Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-04

conveying the impression that the clerk
was not in the secret service. AS matter
Of fact, he was in the secret service: his
name was Moran. and he was promoted
to assistant chief for the excellence of his
work In this case.
The total expense for the Office and
field force of the secret service last year
was $135,OOO: and by this one investiga-
ton they saved to the government over
500, 600 year. Thanks to the restriction
imposed by Congress, 1t is now very diff
cult for the Secretary of the Treasury to
use the secret service freely even IN his
own department.: for instance. to use them
to repeat what they did so admirably In
the case of this ink contract The gov
eminent is further crippled by the law
forbidding it to employ detective agencies.
OF course, the government can detect the
most dangerous crimes. and PUNISH the
worst criminals. only by the use ehher OF
the secret service or of private detectives:
to hamper it in using the one. and forbid
it to resort to the other, can inure to the
benefit of none save the criminals.
The facts above given show beyond pos
sibility of doubt that what the Secretary
of the Treasury and l had both written
prior to the enactment of the obnoxious
provision. and what l 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
criminal class. If 1t had been embodied
in the law at the time when l became
President all the prosecutions above men
toned, and many others of the same gen
eral type, would either not nave oeen I'M
dertaken or would have been undertaken
with the government at great disadvan-
tage. and many and probably most. OF
the chief offenders would have gone scot
free instead of being punished for their
crimes
Praise for Secret Service.
Such a body as the secret service, such
body of trained investigating agents,
occupying permanent position in the gov
eminent service, and separate from local
Investigating forces in different depart
ments, is an absolute necessity if the best
work is to be done against criminals.
1t is by far the most efficient instrument
possible to use against crime. OF course,
the more efficient an instrument is the
more dangerous it is II mlsuSed 10 the
argument that a force like this can &c
misused it Is only necessary 10 answer
that the condition of its usefulness II
handled properly Is that it shall be SO
efficient as to be dangerous If handled
improperly.
ANY instance of abuse by the secret
service or other investigating force In the
departments should be unsparingly pun
ished, and Congress should hold itself
ready at any and all times to investigate
the executive departments whenever there
is reason to relieve that any such instance
of abuse has occurred. / wish to empha-
size my more than cordial acquiescence
in the view that this is not only the right
Of Congress. but emphaticaily it's duty.
To use the secret service in the fnvestiga-
ton of purely private or political mat
tiers would be a gross abuse. But there
has been no single instance of such abuse
during my term as President.
In conclusion. / most earnestly ask, IN
the name of good government and decent
administration, in the name of honesty
and for the purpose of bringing to justice
violators of the federal laws wherever
they may be- found. 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 ALI
son. having before it a strongly worded
protest (appendix d. from Secretary
CorteIyou like that he had sent to Mr..
Tawney, accepted the Secretarys views;
and the Senate passed the bill in the
shape presented by Senator Allison. In
the conference. however, the House con-
ferees insisted on the retention OF the
provision they had inserted. and the Sen
ate yielded.
The chief of the secret service is paid
salary utterly inadequate to the i'm
portance of his functions and to the ad-
mirable way in which he has performed
them. / earnestly urge that it be in
creased to 5000 per annum. also urge
that the secret service be placed where
it properly belongs. and make bureau In
the Department of Justice. as the chief
of the secret service has repeatedly re-
uuested; 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 1t is found.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
The White House January T. 1900