Evening star., 1909-02-25
HOUSE DEBATE BITTER
Secret Service AssaiIed by
Representative Smith.
COOK ATTACKS PRESIDENT
Excited Discussion of the Sundry
! Civil Bill.
LIMITING PROVISION ADOPTED
Resolution, Enacted Aimed at the
Free Commissions Appointed
by the Executive.

Vitriolic denunciation of the secret Serv-
ice of the Treasury Department was ut
tered in the House of Representatives to-
day by Mr.. Smith of Iowa during the
consideration of the sundry civil bill. He
likened the secret servive men to com
mon liars" charged that they were unable
to unearth gigantic land frauds, recently
discovered by the Secretary Of the In
terror, and said that the one President as
sassinated since secret service men were
detailed to watch the President was when
President Mckinley was shot down at
Buffalo while a secret service detective
stood at his side unable to take notice of
the approaching murderer with his sup
posed bandaged hand. He said further
that that secret service man did not even
capture the murderer. but that it took a
| man with black skin to do SO.
Bennet Praises Secret Service.
The provision in the sundry civil bill
| limiting the activities of the secret service,
which was first incorporated in that meas
ure last year. had no sooner been reached
than 1t was evident that Representative
Bennett of New York, who led the fight
against the Limitation last year, and who
| is the Presidents defender in the House
on secret service matters this session, was
prepared to continue the controversy.
Mr. Bennet got on the nerves OF large
majority of the House at the outset by
| reading portions of the Presidents first
message on the secret service, which was
considered SO objectionab BILE by the House
| that on the recommendation of special
committee appointed for the purpose this
portion was eliminated and laid on the
table. Mr.. Waldo objected In strong
terms to the reading in the House OF
these discredited utterances, and after
some little parley Mr.. Bennett desisted
He then proceeded however. to eulo-
size the secret service and critic1se the
members Of the appropriations commit
tee and the House for having adopted the
limiting provision. He announced at the
| outset of his speech that he would yield
to questions only by members OF the
appropriations committee
Bitter feeling was manifested through
out the debate that followed. Every time
Mr.. Bennett referred to the utterances
made in debate by members of the ap-
propriation committee on the subject OF
would arise and object and force Mr.. Ben
net to read from the Congressional Record
| the remarks in question
Mr. Bennett contended that the secret
service had never investigated the con-
| duct Of mmbers Of Congress, the remarks
of Representative Sherley OF Kentucky to
| the contrary notwithstanding. and said
that not one single reason had ever peen
\ advanced WHICH "dTTdlileu liiC IlouSS
! enacting into law the limiting legisla-
| ton.
| Smith Wrongly Quoted.
| Referring to indictments obtained in
| Colorado in land fraud cases which haa
aftcrwar, peen dismissed, Mr.. Bennet
credited Representative Smith of Iowa, a
member of the appropriations committee
with certain criticisms of the work of the
| secret service in this respect
| Mr. Smith jumped to his feet, white Will
I anger He denied that he had made the
remark attributed to him. but Mr.. Renret
| insisted that he had and for a time ii
| looked as if there might he almost g
| personal collision between the two gentle
men. But just when matters looked
| the worst Representative Fitzgerald OF
| New York, also member of the appro-
! priations committee, arose and stated
| that he, and not Mr. Smith, had made
| the remarks in question.
| So Mr. Bennett apologiZed to Mr.. Smith
the latter taking it with not any too good
| grace.
| Taking up the subject of the testi-
mony given before the appropriations
| committee during consideration of the
sundry civil bill. and which members
| of that committee insist demonstrates
that the limiting provision in question
| has not hampered the detection OF
| crime. DCHHCt Sdiu tildt Ic-
minded him very much of the story of
| the man who stole a ham. This man
| was brought into court and three wit
nesses testified to having seen min
| steal the ham, Whereupon the accused
man addressed the judge and said that
if he were allowed time he could bring
| in twenty men to swear they did not
see him steal it. Mr.. Bennett insisted
that Secretary Garf1elds testimony said
| one thing, Attorney General Bona
| mai ri o. annthar and Chief Wi1kio'S still
| another.
And SO. gentlemen said Mr.. Ben.
net. addressing the House, you may
! take your choice.
Work on Land Frauds.
Then Mr. Bennett had sent to the clerk
| desk and read a letter to him from
| Mr.. Rush of Omaha, q special assistan
| attorney engaged for several years in th
prosecution of land fraud cases In tina
vicinity. In the letter Mr.. Rush compli
| mented the secret service men who hat
worked with Interior Department agent
| in the prosecution, and stated that the.
were active and energetic and better TO
the purpose than the agents of the dc
partment.
The head of the special agents of th'
internal revenue bureau, Mr. TroWbridye
who testified before the appropriations
committee that he had very poor opin
ion of the secret service men. next cam,
in for criticism by Mr. Bennett who pro
duced letter from the commissioner Of
internal revenue. Mr.. Capers. saying tha
Mr.. Trowbridge occupied a minor position
in the service. and that the commissions
himself highly valued the services of tn,
secret service branch of the Treasury
This brought Chairman Tawney of tn
appropriations committee to his feet will
the statement made In an extremely em
phatic way that although Mr.. Trowbridg
might occupy minor position never
theless the commissioner of internal reve
nue. thought highly enough of him L
send him his personal representa- tiv
before the sundry civil subcommittee t
testify as to the needs of the interna
revenue bureau. Mr.. Tawney also In
timated that he did not think that MI
Capers knew as much about his owl
bureau his subordinate.
!, NJ. Bennett then asserted that Chair
man Tawney had received some time ag
a letter from the Secretary Of the Treas
ury protesting against the re-enactmen
of the provision limiting the activities O
the secret service.
Mr.. Tawney replied that since then h
had received the deficiency estimate fror
the Secretary. in which the re-enactmen n
, of the limiting provision was recon-
mended.
At this point Mr.. Bennett tried to Sc
| Continued ON Second Pase)