The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1909-01-04
MESSAGE SEAT

H1L0JItC CLlE
optIpllea fle.a sags
house s. by fulton placed
/ within tlie lso8yei 81 tIles house alone.
In tie m eeuslon Of criminals ana the
enforcement of the laNs the president
must resort % the courts Of the United
states
Portion Of Message Quoted.
IN the third and fourth clauses Of the
preamble 1t Is stated that the meaning
Of my syords Is tiiat .'thc majority of-
the congressman are In fear of being
investigated By secret service men.
/ and that congress rs d whole was a
tnatedsby that motive In enaetfng the
provision IN question: ana that this
Is an Impeachment OF the honor and
integrity Of the congress. These state,
ments arc. not, think, In accordance.
with the facts. The portion of my
message referred 10 runs as follows:
Last year an amendment vas incor-
porated IN the measure providing for the
/ secret service which provided that there
should be no detail from the secret seFy.
/ Ice and no transfer therefrom II IS not
\ TOO much TO say that this amendment has
| been OF benefit only and could be OF l1eRe.
ft only 70 the criminal classes. n DELHI
! erately introduced for the purpose OF de
minimizing the effectiveness Of war aGainst.
crime = could not have been better de
rtsed TO this end. II forbade the piac-
tlces that had been followed TO a greater
or less extent hy the executive heads az
various Departments for twenty years no
I these practices we owe, the securing uf
the evidence which enabled us TO drive
great lotteries out of business and secure
a quarter OF million of dollars in fines
from their promoters. These practices
4 have enabled US TO discover some OF the
most outrageous frauds IN connections
with the theft OF government land and
| government timber by great corporations
and by individuals. These practices have
enabled us TO set some Of the evidence In,
dispepsable In order 10 secure the conyic-
| ton OF the wealthiest and most fornida-
bic criminals with whom the government
has to deal both those operating - viola.
don OF the antitrust law and others. The
| amendment IN question was OF benefit 10
no one excepting 20 these criminals and
| IL seriously hampers the government In
| the detection Of crime and the securing of
| justice. Moreover. II not only Affects de-
| paitments outside OF the treasury but II
tends TO hamper the secretary or the
| treasury himself in the effort to utilize
the employees Of his department so as 10
best meet the requirements OF the public
! service It, forbids him from preventing
frauds upon the customs seryica. from In
| Eestigating Irregularities In branch iiltnts
1 and assay offices and has seriously crib.
i pied him. II prevents the promotion OF
| employees in the secret service, and this
further diseourages good effort In its
present form the restriction operates only
To- the advantage OF the criminal of the
! wrongdoef.
| The chief argument in favor OF the pro-
| vision was that the congressman did not
| themselves wish TO be investigated by
secret service men. Very little Of such
| investigation has been done in the past.
But L Is true that the work Of the secret
1 service agents was partly responsible for
the indictment aud conviction Of Il sen.
| Ator and a congressman for land frauds
| in Oregon, do not believe that 1t is
| IN the public interest to protect Grim
| mails in any branch OF The public service.
| and, exactly as we have again and again
| during the past seven years prosecuted
I and CONVICTED such criminals who were
| IN the executive branch OF the govern
Inent. so IN my belief We should De given
4 ample means to prosecute them II found
in The legislative branch But IL this is
| not considered desirable special excep.
/ ton could be made In the law prohibit
/ ing the lIsc Of the secret Service force In
1 investigating members Of the congress-
| II would be far better to do this. than to
DO what actually was done and strive to
prevent or at least TO hamper effective
! action against criminals by the executive
branch OF thu government
! Asks Careful Reading Of Message.
A careful reading of this message
! Will show that l said nothing to war.
rant tho statement that the ma iority
Of the congressman were in fear Of
being investigated by the secret serv-
Ice men, or that congress as a whole
| was actllated by that motive" / did
not make amy such statement In this
message. Moreover, ] have never made
any such statement about congress as
4 q whole nor, With few inevitable ex-
ceptions, about the members OF con.
gress IN any message or article or
speech. On the contrary. i have al.
ways NOT only deprecated, hut vigor-
4 ously resented. the practice of indis.
criminate attack upon congress and
indiscrlminate condemnation Of all
congressman. wise and unwise, At and
! unfit, good and bad alike. No one real.
ICES more than l the Importance Of
cooperation between the executive
aud congress. and no one holds the au.
thbrity and dignity of the congress Of
the United States IN higher respect