Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1909-01-04
TOday's Telegraphic News
Special Messages.

today. 1t denies the statement made
in the House resolution OF inquiry that
he bad charged any member OF the
present Congress with corruption or that
the majority of congressman were in
fear Of Investigation by detectives. he
gives the names OF former senators and
representatives convicted in connection
with land frauds, aud reiierstes the
declaration made 10 his annual message
that the limitation placed by Congress
on the operations of the secret service
could be OF benefit only to the criminal
class.
OF the work done by the secret service
the president refers to the land, naturali-
zition, lottery, silk, opium, ink and
other frauds. He recommends thst all
the government detective services be
consolidated into a single bureau to be
attached to the Department OF Justice
and that Chief Wilkes salary be in
crossed from 81, 900 to $1,000 a year.
He denies strsnuously the allegsto on
made in certain quarters tina. he ever
used the secret service in purely private
or political matters.
Incidentally, be charges that agitation
against the secret service was begun
with 40 article written by L, w. Busbey,
private secretary to Speaker Cannon, for
Chicago newspaper.
Altogether the president present a
strong though calm argument that he
was exactly right in making the crit-
csms thst enlivened his message at the
opening OF the session.
81 am wholly at a loss" he says,
Ito understand the concluding portion
OF the House resolution. / have made
20 charges ofcorruption against Congress
nor aganst any member of the present
House. II | bad proof of such corruption
affecting any member OF the House 10 any
matter as to which the federal government
has jurisdiction, action would at once
he brought. as wa, done in the cases Of
Senator's Mitchell and Burton, and Rep
resentatiyes Williamson, Hermann aud
briggs at different times since | have
been president.
GA careful reading of my message
will show that said nothing to warrant
the statement in the House resolution
that the majority Of the congressman
were in fear of being Investigated by the
secret service men, or that Congress rs
4 whole was sctusted by that motive
In support OF his statement that the
chief argument in favor of the move
ment to restrict the secret service was
the alleged fear of some members that
they might be investigated, the president
refers the House to the report of the
debate last May on that subject, as
given 10 the Congressional! Record. He
says responsibility for the action taken
by the House rested On the committee
on appropriations, under the leadership
of Chairman TswUey rpm. MIMI,
Smith (rpu. IowD), Sherley dem. KY,
and Fitzgerald (dem. N. W.
"But all of this" continues the presi-
dents message, sis of Insignificant i'm
porlance compared with the main, the
real issue. This issue is, simply, Does
Congress desire that the government
shall have at its disposal the most eff
cient instrument for the detection OF GRIM
insls and the prevention and punish
ment OF crime, or does it not The &C.
ton of the House last May was an ac.
ton against the interest of justice and
against the interest of lsw-sbidiug
people, aud in Its effect of benefit only
to lawbreskers. Is the House now will
ling to remedy the wrong ?"
The president quotes from letter he
sent to Speaker Cannon April 30, pro-
testing against interference with the
secret service, in which he said: "There
is no more foolish outcry than this
against spies; only criminals need fear
our detectives.
The message reviews the operations OF
the secret service men since 1901. They
uncovered system for the FRAUDULENT &C.
QUESTION and fencing of public lands.
OF the land frauds, the president says:
"No more striking instance can be
imagined Of the desrability OF having
central corps Of skilled investigating
agents who can at any time be assigned,
If necessary 10 large numbers, to invesli-
gate some violation OF the federal slstu-
tas, in no matter what branch Of the
public service"
"Such a body as the secret SERVICE"
continues the message, "such body of
trained investigating agents, occupying
permanent position 10 the government
service, and separate from all local inves-
tigating forces 10 different departments
Is absolute necessity if the best WORK
is to be done against criminals. To pro-
vide for this is MT only the right of Con-
gress but emphaticslly its duty. To use
the secret service in the investigation OF
purely private or political matters would
be gross abuse. But there has been
DO single instance of such abuse during
my term as president.
81 moot earnestly ask, in the name of
good government and decent sdministra-
ton, 10 the pane of honesty and for the
purpose of bringing to justice violstors
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.
81 also urge that the secret service
be placed where it properly belongs, aud
made a bureau in the Department of
Justice, as the chief of the secret service
has repeatedly requested; bat whether
this is done or not, it should be explic-
lily provided that the secret service can
be used to detect and punish crime
wherever it is found"
Attached to the message is letter
from Secretary Oorielyou, of the Treas
nry Department, to the House committee
on appropriations; and the Busby article,