The Elbert County tribune., 1909-01-07

''Afr. eheriey stated that there nad
been pronounced abuser growing out Of
the use Of the secret service for purposes
other than those intended putting his
statement In the form OF a question, and
in the same form further stated that the
private conduct OF members of congress-.
senator's and others ought not to be in
vestigated by the secret service. and that
they should not investigate n member of
congress- who had been accused of con-
duct unbecoming gentleman and =
member OF congress- In addition to these
assertions couched questions he made
one positive declaration. that This secret
service at one time was used for the pur-
pose OF looking nfto the personal con-
duct Of a member of congress- Thi. ar
gument Of Mr.. Sherley. the only real ar
sument as to the merits OF the question
made on behalf of the committee on an
propriations. will be found in columns
and of page 565s, and column of ma ee
1851 of the Congressional Record In col
umn l of page 555s Mr. sheriey refers to
the improperly of permitting The secret
service men to Investigate men In tho
departments. officers of tho army and
navy and members of congress: in COL
umn l. page 5a51, he refers only to MEM
bers of congress- His speech puts most
weight on the investigation Of members
of congress.
What appears in the record fs flled
out and explained by an article which ap-
peared In the Chicago Inter-Ocean of
January 3. 1904. under washinxton
headline. and which marked the berfn.
ming of this agitation against the secret
serVice- IL was n special article of about
s.voV words. written. as I was then In
formed and now understand by Mr. T..
" suspey. at that time private secretary
10 the speaker OF the house II cop
satned an utterly unwarranted attach Nv
the secret service division of the treas
ury department and its chief
AT the time of this publication the
work of the secret service. which was
mus assaiied. Included especially the in
Nesusalon or great land frauds in the
west and the securing OF evidence 10
help the department OF Justice in tbs
oeei-trist Investigations at Chicago.
which resulted in successful prosecutions
Efforts to Kill Move
Found to Be Unavaiiinq.
These methods proved unavaillnx IN
prevent the wrong. Messrs Tawney ana
smith. and their fellow members on the
appropriations committee paid no heed 10
tne protests; and as the obnoxious pro-
vision was Incorporated in the sundrv
civii Dill, Il was impossible for me to con
siner or discuss it on its merits. as I
should have done had II been in sen-
arate bill. Therefore / have now taken
the only method available that of dis
cusslng II In my message to congress. and
as All eHorts to secure what | regard "A .
proper treatment of the subject without
recourse TO plain speaking had failed. I
nave spoken plainly and directly. ana
nave set forth the facts in explicit terms
Since 1901 the Investigations covered
oy the secret service division-under the
pracuce which had been for many wears
recognized as proper and legitimate. and
whlch had received the sanction OF the
highest law officers of the government
nave covered a wide range OF orrense,
against the federal law. BY far the most
important of these related to the public
domain, as to which there was I'M
covered far-reaching and widespread
system or fraudulent transactions involv.
ing I'M both the Illegal acquisition and the
iiegai fencing of government land; and
IN connection with both these offcnses
the crimes of perjury and subornation OF
perjury. Some of the persons involved
IN these violations were OF great wealth
ana OF wide political and social influence
Both their corporate associations and
their political affiliations, and the lawles,
character of some of their employe,
made the Investigations not only difficul,
put dangerous. In Colorado. one of the
secret service men was sssassinated