Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-01-04
WARM MESSAGE ON
SECRET SERVICE
CONTINUED from Fourth Page)

(Continued from Fourth Page.)
president These methods proved I'M
nvalling to prevent the wrong Messrs.
Tuwney and Smith and their fellow
members on the appropriations COM
mittee paid no Iced to the protests,
and as the obnoxious provision was
incorporated In the sundry civil bill 1t
was Impossible for me to consider or
discuss 1t OH It's merits, us l should
have done had it been In separate
bill Therefore i have now taken the
Ing it in my message to congress. and
as all efforts to secure what l regard
as proper treatment of the subject
without recourse to plain speaking had
failed have spoken plainly and di-
rectly and have set forth the facts in
explicit terms.
There the president gives instances
In which the secret service men have
been instrumental In securing convic-
lions of offenses against federal laws,
citing especially the land fraud cases. ]
In connection with the Nebraska
prosecution the government has by de-
cree secured the return to the govern.
ment Of over million acres Of graz
Ing land, In Colorado of more than
1000 acres Of mineral land. and suits
are now pending involving 10000
acres more.
Departments Agents Dishonest.
All these investigations in the land
cases were undertaken in consequence
Of Mr.. Hitchcock, the then secretary
Of the interior, becoming convinced
that there were extensive frauds COM
mitted In his department, and the
manifestations Of the frauds were so
fnrreaching that he was afraid to trust
his own officials to deal In thorough
going fashion with them. One OF the
secret service men accordingly resign
ed and was appointed in the Interior
department to carry on this work. The
first thing he discovered was that the
special agents division or corps Of de-
tectives Of the land Office Of the inte-
ElOT uSpdl llHtIi W. o laiS,S'y uA4>ASA sAAS
control of the land thieves. and in con-
sequence the Investigations above re-
ferred to had to be made by secret
service men.
| II the present law, for which Messrs.
rawney, Smith and the other gentle
men l have above mentioned are re-
,ponsible, had then been in effect this
action would have been impossible and
most OF the criminals would unques-
.ionabIy have escaped. No more strik-
| ing instance can be imagined OF the
lesirability Of having central corps
81 skilled investigating agents who can
1T any time be assigned, II necessary
in large numbers, to investigate some
isolation Of the federal statutes, in no
matter what branch Of the public serv-
| ice. In this particular case most OF
he men Investigated who were public
servants were in the executive branch
II the government. But In Oregon,
where an enormous acreage OF fraudu-
entity alienated public land was recov-
.red for the government, United
| States senator, Mr. Mitchell. and q
member Of the lower house, Mr.. VII
hanson, were convicted on evidence
obtained by men transferred from the
secret service, and another member OF
congress was indicted.
Stopped Naturalization Frauds.
From 1901 to 1904 successful inves-
dgation Of naturalization affairs was
made by the secret service, with the
result of obtaining hundreds Of convic-
ions of conspirators who were convict
ID OF selling fraudulent papers of nat
aralization. subsequently congress
passed very wise law providing a
special service and appropriation for
he prevention of naturalization frauds,
out unfortunately at the same time
hut the action against the secret serv-
ice was taken congress also cut down
The appropriation for this special serv-
ce, with the result of Gripping the
,frort to stop frauds In naturalization9
/ The fugitives Greene and Gaynor, inn
plicated in peculiarly big government
contract fraud, were located and ar
rested in Canada by the secret service.
ind, thanks to this, they have since
gone to prison for their crimes
The secret service was used to assist
IN the Investigation Of crimes under
The peonage laws, and owing partly
thereto numerous convictions were Sc
.prcd aud the Objectionable practice
vas practically stamped out, at least
n many districts. The most extensive
smuggling of silk and opium in the
history Of the treasury department
was investigated by agents OF the Sc
.ret service In New York and Seattle
and successful prosecution Of the Of
tenders undertaken. Assistance of the
almost value was rendered to the de-
,art1nent Of Justice in the beef trust
Investigation at Chicago: prosecutions
we're followed up and fines inflicted.
The cotton leak scandal in the agri-
cultural department was investigated
ind the responsible parties located.
What was done in connection with
ottery Investigations is disclosed in a
etter just sent to me by the United
States attorney for Delaware, running
"a follows.