Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1909-01-04
message referred to runs as i

mSsSdB6 reIerreu 10 runs as
Last year an amendment was incor-
porated In the measure providing for the
secret service which provided that there
should be no detail from the secret serv-
ice and no transfer therefrom. II Ia not
toe much to say that this amendment has
been Of benefit only and could be of bene-
nt only to tho criminal classes. II delii,-
erately introduced for the purpose Of d.
.nlinishing the effectiveness Of war against
crime II could not have been better de-
vised to this end. 1t forbade tho prac-
tices that had been followed to greater
or less extent by the executive heads of
various departments for twenty years. To
these practices we owe the securing of
the evidence which enabled US TO drive
great lotteries out of business and secure
a quarter Of million of dollars In fines
from their promoters These practices
have enabled us to discover some of the
most outrageous frauds in connection
with the theft Of government land and
government timber by great corporations
ana by individuals. These practices have
enabled US to get some Of the evidence in
dispensable in order to secure the convio-
tion Of the weelthiest and most formide-
BILE criminals with whom the government
has to deal. both those operating in viola
ton Of the antitrust law and others. The
amendment In question was Of benefit to
no one excepting to these criminals, and
It seriously hampers the government In
the detection Of crime and the securing Of
Justice Moreover. 1t not only affects de.
partments outside Of the treasury, but II
tends to hamper the secretary Of the
treasury himself In the effort to utilize
the employees Of his department. 20 as to
best meet the requirements Of the public
service. 1t forbids him from preventing
frauds upon ths customs service, from In
vestisattng irregularities In branch mints
and assay ofiAces and has seriously Drip
pied him. II prevents the prcmotior Of
Employees in the secret service and this
further diso0srssss good effort. In its
eresent form the restriction operates only
20 the advantage of the criminal Of the
wrongdosr.
The chief argument in favor Of the pro-
vision was that the congressmen did not
themselves with to be Investigated by
secret service men. Very little of such
investigation has been done in the past.
But II 10 true that the work OF the secret
service agents was partly responsible for
the indictment and conviction Of a sen-
ator and a congressman for land frauds
In Oregon. I>do not believe that It Is
IN the public Interest 20 protect Grim
inals In any branch of the public service,
and. exactly as we have again and again
during the past seven years prosecuted
and convicted such criminals who were
In the executive branch OF the govern
ment. so In my belief we should be given
ample means to prosecute them IL found
in the legislative branch, But IL this Ii
not considered desirable special excep-
tion could be made in the-iaw prohibit
ing the use Of the secret service force IN
investigating members Of the congress.
1t would be far better to do this than to
do what actually was dons and strive to
prevent or at least to hamper efeotive
AotioR against criminals by the executive
branch Of the government.
Asks Careful Reading Of Message.
A careful reading Of this message
viii show that said nothing to war
rant the statement that 'the majority
Of the congressman were in fear Of
being investigated by the secret serv-
ice men" or that congress as whole
was actuated By that motive" did
not make any ruch statement in this
message. Moreover, I have never made
any such statement about congress as
a whole nor, with few inevitable ex-
ceptions, about the members of con-
gress In any message or article or
speech. On the contrary. l have al
ways not only deprecated, but vigor~
ously resented, the practice Of indis-
criminate attack upon congress and
indiscriminate condemnation of all
congressman. wise and unwise, fit and
unfit, good and bad alike. No one real
fees more than the Importance of
cooperation between the executive
and congress. and no one holds the au-
thority and dignity OF the congress Of
the United States in higher respect
than J do. I have not the slightest
sympathy with the practice Of Judging
men for good or for Ill not on their
several merits, but in a mass, as men,
bers Of one particular body or one
caste. To put together all men holding
or who have held particular office,
whether It be the Office of president
or Judge or senator or member Of the
house Of representatives, and to class
them all. without regard to their In
dividual differences, as good or bad
seems to me utterly indefensible, and
It is equally indefensible whether the
good are confounded with the bad in
a heated and unwarranted champion
ahip of all or In heated and unwar-
ranted assault upon all. I would nei-
ther attack nor defend all executive
officers In a mass, whether presidents,
governors, cabinet officers or officials
>oillower rank. nor would I attack or
end all legislative officers in mass.
safety of free government rests
largely in the ability of the plain,
Continued on page 10.)
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