The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1909-01-09
Severe Rebuke is Given
President By Congress
ccontInued from EIrst Raae)

NCSHNahS~S t~''' 80
could contribute so much to the de-
struction of the republic az an at
tempt of one branch of it to impeach
the honor and integrity of another
branch, however that attempted Inn
parchment may be sought, whether
by attributing to the members of that
other branch as a whole, motives for
conduct wholly inconsistent with hon
or. integrity and the faithful dis
charge of duty, or otherwise"
The arbitrary and unauthorized use
Of the great power of any one of the
great branches of the government in
that respect, he said, If allowed to
pass unchallenged, would go further
to undermine the confidence OF the
people In their government and the
very foundation of the government
than all agencies combined.
Benefit to Criminals.
He said that when the executive de-
Hberately charged, as he said was
done in his message of December :,
1908, that the legislative branch. in
the exercise of its constitutional func-
items, passed legislation which had
been of benefit only and would be OF
benefit only to the criminal classes,
and If deliberately introduced for the
purpose of diminishing the effective
ness of the war against crime, 1t could
not have been better devised to that
end There was clearly implied that
in adopting the provision of which
the president complained and con-
gress intended TO benefit and protect
from detection and punishment those
guilty of committing fraud and other
violations of the public law.
He referred to the further utter
ance of the president regarding mem
beers OF congress being afraid to be
inv estigated and said that TO thus
imDugn the motives of the members
of the legislative branch of our gov
eminent, violates not only the coHsti-
tutional privileges of congress, but Is
calculated to arouse a popular preJu-
dice against ali branches of our gov
errment more injurious 10 its con-
tinued success tnaR anything that has
occurred in the history OF the repuo-
tic "
II. he added, there was no inten-
ton ON the part of the president to
thus impugn the motives of congress,
then il was extremely unfortunate
that he gave to the people of our
country the opportunity to say that
that was the intention and that such
language would not have been used
by the head of the executive branch
of the government without justt1ca-
ton"
Utterances Unfounded.
He would prove, he said, that tle
presidents UtteranceS were inbound
ed, but, he added, when proven un-
founded it is unfortunate that there
will still hnger in the minds of many,
as the result of this charge, the sus'
picion thai there does not exist among
t1ose entrusted with the duties and
responsibilities of government that
degree of faithfulness to duty and IN
selfish patriotism which the people OF
right expect Of their representatives
in all branches of the service
Taking up the provision enacted
with a view of restricting the opera
lions of the agents of the secret ser
vice of the division of the treasury
department, Mr.. Tswney declared that
for thirty years the law specifically
had consigned their duties to that de-
partment. but that the law in that re
spect had bean strengthened He de-
MED that the provision tied the hands
of the government officials IN ferret
ing out crime, because he SAID the
secret service of the treasury was
very small part of the secret service
IN the various QSpdItAlCflSs 1T II
futed the statements that land fraud
Investigations were estopped because
or the provision referred TO, and cited
tho augmentation of 100000 given
last year for the land office alone for
detecting frauds, an amount he SAID,
double that ever allowed before
The president, said Mr.. TaWney FUR
Their, had completely misquoted his
speech mentioned in the message,
whether Internationally or not and
he read from the congressional rec
ord certain extracts TO support his
statement.
Congressman Smith.
Mr.. Smith, of Iowa, declared that,
inIpeIled by q sense of duty to the
country the congress. the committee
on appropriations and himself, he
would discuss as calmly as he could
/ the controversy which had arisen he
would, he said, keep constantly ID
mind that while the constitution ere
ated three branches Of government
! first the legislative. second the execu'
tive and third the judicial, the prece-
| dence thus given the legislative