The searchlight., 1909-01-08
In Message on Secret Service
He Denies Charging Mem.
bers With Corruption.
TlWAfy PUT N ANANIAs Club
Minnesota Congressman Accused Of
Misqsctiag Letter From Secre.
tary Of Treasury.

Washington, Jan. 6. Congress
man James A. Tawney OF the First
Minnesota district. was rendered q
membership In the Ananias club by
President Roosevelt In his message.
read to congress yesterday. dealing
with tie activities CT the secret serv-
ice.
President Roosevelt denies the
statement made In the house resolu-
tion OF inquiry that he had charged
any member Of the present congress
with corruption or that the majority
of congressman were in fear of inves-
tigation by detectives.
He gives the names of former sen.
Rtors and representatives convicted
in connection with land frauds. and
reiterates the declaration made in his
annual message that the limitation
placed by congress on the operations
of the secret service could be of bene-
fit only to the criminal class.
More Pay for WiIkie.
or the work done by the secret serv-
ice, the president refers to the land.
naturalization. lottery. silk, opium,
ink and other frauds.
He recommends that all the govern
ment detective services be consoli-
dated into a single bureau. to be at
tached to the department of justice
and that Chief Wilkes salary be in
creased from $1,000 to $1,000 year.
He denies strenuously the allega-
tions made in certain quarters that he
ever used the secret service in purely
private or political matters.
Incidentally. he charges that agita-
tion against the secret service was
begun with an article written by J.
w. Busbey, private secretary to Speak
er Cannon, for Chicago newspaper.
"A careful reading OF my message
will show that ] said nothing to war
rant the statement in the house reso-
luton that the majority of the con-
gressmen were in fear of being inves-
tigated by the secret service men, or
that congress as whole was actu.
ated by that motive
elames Tawney.
In support of his statement that
the chief argument In favor of the
movement to. restrict the secret sery-
ice was alleged fear Of some members
that they might be investigated. the
president refers to the house to the re.
port of the debate last May on that
subject. as given in the Congressional
Record. He says responsibility for
the action taken by the house rested
on the committee on appropriations.
under the leadership OF Chairman
Tawney tRep.. Mimi, Smith (Rep..
Iowa). Sherley dem. Ky.) and Fitz-
gerald (Dem., N. ".
Mr.. Tawney in the debate stated
that he had in his possession let
ter from the secretary OF the treas
ury in which the secretary of the
treasury himself admits that the pro-
visions under which the appropria-
tion has been made have been violat.
ed year after year for q number OF
years in his own department.
Misquoted corte,you's Letter.
Il append herewith the letter re-
ferred to. It makes no such admis-
sion as that which Mr.. Tawney al.
leges. It contains. on the contrary.
rs you will see by reading it. an EN-
phatic protest against any such
abridgment OF the rights delegated to
the secretary Of the treasury by ex-
listing law and concludes by assert
ing that he is quite within his rights
In thus employing the service Of these
agents and that the proposed modifi-
cation which Mr.. Tawney succeeded
In carrying through would be dis.
tinctiy to the advantage of violators
Of criminal statutes of the United
States
Il call attention to the fact that In
this letter of Secretary Cortelyou to
Mr.. Tawney. as in my letter to the
speaker. the explicit statement is
made that the proposed change will
be for the benefit of the criminals.
statement which I simply reiterated
In public form in my message to the
congress this year. and which is also
contained In effect In the report of
the secretary OF the treasury to the
congress"
The Real Issue.
The president sums up the activi-
ties Of the secret service. He cites
many cases of fraud in government
Ofhcials, In many departments, In
which detectives work resulted In
convictions and collection Of heavy
lines and the purifying of the public
service. II the present law had then
been In effect most OF the criminals
would unquestionahiy have escaped.
The real issue. says the president,
Is simply. does congress desire that
the government shall have at its dis.
posal the most efncient instrument for
the detection of criminals and the pre-
vention and punishment Of crime. or
does 1t not? The action Of the house