New-York tribune., 1909-01-05
Service, and thanks 20 this they have since gone
TO prison for their crimes.

PEoNAGE AND LOTTERY CASES.
The Secret Service was used to assist in the
Investigation of crimes under the peonage laws
and owing partly thereto numerous convictlons
were secured and the Objectionable practice was
practically stamped out, at least In many dis
tricts. The most extensive smuggling OF Six
ana opium IN tne history o1 lne ss IIeesuiy =, ~
partment was investigated by agents ot the
Secret Service in New York and Seattle, ana
successful prosecution of the Offenders under
taken. Assistance of the utmost value was rem
dered to the Department of Justice in the Beef
Trust investigation at Chicago, prosecutions
were followed up and fines inflicted. The cotton
leak scandal in the Agricultural Department
was investigated and the responsible parties 10
Gated. What was done in connection with lot
terry investigation is disclosed in letter just
sent to me by the United States Attorney for
Delaware. running follows:
The destruction of the Honduras National
Lottery Company. successor to the Louisiana
Lottery Company, was entirely the work of the
Secret Service. This excellent Work was
accomplished by Mr. wilkie and his subordi-
mates. 1 thought 1t might be timely to recall
this prosecution"
Three hundred thousand dollars In fines were
collected by the government in the lottery cases.
Again, the ink contract fraud in the bureau OF
engraving and printing Ga bureau of the Treas
ury Departmen) was investigated By the secret
Service and the guilty parties brought TO Justlce
Mr.. Tawney stated in the debate that TINS was
not investigated by the Secret Service, but by
a clerk down there" conveying the impression
that the clerk was not in the Secret Service
AS a matter of fact, ne was in the Secret ser
vice; his name was Moran, and he was promoted
in this case. The total expense for the once
and field force of the Secret Service last year
was 5000; and by this one investigaIion @ tney
saved to the Government over SlOO,oco year
Thanks to the restriction imposed by Congress,
1t is now very difficult 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 50 admirably In
the case of this ink contract The government
is further crippled by the law forbidding 1t 10
employ detective agencies. Of course, the gov
ernment' can detect the most dangerous crimes
use either of the Secret Service or of private
detectives; to hamper it in using the one ana
forbid 1t to resort to the other can inure 10 the
benefit of the criminals
The facts above given show beyond possibil-
ity 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 Con
gress state the facts exactly as they are Ihe
obnoxious provision is Of benefit only TO tne
criminal class and be of benefit only 10 the
criminal class. If it 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 elther
not have been undertaken or would nave oeeH
undertaken with the government at great as
advantage: and many. and probably most. OF the
chief offenders would have gone scot free IN
stead Of being punished for their crimes
Such body as the Secret Service. such Dooy
of trained investigating agents. occupying per-
manent position in the government service ana
separate from local investigating forces In dif.
feFent departments, is absolute necessity III
the best work is to be done against criminals
It is by far the most efficient Instrument pos
sible to use against crime. OF course, the more
efficient an instrument Is the more dangerous ii
is If misused To the argument that a force like
this can be misused it is only necessary to an
swer that the condition OF its usefulness II han
died properly is that It shall be SO efficient as
to be dangerous if handled improperly. Any in
stance of abuse by the Secret Service or other
investigating force in the departments should
be unspariugly punished; and Congress should
hold Itself ready at any and all times to investi-
gate the executive departments whenever there
tc 30 half f1nf SN1nh In a
abuse has occurred ] wish to emphasize my
more than cordial acquiescence in the view that
this is not only the right of Congress. but en-
phatically it's duty. To use the Secret Service
In the investigation Of purely private or political
matters would be gross abuse. But there has
been no single instance of such abuse during my
term President.
ASKS HOUSE TO REVERSE ACTION.
In conclusion. most earnestly ask. in the
name of good government and decent admins
tration 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 &C
tion taken by the House last year be reversed
When this action was taken the Senate com
mttee under the lead of the late Senator ALI
son. having before 1T a strongly worded protes
| (Appendix d. from Secretary CortelyoU, like
| that he had sent TO Mr.. Tawney accepted the
Secretary's views and the Senate passed ths
bill in the shape presented by Senator Allison
| In the conference. however. the. House CONFER
| rees insisted on the retention of the provision
| they had inserted, and the senate Nleloed.
The chief of the Secret Service is paid sal
arv utterly inadequate to the Importance OF hi;
| functions and to the admirable way in whlcn ne
| has performed them. l earnestly urge that Il
| be increased to $4,000 per annum. / also urge
| that the Secret Service be placed where 1t prop
erly belongs. and made bureau in the Depart
ment of Justice, as the chief of the Secret Ser
| vice has repeatedly requested but. whether thi;
| is done or not ii should be explicitly provided
| that the Secret Service can be used to detec
| and punish crime wherever 1t is found.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
| The White House, Jan. 4. 1909.
Attached to the message were number OF ap
| nend;ces Anpendix A Is a communication. from