The Lamar register., 1909-01-06

I
| Deeh pronounced abuses growing out OF
| the use OF the secret service for purposes
other than those intended putting his
statement In the form of a question. and
IN .he same form further stated that tho
private conduct of members of congress,
senator's. and others ought not to be In
vestisated by the secret service. and that
they should not investigate member of
congress who had been accused of con-
quot unbecoming a gentleman and a
member of congress- In addition to these
assertions couched as questions. he made
one positive declaration, that This secret
service at one time was used for the pur-
pose OF looking nito the personal con-
duct of member of congress- This ar
surnent OF MIR. Sherley. the only real ar
sument as to the merits of the question
made on behalf of the committee on ap-
preparations. will be found in columns
anu OF page $3.50, and column of page
1851 OF the Congressional Record In col
umh l OF page $3.50 Mr.. Sherley refers to
me improperly of permitting the secret
service men to investigate men in tho
aepur'ments. officers of the army and
navy ana members of congress; in col
umn l. page 1857. he refers only to mem
peIs OF congress. His speech puts most
weight on the investigation of members
of congress.
what appears in the record is filled
ou, anu explained by an article which ap-
peared in the Chicago Inter-Ocean Of
January 3. 1904 under Washington
heauhne. and which marked the begin
nIng OF this agitation against the secret
service. 1t was a special article of about
o'VV" wordss written, / was then in
formed and now understand, by Mr.. L.
W. Busbey. at that time private secretary
10 the speaker of the house. 1t con-
.aiheu an utterly unwarranted attack on
the secret service division of the treas
ury department and its chief
AT the time of this publication the
work OF the secret service which was
thus assailed. included especially the In
Vestigaton OF great land frauds in the
mes'' ana the securing of evidence to
neip the department of Justice in the
peef-trust Investigations at Chicago
winch resulted in successful prosecutions
Efforts to XIII Move
Found to Be UnavaiIina.
These methods proved unavaiIing to
prevent the wrong. Messrs Tawney and
smith and their fellow members on the
appropriations committee paid no heed to
the protests; and as the obnoxious pro-
VISION was incorporated in the sundry
civii Dill. 1t was impossible for me to con-
slider or discuss 1t on its merits as 7
should have done had 1t been in a sep
arate bill. Therefore | have now taken
the only method available that of dis
cussing II In my message to congress; and
as All e1orts TO secure what / regard as
proper treatment OF the subject without
recourse to plain speaking had failed. I
nave spoken plainly and directly and
nave set forth the facts in explicit terms
since 1901 the Investigations covered
by the secret service diyision-under the
practice which had been for many years
recognized as proper and legitimate, and
Which mad received the sanction of the
highest law officers of the government
nave covered n wide range of ofYenses
against the federal law. By far the most
important of these related to the public
domain. as to which there was I'M
covered a far-reaching and widespread
system of fraudulent transactions inyoly-
ing both the Illegal acquisition and the
Illegal fencing of government land; and,
In connection with both these ofrenses,
the crimes of perjury and subornation of
perjury. Some of the persons involved
In these violations were of great wealth
and OF wide political and social influence
Both their corporate associations and
their political affiliations. and the lawless
character of some of their employees
made the Investigations not only difficult
but dangerous. In Colorado one of the
secret service men was assassinated.
Instances in Which
Secret Service Starred.
I'm connection with the Nebraska prose-
cuuon the government has by decree Sc
cured the return to the government of
over million acres of grazing land;
In Colorado of more than 2.coo acres of
mineral land. and suits are now pending
involving 10000 acres more.
"All these Investigations in tho land
cases were undertaken in consequence
of Ar. Hitchcock. the then secretary
of the interior. becoming convinced that
there were extensive frauds committed
in bis department. and the ramifcations
OF the frauds were far-reaching that
he was afraid TO trust his own officials
to deal in thoroughgoing fashion with
them One of the secret service men ac-
cordingiy resigned and was appointed
In the Interior department to carry on
this work The first thing he discovered
was that the special agents division or
corps of detectives of the land office of
the interior department was largely I'M
der the control of the land thieves; and
In consequence the Investigations above
referred to had to be made by secret
service men.
''Tf the present law. for which Messrs.
Tawney. Smith. and the other gentle
men have above mentioned are respon-
slble, had then been In effect. this ac-
ton would have been impossible, and
most of the criminals would unquestion-
ably have escaped. No more striking in
stance can be imagined of the desirable
ity of having a central corps of skilled
investigating agents who can at any time
be assigned, II necessary In large num-
bers. to investigate some violation of the
federal statutes. in no matter what
branch OF the public service. In this par
who were public servants were in the
executive branch of the government. But
in Oregon, where enormous acreage
of fraudulently alienated public land was
recovered for the government. a United
States senator. Mr.. Mitchell, and a menu
Der of the lower house, Mr.. Williamson.
were convicted on evidence obtained by
men transferred from the secret service,
and another member of congress was in
dicted."
Chief Asks for Reversal
of Action Of Solons.
The president then gave a number of
other instances, all of which tend to
point out the efficiency of the secret
! service, and he concludes:
I'm conclusion. most earnestly ask. in
the name of good government and de-
cent administration. in the name of hon
esty and for the purpose of bringing
| to Justice violators of the federal laws
wherever they may be found. whether in
| public or private life. that the action
taken by the house last year be reversed.
When this action was taken. the senate
| committee under the lead of the late
Senator Allison.A having before It a
strongly-worded protest from Secretary
| Cortelyou like that he had sent to Mr..
| Tawney, accented the secretary'S views;