The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-02-26
COMPARES SECRET
SERVICE MEN WITH
COMMON LIARS
REP. SMITH, OF IOWA, RESENTS
PRESIDENTS ACCUSATION
REP. COOK BECOMES TOO A6U.
sIvE AND is SEATED.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 26.-The
house OF representatives. by an over
whelming vote and without party dis
tinction. yesterday sustained the com
mittee on appropriations In again re-
PORTING a provision in the sundry civil
appropriation bill. restricting the
operations OF the secret service detec
tives of the treasury department. Rep
Cook (Rep. COLI, scathingly de
nounced President Roosevelt. while
Rep. Smith rep. Iowa., member
OF the appropriations committee. and
one of those named by the president
in his message OF Jan. last as beine
responsible for the secret service linn
ination, employed all the invective al
his command in an attack on that
service.
He compared the secret service de-
tectives with common liars" de
clared them TO be worthless and
\ pointed to the assassination OF Pres
! ident Mckinley as a sample OF the
watchfulness and capacity OF those
men, one OF whom, he said, stood al
the presidents side when he was sho.
down and failed to observe the ap
proach OF the assassin with his sup
posedly bandaged hand in full view.
The secret service agents. he said
were not so high and lofty that they
should be the subject OF admiration
among a free people Many OF them
he said. work for SO a day in hunt.
ing down land frauds, when there is
not considerable number OF them
that know legal from an Illegal en-
try"
Respectable men, he said. with
manifest sarcasm. would take places
as postoffice inspectors and special
agents Of the interior department
even though occasionally they might
have TO do some detective work. but
I he asserted. the idea that some three
or four dollars day man who Is will.
ing TO be a common detective can IA
miliarize himself with all laws and
therefore become more useful than a
specialist is simply absurd"
He illustrated his point by refer
ing to a case where secret service
men were called OF" and special
agents allowed 10 do the work alone.
and said that In consequence land
frauds involving millions OF dollars
were unearthed
Secret Service Worthless.
The secret service men, he charg-
ed. were worthless and he said NO
where except In the vainglorious
boastings Of Chief Wilkie and the tes-
timony OF men who didn't know any
thing about It, did find that IL had
done anything except in the watching
Of Jurors and the ike.
Continuing, Mr.. Smith suggested
that II detectives were necessary 10
hunt down jurors they should be as
signed by the department OF justice
and not be taken from the force in
the counterfeit section OF the treas.
ury department
Wouldn't that" interjected Mr..
Stanley (KyJ, with sarcasm, inter
fere with the mystery. sensationalism
and attractiveness OF the secret ser
vice
Joining in the laughter which fol
( lowed this query. Mr.. Smith. continu
/ ing said that In prior years the abuse
lof the field OF operation OF the secret
service was only incidental. but thai
now II had become an enormity
Mr. Cook tRep.. COLI discussed th'
provision with much freedom o
speech and in the course OF his re
marks frequently referred To tn
president In most uncomplimentar.
phrase. as I'm the following:
1t is unfortunate not only TO
President Roosevelt but for the cit
zens OF the republic that he has no
/ legal mind and no equipose OF rea
son. riding through and around tn
arena Of political action on hi
broncho of arrogant, egotistical i'm
pulse. pretending 10 throw his laria
.uf execution at the heels and broa'
horns Of capital. for the delectaiion o
voting labor~a and ending the scene
with the cunning catch OF a prairi'
wolf or a gopher.
Forced 10 Take Seat.
SO denunciatory OF the pfesiden
was Mr. Cook that he was denied Ia,
privilege OF continuing his remarks
after he had spoken but few min
utes. IN the main he was addresslns
htmsefr 20 the work OF the secret ser
vice agents in Colorado In certain
alleged land fraud case one Of whom
he stated. was a horse thief The
ease he said, had come TO the United
States supreme court and was unani
mously decided in favor of the dc
PENDANTS.
such keen political speculate