The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-01-08
The Bureau Should Not Be
Handicapped In Labors,
Says President.
Roosevelt Sends Message
: : To the Congress on This
important Topic.

TiVeS today IroSldent hOOScNeiu SLY
To the House of Representatives:
| have received the resolution of the
house of representatives of Dec. Ia,
1905 running rs follows:
Whereas. There was contained in the
sunday civil appropriation bill which
passed congress at its last session and be
came q law a provision in reference TO the
employment of the secret service in the
treasury department: and.
Whereas In the last annual message OF
the president of the United States TO the
two houses of congress it was stated in
reference to that provision. cit is not too
much to say that this amendment has
been Of benefit only and could be of bcnc-
tit only 10 the criminal classes. and il
was further stated. THE chief argument
I'm favor of the provision was that tho
congressman did not themselves wish to
be investigated by secret service men,
and II was further stated. But If this is
not considered desira ble n special eXCep
ton could be made in the law prohibiting
the use Of the secret service force I'm in
vestigating members of congress-" II
would he far better to do this than To do
what actually was done and strive to
prevent or at least to hamper effective
action against criminals by the executive
branch of the government; and.
Whereas. The plain meaning of the
above words is that the ma iorty of tho
congressman were in fear of being invcs-
tigated by secret service men and that
congress as a whole was actuated by that
motive in enacting the provision in ques-
ton: and.
Whereas Your COMMITTEES appointed to
consider these statements of the presi-
dent and to report TO the house cannot
find in the hearings before committees
nor in the records of the house or sem
ate any justification of this impeach-
ment of the honor and integrity of the
congress; and,
Whereas, Your committee would prefer
IN order to make an intelligent and COM
prohonsive report, Just to the president
as well as to the congress. to have all
the information which the president may
have 10 communicate; now, therefore,
Be it resolved, That the president be
requested to transmit to the house any
evidence upon which he based his state
ments that the chief argument in favor
or the provision was that the congress-
mon dia not themselves wish to be in
vestgated by secret service men, and
also to transmit to the house any evil
dence connecting any member of the
house of representatives of the Sixteth
congress with corrupt action in his OFF,
cial capacity and 10 inform the house
whether he has Instituted proceedings for
the punishment Of any such individual
by the courts or has reported any such
resentatives.
al Cannot Understand Resolution"
am wholly at q loss to understand
the concluding portion If the resolu-
ton. l have made 10 charges of cor
ruption against ccr- gross nor against
any member OF the present house. If
j had proof OF such corruption affect
ing any member or the house in any
matter as to which the federal gov
eminent has Jurisdiction, action would
at once be h1ought, as was done in the
cases of Senators Mitchell and Burton
and Representatives Williamson, Herr
mann and briggs at different times
since / have been president. This
would simply be doing my duty in the
execution and enforcement of the laws
without respect to persons. But ! do
not regard it as within the province
or the duties of the president to report
to the house alleged delinquencies"
of members or the supposed corrupt
action of a member Gin his official ca
pacity." The membership Of the
house Is by the constitution placed
within the power of the house alone.
In the prosecution of criminals and the
enforcement Of the laws the president
must resort to the courts of the United
States
Portion Of Message Quoted.
In the third and fourth clauses of the
preamble it is stated that the meaning
of my words is that "the majority of
the congressman are in fear of being
inr foI
and that congress as a whole was ac-
tuated by that motive in enacting the
provision in question" and that this
is an impeachment of the honor and
integrity Of the congress. These state
ments are not, | think, in accordance
with the facts The portion Of my
message referred to runs as follows:
Last year an amendment was incor-
porated In the measure providing for the
secret service which provided that there
should be detail from the secret serv-
ice and no transfer therefrom. II is not
too to say that this amendment has
been of benefit only and could be OF bene-
TT only to tho criminal classes. If DELHI
erately introduced for the purpose Of d-
minishing the effectiveness of war against
crime 1t could not have been better de-
Vised TO this end. 1t forbade the prac-
ices That had been followed TO a greater
or less extent by the executive heads of
various departments for twenty years. To
these practices owe the securing of
the evidence which enabled us to drive
great lotteries out of business and secure
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
and by individuals. These practices have
enabled us 10 get some of the evidence in
dispensable in order to secure the convic-
ton of the wealthlest and most formida-
Die criminals with whom the government
mas 10 deal. both those operating IN viola.
ton of the antitrust law and others. This
amendment in question was of benefit 20
no one excepting to these criminals and
1t seriously hampers the government in
the detection of crime ard the securing of
justice. Mere over, it not only affects de-
partments outside OF the treasury, but it
tends TO hamper the secretary of the
treasurs hin7selc :" tie effort to utilize