The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1909-01-07
BIG STICK SIMASHES;
ROOSEVELT DEFENDS
THE SECRET SERVICE
I'm Message to House President De-
Clares His Statements I'M Previous
Words to Congress Wete Gross
ly Misunderstood.

The rcsoluIon continues. That The
president be ~ icsted 20 transmit 10 the
house any evd bee upon which he based
his statement that the chief argument
IN favor Of provision was that the
congressmen not themselves wish 60
be investigate BY aecret-sorvice men.
This sta;ems which was an attack
upon no one. 4 ~ less upon the congress.
~ sustained the facts.
'If you wi Turn 20 the Congressional
Record Tor 80 I last. pages 5555 20 $500.
Inclusive. you jim and tho debate on this
subject Mr. fawney % Minnesota. MIR
Smith Of Iovs. Mr.. sherley OF Kentucky.
and Mr.. Fltsserald OF New York. appear
~ this debai as the special champions
~ tho provit d referred TO Messrs Par
sons. neunei Ind Driscoll were the lead
err Of thos, tyho opposed the adoption
% the amen q ent and upheld the right OF
the governn b. 20 use the most efficient
means poss In order TO detect Grim
inals and prevent and punish crime.
The amondi OF was carried In the com
mittee 81 4 whole. where no votes Of
the individt 4 members are recorded. 50
I am unabl j. discriminate by mention
ing the mo ters who voted for and the
members vi voted against the provision.
but Us pas, h. The journal records. was
greeted wit bpplausc. l am well aware,
however 90 IN any case Of this kind
many men fra who have no particular
knowledge 1 the point Al issue. are con
tent simpl Ito follow the lead ~ the
committee tich had considered the mat
ter. and ] fe no doubt that many mem
hers OF ~ house simply followed the
lead % Mos Tawney and Smith. with
out hAving bad the opportunity 10 know
very muci Is TO the rights and wrongs
u the que Bon
Chip Is t1ceked on
Roosevelt's Shoulder.
Il woui bot ordinarily attempt IN this
way 60 a. Eliminate between members OF
the house but as objection has been ia
kan 90 M language. In which I simply
spoke OF 10 action OF the house as a
whole ar as apparently there is a de-
sire that should thus discriminate. I will
state thai think the responsibility rest
"a on ~ committee on appropriations.
under a. lead OF the members whom !
have me- toned
Now 4 20 the request Of the congress
that I Fve the evidence for my state
ment the the chief argument IN favor
% the fevision was that the congress
men did a. themselves wish 20 be- inves-
tiEated Z secret service men.
The lat o. the Congressional Record
20 which . have referred above entirely
supports fhiu statement Two distinct
lines % argument were followed in the
debate One concerned the question
whether fhe law warranted the employ
ment 81 o. secret. service In departments
other ntn the treasury, and this did not
touch ~ merits Of the service I'm the
least me other line % argument went
10 the rtrts Of the service. whether law
fully or uniswfuily employed. and here
the chic " not the only argument used
tntfa -. D.
and reitricted because its members had
'shsdoved or Investigated members Of
congress- and other officers OF the govern
ment II We examine the debate In de-
tail n appears that most OF what was
urged IN favor 81 the amendment took the
form % the simple statement that the
committee held that there had been a
violation % law by tho use 81 the secret
service for other purposes than suppress
inE connterfeiting land one OF two other
matters which can be disregardedl and
that such language was now 10 be used
as would e1ectually prevent all such 'vlo-
iation % law hereafter. Mr. Tawney. for
instance. SAYS II wna for the purpose
OF stopping the use Of this service In
every possible way by the departments OF
the government that this provision was
Inserted and Mr. Smith says, Now. that
was the only way In which any limitation
could be pat upon the activities Of the
secret service Mr. Fitzgerald followed in
the same vein. and by far the largest
part Of the argument against the employ
ment OF the secret service WINS confined
TO the statement that Il was In violation
OF law or course. such statement Is
not Ia any way an argument IN favor OF
the Justice ~ the provision II II not an
argument for the provision AT all II is
simply statement OF what the gentle
men making Il conceive 20 have been the
Law