish cutlery than this against
SPIES; only criminals need fear our
detectives. - He says that this and
other methods "proved unavailing to
prevent the wrong and that "Messrs.
TaWney and Smith and their fellow
members on the appropriations commit
tee paid no heed to the protests.''
Much space in the special message is
devoted to showing that the Secret
Service detectives worked very effec-
tlyely in exposing frauds in public
land dealings He dwells upon the good
work of linen trained in the Secret
service when detailed to the Depart
ment of Justice and the Department.
OF the Interior in ferreting ont
Nebraska land frauds and Illegal fene.
ing, then quotes a Secret Service memo
randum about the indictment of Charles
/. Stewart, of Council Bluffs. an in. !
fuential resident, who conducted a LARGE
business in the adjacent city of Omaha.
for three different offenses. The memo. |
fandum details the names of Stewart : !
attorneys, in Council Bluffs. some OF
whom represent the Council Bluffs /
Street Railway, and one of whom was |
attorney for political worker of the /
Union Pacific Railroad. The memoran.
dunn likewise connects Stewart with the |
postmaster at Council Bluffs.
There IS no immediate mention of /
representatives Smith Shame in that con
nection but the President undoubtedly
was aware that Mr. Smith stands forth
as one of Council Bluffs leading citr,
zens and that in all probability he en-,
dorsed the postmaster in that town
emphatic About Tawney and Smith.
The President singles out "Messrs.
Iawney and Smith more than once IN
the course of his message. He tells
or the public lands that were returned
to the government by the activities of
the Secret Service detectives and en-
pnaslzes how this good work in Nebras-
ka and elsewhere would not have been
possible ''if the present law, for which
Messrs. Tawney, Smith and the other
gentlemen | have mentioned are respon-
slble, had then been in effeet.'' He
describes how the cotton leak scandals
were unearthed by Secret Service men.
me beef trust Investigations at Chicago
aided, the Honduras National LOTTERY
lHt lin COulTdtE ,
fraud in the Bureau Of Engraving ex.
posed aud the conspiracy for selling
fraudulent naturalization papers on
arge scale finally thwarted.
The President "most earnestly' asks
nat I'm the name Of good government
'nd decent administration. in the name
II honesty, and for the purpose Of bring
ne TO justice violators of the federal
avs wherever they may be found. |
whether IN public or private life, that I
he action taken by the House last wear
,e reversed. - He wants the Chief OF I
ne Secret Service paid a salary of r
5000 a year instead of "a salary utter :
Y inadequate to the importance of his |
and the bureau placed
lnder the jurisdiction of the Depart, c
nent OF Justice, "where it properly ,,
'elongs.'' d
The reply was awaited by members 7
I the House with the liveliest interest. 5
Although apparently intended to pla- v
ate them, it had in many instances o
ute the opposite effect. Z
The House of Representatives is $
threatening reprisals upon the President o
ecause of his illusions in their special u