The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1909-01-05

I
lnate | win state that I think the re
aponaibllity rested On the committe,
on appropriations under tho load OF hi
members whom have mentioned.
Replies 10 Request For Evidences.
Now as 70 the request of the con,
gress that l give the evidence for my
statement that the chief argument IN
favor Of tho provision was that the
congreasmen did not themselves wish
70 bo investigated BY secret service
men.
The part Of tho Congressional Record
" which | have referred above en-
tlroly supports this statement Two
distinct lineg Of argument were fol.
lowed in the debate. One concerned
the question whether the law war.
ranted tho employment Of the secret
service In departments other than the
treasury, and this did not touch the
merits Of the service IN tho least. The
other iino of argument went 10 the
merits Of the service, whether lawfully
or uniRwfully employed. and here The
chief II not tho only argument used
wac that the service should be cut
down and restricted because its mem.
bers had ''shadowedY or Investigated
members OF congress and other officers
Of the government, II we examine the
debate in detail II appears that most
OF what was urged IN favor OF the
amendment took tho form of the sim.
ple statement that tho committee held
that there had been a Violation Of
law by the uae of the secret service
tor other purposes than guppTcssing
counteffeltihg tand one or TIVE other
matters which can BE- digregarded) and
that such language was now to be
used rs would clfectually prevent all
such Hviolation Of law" hereafter Mr.
Tawney. for instance. says, III was
for the purpose " stopping the use u
this service In every possible way Iii
the departments of the government
that this provision was inserted aud
nv. Smith says. ''Now. that was the
only way IN which any limitation couid
be put upon the activities Of the secret
service" Mr. Fitzgerald followed III
tho same vein, and BY far the largest
part Of the argument against the EN-.
ployment Of the secret service was con.
fined 10 the statement that II was In
violation Of law." or course such
statement II not In any way an argu
ment IN favor Of the justice Of the
provision. It IL not an argument FOR
the provision at all. II Is simply n
statement of What the gentlemen max
Ing Il conceive 20 have been the law.
There was both by Implication aud
direct statement the assertion that Il
was the law and ought to bc the law,
that the secret service should only BE-
used 70 suppress countoFfeiting and
that the law should bc made more
rigid than ever ~ this respect
No Restrictions on ssrvies.
Incidentally may say that in my
Judgment thore Il ample legal author.
ity for the statement that this appro.
prlation law 10 which reference was
made imposes no restrictions whateves
upon the use Of the secret service mea.
but relatca solely to the expenditure of
the money appropriated Mr.. Tawney
ID tho debate stated that he had IN hls
possession "a letter from the secretary
OF tho treasury received a few days
ago" IL which the secretary OF Tire
treasury Hhlmself admits that the pro.
visions under which the appropriation
has been made have been violated year
after year for number Of years In
bis own department" append here.
with as Appendix A the letter re-
ferred TO. EAppendIx A ~ letter from
Secretary os the Treasury Cortelyou to |
the chairman Of the committee on ap.
Of the house OF represent
atlyes, dated April 20. 1908. protest.
Ing against The proposed law abrldg,
Ing tho right Of tho secretary OF the
treasury to detail secret service men
10 work IN other divisions Of his do. |
partment such abridgement, he de-
clared, would DO distinctly TO the nd.
vantage of violntors Of criminal stat.
utes Of the United states"l II makes
no such admission as that which Mr..
alleges. It contains, on the
contrary, as you win see by reading It.
an emphatic protest against any such
abridgement Of tho rights delegated to
tho secretary Of the treasury by ex-
sting law" and concludes by assert.
Ing that he rs quite within his rights
10 thus employing the service Of these
agents. and that the proposed modil.
,atlon which MI. Tawney succeeded in
carrying through would be distinctly
% the advantage Of violators Of crlmi.
lal statutes Of the United States"
,all attention to the fact that IN this
etter Of Secretary Cortelyou to Mr..
as in my letter to the speaker
luoted below, the explicit statement
s made that the proposed change WIN /
10 for the benefit Of the criminals,
which ! simply reiterated III
public form IN my message to the con-
ress this year and which Is also con
aimed in effect In the report OF the
secretary Of the treasury to the con-
yress.
@Private Conduct" Of Members.
A careful reading Of the Congression-
Il Record win also show that practical.