Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-01-04

the secret service freely even In his
own department-for Instance, to use
them to repeat what they did SO nd
mirably III the case OF this ink con.
tract. The government is further Grip
pied by the law forbidding 1t to EN-.
ploy detective agencies. or course the
government can detect the most dan
gerous crimes and punish the worst
criminals only by the use either Of the
secret service OF OF private detectives.
To hamper ii in using the one and for
bid IL to resort to the other can inure
to the benefit Of none save the crimi-
nails
Secretary cortelyou Sustained.
The facts above given show beyond
possibility Of doubt that what the sec
rotary Of the treasury and had both
written prior to the enactment Of the
obnoxious provision and what have
since written IN my message to the
congress state the facts exactly as
they are. The obnoxious provision Is
Of benefit only to the criminal class
and can be of benefit only to the GRIM
inal class. If 1t had been embodied In
the law at the time when ] became
president. all the prosecutions above
mentioned and many others of the
| same general type would either not
| have been undertaken or would have
been undertaken with the government
at great disadvantage, and many
| and probably most Of the chief offend
ers would have gone scot free instead
Of being punished for their crimes.
Such Il body as the secret service.
such body Of trained investigating
agents. occupying permanent posi-
ton In the government service and
separate from local investigating forces
| In different departments, Is an absolute
| necessity if the best work Is to be
done against criminals. 1t is by far
| the most efficient instrument possible
J TO use against crime. or course the
| more efficient an instrument Is the
more dangerous 1t Is II misused. To
| the argument that force like this
| can be misused it Is only necessary to
| answer that the condition of Its use
fulness If handled properly is that 1t
| shall be SO efficient as to be dangerous
Ii handled improperly. Any instance
| Of abuse by the secret service or other
| Investigating force in the departments
| should be unsparingly punished, and
congress should hold itself ready ut
any and all times te, Investigate the
| executive departments whenever there
| is reason to believe that any such In
! stance OF abuse has occurred. l wish
to emphasize my more than cordial ac-
| Quiescence in the view that this Is not
only the right Of congress, but en-
phatically its duty. 70 use the secret
service In the Investigation Of purely
| private or political matters would be
a gross abuse But there has been no
single instance of such abuse during
| my term as president.
Tho Presidents Appeal.
| In, conclusion. most earnestly ask
In the name of good government and
| decent administration, in the name of
! honesty and for the purpose Of bring
Ing to justice violatGrs Of the federal
/ l0WS NbCISNtl lucy DC 1OuAO,
whether in public or private life, that
the action taken by the house last year
be reversed. When this action was
taken the senate committee, under the
lead Of the late Senator Allison, hav-
Ing before it a strongly worded protest
(Appendix d. from Secretary Cortel-
you like that he had sent to Mr.. Taw-
ney. accepted the secretnry's views,
and the senate passed the bill in the
shape presented by Senator Allison.
In the conference, however, the house
conferees insisted OH the retention Of
the provision they had inserted. and
the senate yielded. [Appendix d con-
sists Of letter from Secretary Cortel-
you to the late William B. Allison,
chairman Of the sennte committee on
appropriations. dated May s. 1908. In
| 1t the secretary protests vigorously
against the amendment to the sundry
civil bill prohibiting: the payment OF
"any person detailed or transferred
! from the secret service division" He
gives reasons for such details and In
an appendix cites instances in which
the secret service men have been de-
tailed effectively in cases outside the
treasury Department.
The chief OF the secret service Is
paid salary utterly inadequate to
the importance Of his functions and
to the admirably way in which he
has performed them. earnestly
urge that 1t be increased to $4,000 per
nnnum. I also urge that the secret
service be placed where 1t properly
belongs and made bureau In the
department of justice. MS, the chief Of
the secret service has repeatedly re-
Iiuested. But. whether this is done or
not, it should be explicitly provided
that the secret service can be used to
detect and punish crime wherever It
Is found
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
Tho White House. Jar, 4. 1900
COURT BEGINS.
II II