The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1909-01-08
BIG STICK SINASE7ES;
ROOSEVELT DEFENDS
THE SECRET SERVICE
In Message to House President De-
Clares His Statements i'm Previous
Words to Congress Were Gross
ly Misunderstood.

heads or Representatives IdWHey VI
Minnesota Smith of Iowa, Sherley of
Kentucky, and Fitzgerald of New YORK;
| when the executive sent a special message
| to the house of representatives, berating
| those solons for being champions or the
| successful move to place limitations upon
the scope of the secret service.
| The president also declared that the
| Interpretation of the house of the secret
| service clause in his last message was
| misunderstood, and had there been any
| evidence which would point to the neces-
| sity of an investigation of members, such
| evidence would long ago have been turned
over to the proper authorities.
The message was in answer to the res
| olution transmitted from the house in
which the representatives asked for evil
dence upon which Mr.. Roosevelt 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,"
Message of the President
and Reasons Theeefor.
| The message in part:
| ITO the House of Representatives.:
| have received the resolution of the house
| of representatives of December II, 1905,
| running as follows:
"'Whereas, there was contained in the
| sundry civil appropriation bill which
| passed congress at It's last session and be-
| came q law, 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: ut is not
| too much to say that this amendment has
been of benefit only, and could be OF ben
| eft only. to the criminal classes" and 1t
was further stated 1.-THE chief argument
| in favor of the provision was that the
| congressman did not themselves wish to
| be Investigated by secret service men,
| and 1t was further stated: But IL this Is
| not considered desirable a special excep-
| ton could be made in the law. prohib-
| iting the use of the secret service force
| In investigating members Of congress- 1t
would be 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 his
words Is that the majority OF the con-
| gressmen were in fear of being investl-
| gated by secret service men and that con-
gress as a whole was actuated by that
motive In enacting the provision In ques-
| ton Now, therefore,
"'Be 1t 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
| of the provision was that the congress-
| men did not themselves wish to be In
| vestigated by secret service men, and
also to transmit to the house any evil
| dence connecting any member of the
| house of representatives of the Sixtieth
| congress with corrupt action in his official
| capacity, and to inform the house wheth-
err he has instituted proceedings for the
punishment of any such individual by the
courts or has reported any such alleged
| delinuuencies to the house of represent
| atives.'
Cannot Understand Trend of
| the House Resolution.
"I am wholly at n loss to understand
| the concluding portion of the resolution.
| / have made no charges of corruption
| against congress nor against any member
| of the present house. If had proof OF
| such corruption affecting any member of
| the house in any matter as to which the
| federal government has jurisdiction, ac-
| ton would at once be brought, as was
| done in the cases of Senators Mitchell
and Burton, and Representatives William
son, Hermann and briggs, at different
| times since 1 have been president. This
| would simply be doing my duty in the
| execution and enforcement of the laws
without respect to persons. But 1 do not
| regard 1t 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
| member in his official capacity The
| membership of the house Is by the con-
stitution placed within the power Of the
house alone. In the prosecution of Grim
inals 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 1t is stated that the meaning of
my words Is that the majority of the
| congressman are in fear of being inves-
| tigated by secret service men and that
| congress as a whole was actuated by
that motive in enacting the provision In
| question: and that this is an impeach-
ment of the honor and integrity of the
congress-. These statements are not
| think in accordance with the facts.
Declares He Said Nothing
to Warrant the Statement.
"a careful reading of this message will
show that 1 said nothing to warrant the
! statement that the majority of the ON
gressmen were in fear of being investi-
| gated by the secret service men, or that
congress as a whole was actuated by that
| motive 1 did not make any such state
ment in this message. Moreover / have
never made any such statement about
| congress as a whole, nor, with a few in
| evitable exceptions. about the members
of congress, in any message or article or
| speech. On the contrary have always
| not only deprecated but vigorously re-
scented the practice of indiscriminate at
tack upon congress. and indiscriminate
condemnation of all congressman, wise
and unwise. fit and unfit, good and bad
alike No one realizes more than I the
| importance of cooperation between the
executive and congress. and no one holds
the authority and dignity OF the congress
of the United States in higher respect
than do. have not the slightest SYM
pathy with the practice of Judging men,
for good or for i'll, not on their several
merits, but in mass, as members of
one particular body or one caste. To put
together all men holding or who have
held a particular office, whether It be
the Office Of president, or Judge. or sena-
tor, OF member OF the house Of represent
atives, and to class them all. without re-
gard to their individual differences, as
good or bad. seems to me utterly indie
fensfble. and IL Is equally indefensible