The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1909-01-22
BIG STICK STUCK INTO
LIVELY HORNETS NEST
BY Ernest q. Walker.
mail Special to the Advertiser.)

| NAc1lNdlON, january =. - res
ident Roosevelt today salved the wounds
of an offended Congress with twenty
eight page pamphlet message about the
Secret Service. But there was not salve
for all. Salt was applied for members
of the House appropriations committee.
They were the men who insisted on last
years legislation that tied the hands
of those operating the so-called "black
cabinet.
He specifically disclaims representa-.
lions that ''the majority of the Con.
gressmen are in fear of being inves
tigated by Secret Service men" He
says he has made "no charges of cor
ruption against Congress nor against
any member of the present House. -
With these disclaimers, as a preface
to his reply, the President proceeds to
deal hard blows upon Representative
James A. Tawney, chairman of the
House appropriations committee and
upon Representative Walter I. Smith,
of Council Bluffs, Iowa. He also
thwacks hard at L. White Busbey,
} Speaker Cannon s private secretary. By
inference, at least, he attacks the
Speaker himself, for he says that the
views expressed in a newspaper article,
written by Mr.. Busbey, he (the Pres,
ident) has personally found to prevail
among the Congressman who are oppo.
nents of the Secret Service. The Pres.
ident leaves one to infer that the cam
paign was conducted in the Speaker 8
, office.
Placed in the Ananias Club.
The President says that the allega.
tions made by Mr.. Busbey care wholly
without foundation in fact. y Secretary
Cortelyou wrote a letter to Mr.. Taw.
ney about the Secret Service in which,
according to Mr.. Tawney's statement
to the House Mr.. Cortelyou admitted
"that the provisions under which the
appropriation has been made have been
violated year after year for a number
of years in his own department" The
President appends copy of Mr.. Cortel,
you's letter with this comment, "It
, makes no such admission as that which
Mr.. Tawney alleges. "
The President cites letter he wrote
to the Speaker, protesting against "the
4 provision about the employment of
: Secret Service men, in other depart.
ments and declaring that "there IS no
more foolish cutlery than this against
spies; only criminals need fear our
Y detectives. He says that this and
r other methods ''proved unavailing to
prevent the wrong and that "Messrs.
Tawney and Smith and their fellow
; members on the appropriations commit
S tee paid no heed to the protests.''
= Much space in the special message is
i. devoted to showing that the Secret
Service detectives worked very effec-
: lively in exposing frauds in public
d land dealings. He dwells upon the good
| Of in ho
n Service when detailed to the Depart
: ment of Justice and the Department
u of the INTERIOR in ferreting on,
" Nebraska land frauds and illegal fenc
If ing, then quotes Secret Service memo
4 randum about the indictment of Charles
II. Stewart. of Council Bluffs. an in
); fluential resident, who conducted a large
is business in the adjacent city of Omaha
d for three different offenses The memo
4. randum details the names of Stewart 4
~ attorneys, in Council Bluffs, some OF
l. whom represent the Council Bluff
Street Railway, and one of whom was
10 attorney for a political worker of the
- Union Pacific Railroad. The memoran
dun likewise connects Stewart with tn,
't postmaster at Council Bluffs.
There is no immediate mention o.
Representatives Smith Shame in that con
nection but the President undoubtedl,
was aware that Mr.. Smith stands fortl
5; as one of Council Bluffs leading citi
e, zens and that in all probability he en-
@. dorsed the postmaster in that town.
), Emphatic About Tawney and Smith
The President singles out "Messrs
IN Tawney and Smith" more than once I
rs the course of his message. He tell
an of the public lands that were returne
to the government by the activities o
the Secret Service detectives and err
he phasizes how this good work in Nebra'
er ka and elsewhere would not have bee
ne possible "if the present law, for whic
l., Messrs. Tawney, Smith and the othe
" gentlemen / have mentioned are respol
re sible, had then been in effcct.' II
describes how the cotton leak scanda
NV were unearthed by Secret Service me-
the beef trust Investigations at Chicae
~ aided, the Honduras National LotteI
ars Company destroyed; the ink contra
Tor fraud in the Bureau of Engraving @
posed and the conspiracy for sellir
!, fraudulent naturalization papers on
ny large scale finally thwarted.
es, The President "most earnestly asl
IN. that Gin the name of good governmel
and decent administration, in the nan
an ing to Justice violators Of the FEEDER
Ief laws wherever they may be foun
ow whether in public or private life, tn
an the action taken by the House last We
be reversed He wants the Chief
are the Secret Service paid salary
mp, $4,000 year instead of ga salary uttt
ere ly inadequate to the Importance of
om functions and the bureau plac
;on under the jurisdiction of the Depal
ioA ment of Justice, "where it proper
the belongs"
and The reply was awaited by membt
of of the House with the liveliest intere
oss Although apparently intended to p
'''' cate them, it had in many instanc
quite the opposite effect
The House of Representatives
threatening reprisals upon the Preside
because of his illusions in their spec
message. The new members of the Al
Mas Club holly resent the referen'
to themselves. L. White Busbey,