Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-01-05
TEXT OF PRESIDENT ROOSEVETS MESSAGE ON SECRET SERVICE
Continued From Page One.)


any evidence upon which he based his
statements that The chief argument in
favor of the provision was that the
Congressman did not themselves wish
to be Investigated by secret service
men, and also to transmit to the
House any evidence connecting any
member of the House of Representa-
tives Of the Sixtieth Congress with
corrupt action in his official capacity.
ard to inform the House whether he
has Instituted proceedings for the pun
isnmont of any such individual by the
courts or has reported any such al
legged delinquencies to the House of
Representatives"
am wholly at loss to understand
the concluding portion Of the resolu-
ton. I have made no charges OF
corruption against Congress nor
against any member of the present
House. If | had proof of such cor
ruption affecting any member of the
House in any matter as to which the
Federal Government has jurisdiction,
action would at once be brought. as
was done in the cases of Senators Nit
chell and Burton. and Representatives
Williamson, Hermann, and briggs, at
l
dent This would simply be doing my
duty in the execution and enforce
ment of tie laws without respect to
persons But ! do not regard 1t as
within the province or the duties of the
President to report to the House al
keed dalinuuencies'' of members, or
the Supposed corrupt action OF
member "in his official capacity The
1 IL. nv
Constitution placed within the power
Of the House alone. In the prosccu-
ton of criminals and the enforcement
OF the Laws the President must resort
to the courts of the United States.
In the third and fourth clauses of the
preamble it is stated that the meaning
of nv words is that "the majority of
the Congressman are in fear of being
invest igate,i by secret service men ana
that Congress as a whole was actu-
atcd by that motive in cnacting the
provision in question: and that this is
an Impeachment of the honor and in
tegrity of The Congress. These state
m.nta are not / think in accordance
with the Facts. The portion of my
message referred to runs as follows:
Last year an amendment was In
corpOrated in the measure providing
for the Secret Service, which provided
that here should be no detail from the
Secret Service and no transfer there
from. 1t is not too much TO say that
this amendment has been of benefit
only, and could be Of benefit only, to
the criminal classes. If deliberately
Introduced for the purpose of di1nin-
lshing the effectiveness of war against
crime it could not have been better de-
vised to this end. 1t forbade the
practices that had been followed to a
greater or less extent by the executive
heads of various departments for
twenty years. 70 these practices We
owe the securing of the evidence which
enabled us to drive great lotteries out
of business and secure n quarter of a
million of dollars in fines from their
promoters. These practices have en-
abled us to discover some of the most
outrageous frauds in connection with
the theft of government land and gov
eminent timber by great corporations
and by individuals. These practices
have enabled us to get some OF the
evidence indispensable in order to Sc
cure The conviction of the WealthieSt
ard most formidable criminals with
whom the Government has TO deal,
both those operating in violation of the
antitrust laws and others. me
amendment in question was of benefit
to no one excepting to these criminals
and II seriously hampers the Govern
ment IN the detection of crime and the
securing of justice. Moreover, 1t not
only affects departments outside OF the
Treasury. but it tends to hamper the
Secretary of the Treasury himself III
the effort to utilize the employees OF
his department 50 as to best meet the
requirements of the public service. 1t
forbida him from preventing frauds
UPON the customs service from m
vestigating Irregularities in branch
n,intS and assay Offices. and has serl-
ously crippled him. 1t prevents the
promotion of employees in the secret
Service. and this further discourageS
good effort In its present form the
restriction operates only to the ad-
vantage of the criminal, of the wrong
doer.
"Thc chief argument in favor of the
provision was that the Congressman
diG not themselves wish to be IN
vcstigated by Secret Service men
Very little Of such investigation mas
been done III the past. Dut IL l" u"c
that the work of the secret service
agents was partly responsible for the
indictment ard conviction of Sena-
tor and a Congressman for land frauds
in Oregon | do not believe that 1t IS
in the public interest to protect criml-
nails in any branch of the public ser
vice. and exactly as I'VE have again ana
asain during the past seven years
prosecuted and convicted such crimi-
nails who were in the executive brarch
of tho Government. so in my belief we
should he given ample means to
prosecute them if found in the legisia- =
tive branch. But if this IS not con-
sidered desirable a special exception
could be made in the law prohibiting
the use of the secret service force IN
investigating members of the Con-
gress. 1t would be far better to DO
tiis than to do what actually was
done. and strive to prevent or at least
to hamper effective action against
criminals by the executive branch Oh
the Government.
..os,,1 caolinr Of this message