Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1909-01-07
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE
ON SECRET SERVICE
Calmly Reveals Tenor OF
Debate-Didn't Mean to
Hurt Feelings.

WGslingtuif Jan. 8; Accepting the
challenge of the House OF Representa-
,ivcs regarding ,le secret service. We.
maintaining calm dignitied attitude.
President Roosevelt today transmitted
L" tie house a reply TO the resolution
calling for AN explanation.
Mr.. Roosevelt stands firmly upon his
original position that tho government
requires - detective organization for
The Investigation of suspicious of fraud
il, amy branch of tho public seryicel
He declares he did nut meal! to make
amy lnsnuatuions regarding any mem
',.'i of congress.
70 support his s!ew, he quotes; srols
the Congressional Record flom tie dc
bat" regarding Tbs. secret sesvice ap
nfopriation, in which The members OF
the appropriations committee took the
'e;,lir;; paii.
Tho message closes with AN appeal
fo iiishcr salary tor the chief OF the
secret service The message III nart
follows:
:av@ made no rt,ai9cs OF corruption
against congress against ANY member
Of t's' present i''use. " ! had PROOF Of
snnh corruption affecting aiis member of
the House ia any matter as 10 which the
federal government has Jurisdiction. action
@-cui,i al once he brought, was done in
Ton. aud Representatives Williamson.
ijerlnann and briggs. AZ different zines
since ! haze heeii president. This would
sinply pr DONG my duty in tho execution
and Enforcement OF the laws without re-
sIc,'t 20 persons Su do not regard il
rs within thu province OF the duties of the
president /" report to the House alleged
dclnqlencies' of numbers. or INC sup
posed corrupt action OF Il member sin
his official capacity. The membership OF
tlir House is BY the constitution placed
l,..,
the prosecution OF criminals and the
forccmcnl of the laws ne president must
RESORT tn he courts OF Nh. nited States.
a careful reading nf this message will
slow that said nothing to warrant the
statement, that "the majority OF the CON
Srrssnien were in fear OF be,ig investi-
gated ny The secret service Nle.i. or chat
congress as q whole was ;.ciuated by that
motive did not make amy s'eh state
ment in this message. Moreover have
never made amy such statement about
eTitable exceptions. about the members oe
congress- in any message or article or
speech. On the contrary | have always
not only deprecated but vigorously; resent
I'D the practice OF indiscriminitte ATTACK
upon congress, and indjscriminate co.l-
demnaton OF all congressman. wise and
No one realizes more than | the import
ance of co-operation between the execu-
tive and congress. and no oae holds the
authority and dignity of the congress of
do. have not the slightest sympathy
with the practice of Judging men, TO, good
or for iii, not on their several merits. but
II. Il mass. as members of ore particular
BODY or one caste.
Some Evidence.
Tho resolution continues: el'Iiat the
president be requested to transmit 10 tine
House any evidence upon which he based
his state,nents thaS the chief argument in
favor of the provision was that the CON
greSsmen did not themselves wish to be
investigated by secret service men f" This
statement. which was al, attack upon
no one, stu less upon the congress- is
sustained bS the facts
Ii you will turn to the Congressional
Record for May last, pages 5,aa5ss TO $3.50.
subject. MIR. Tawney OF Minnesota. Mr.
Smith of Iowa. MIR. Sherley of Kentucky
and Mr. Fitzgerald of New York. appear
IN this debate as the special champions Of
the provision referred to. Messls Par
sons Bennet and Diiseoll were the leaders
of those who opposed the adoption OF the
amendment aud upheld the right of the
means possible in order to detect crimin-
ais and to prevent and punish crime. The
amendment was carried III the cOmtnmit-
tee of the whole where no votes OF the
individual members aye recorded. so I am
unable to discriminate by mentioning the
members who voted for and the MEM
beers who voted against the provision. but
its passage. the Journal records.
greeted with applause am we'll aware,
however, that in any case OF this kind
many members who have no particular
knowledge OF the poin, at issue. arc con-
tent simply to follow the lead OF the
committee which had considered the mat
ter. and have no doubt that many menu
hcrs of the House simply followed the lead
OF Mcssrs. TaWney and Smith. without
having had the opportunity TO know very
much as Ia the rights and wrongs of The
question.
i would not ordinarily attempt in This
Ia, ts I,f.t,
the House. hut objection has been taken
To my language. in which 4 s!mply spoke
of the action of the House as whole. and
Us apparently there is a desire That
should thus discriminate. will state that
I think the responsibility rested on the
committee on appropriations. under the
lead of the metnocrS whom Rave nen-
toned.
Now us To HE request of the congress
tina, Give the evidence for my statement
that the chief argument ~ favor oi IN,
not themselves. wish Il" he illyes' istlted by
Serrci service men.
Right in Record.
Tho nart OF tine Congressional Record 10.
which [ have referred above entirely SUD
,,l,its this statement Two distinct lines of
a,gtancnt ,ycrc followed ia the deb.te.
ON" concerned the question MhethCi ne
laW warranted inc "ur'oHnGn' ~. w" Sc
t.rct service III departments other than ny
treasury. a,.d this did not toura the merits
nf the .sni...ire in Tie least The other. hn.e
ri argument wctt To tho tneiiats NJ me
service. whether lawfully or llniawfuily
employed, and her. the chief u NOT the
only argument used was that the service
sluiId be ..,lt down and restricted he'''u
ii. members had ''shadowed ol invest
gated members of congress iHe olhet ON
c"r, al the government
A careful rea,liD: of tn" Congressman
Record will also show that practically the
only arguments advanced in favor nj tue.
limitation proposed by Nh. fawneyss COM
mittee beyond what may be supposed 10
be contained by implication IA CERTAIN
sentences as TO abuses which were not
specified were those contained IN the re-
pe:,ted statements of Nh. ShelieN. MI
Sherles stated that There has been pro-
mo,;nced abuses growing out OF the use
Of che secret service for Other purposes
ttun those Intended putting his state
lneut in the form of question. and in the
s;;i.nc form stated that the private coE-
duet OF .'i,.embers of congress. senators.
and others ought to he investigated by
The secret servire, and that they should
not investigate a ''mclnber Of congress
who hp,I been accused of conduct un-
becoming Il gentleman and member CT
cong! eSS.
Attack on Sieuths.
whal appears in the record is Oiled out
and explained BIZ an article which APP
reared in the Chicago Inter-Ocean of
january j. 1904. under Il Washington head
line, and which marked the beginning OF