Wallowa chieftain. [volume] (Joseph, Union County, Or.) 1884-1909, 1909-01-07
PRESIDENT ANSWERS
SENDS SPECIAL MESSAGE on USE
OF SECRET SERVICE
EMPLOYEES.
Umbrage Taken by Congress at the
Wording of Parts of the Mes
sage Unwarranted.

Washington, Jan. 4.-Replying to
the resolution of the house of repre-
sentatives asking the president to ex-
plain the references to the secret SER
vice in his recent annual message.
Mr.. Roosevelt sent a special commu-
nication 10 the house.
He declares that the representa-
tives are wholly unjustified in assum-
ing that the language of the message,
which commented on the prohibition
placed by congress on the use of Sc
cret service men in cases other than
those of counterfeiting (''and one or
two other matters which can be dis
regarded"), is intended to cast a slur
upon them.
The language which the represen-
tatives wanted explained is as fol-
lows:
1.-THE amendment in question oper-
ates only to the advantage of the
criminal, of the wrongdoer. The
chief argument in favor of the pro-
vision was that the congressman did
not themselves wish to be investigat-
ed by secret service men. A special
exception could be made in the law
prohibiting the use of the secret SER
vice force in investigating members
of the congress. 1t would be far bet
ter to do this than to do what actual
ly was done and strive to prevent, or
at least to hamper, effective action
against criminals by the executive
branch of the government.
The special message declares that,
notwithstanding the umbrage taken
by congress at this wording, "a care
full reading of this message will show
that | said nothing to warrant the
statement that the majority of the
congressman were in fear of being
investigated by the secret service
men or that congress as a whole
was actuated by that motive l did
not make any such statement in this
message. Moreover, | have never
made any such statement about con-
gress as a whole nor, with a few in
evitable exceptions, about the mem
bers of congress in any message or
al l1ClC vi opCCSh. vi INC COAlI L
have always not only deprecated, but
vigorously resented, the practice of
indiscriminate attack upon congress
and indiscriminate condemnation of
all congressman, wise and unwise, fit
and unfit, good and bad alike"
Mr.. Roosevelt declares the evil
dence that members of congress did
not wish themselves Investigated by
secret service men is found in the
debates recorded in the Congression-
al Record. He denounces as wholly
unfounded a newspaper story to the
effect that he wishes to make Chief
Wilkie of the secret service a second
Fouche, modelled after the notorious
chief of police of Napoleon.
The real issue, says Mr.. Roosevelt,
is, "Does congress desire that the
government shall have at its disposal
detection of criminals and the pre-
vention and punishment of crime, or
does it not?"
He cites cases in which the secret
service has secured evidence enough
to convict offenders against the fed
eral laws.
A letter from the president to
Speaker Cannon protesting against
the cutting down of the appropria-
tion for the secret service, two let
ters from Secretary Cortelyou on the
same subject and the newspaper ar
ticle already mentioned are append
ed to the message.