Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1909-01-07
PRESIDENT DEFENDS
Ills Position as to Secret Ser
vice Irregularities
GIVES HIS ANSWER TO CONGRESS
He is Misunderstood and Misquoted-
Has Great Respect for Congress
Good Work Of Secret Service-It
is a Necessity-Urges Present Re-
strictionG Removed.

Washington, Speclal.-Unusual at
tention was paid in the House of
Representatives Monday to the read
ing Of a message from the President
replying to a resolution of that body
calling upon him for an explanation
of the intimation in his annual mes
sage that members Of Congress were
afraid to be investigated by the sec
ret service. The galleries were pack
ed to the doors.
The Presidents specific references
to certain speeches by Messrs. Taw-
ney of Minnesota; Smith, of Iowa;
Sherley, of Kentucky, and Fitzgerald,
Of New York, when the provision for
the restriction of the operations of
the secret service was up for discus
sion,, and also to Mr.. Busby, the
Speakers private secretary, created a
storm Of laughter. The Speaker rap
ped several times vigorously for Or
der.
The President says:
81 am wholly at a loss to under
stand the concluding portion Of the
resolution. I have made no charges
of corruption against Congress nor
against any member Of the present
House. If I had proof Of such cor
ruption affecting any member of the
House in any matter as to which the
Federal government has jurisdiction,
action would at once be brought, as
was done in the cases Of Senators,
Mitchell and Burton, and Represen-
tatives Williamson, Hermann, and
briggs, at different times since /
have been President: This would.
simply be doing NY duty in the exc
cution and enforcement Of the laws.
without respect to persons. But I do
not regard it as within the province
or the duties of the President to
report to the House "alleged delin-
quencies" Of members, or the sup
posed "corrupt action" Of a mem
Der "in his official capacity" The
membership Of the House is by the
constitution placed within the pow
er Of the House alone. In the prose
cution Of criminals and the enforce
ment Of the laws the President must
resort to the courts Of the United
line President quotes from his mes
sage: "Last year an amendment was
incorporated in the measure provid-
ing for, the secret service, which pro-
vided that there should be no detail
from the secret service and no trans
fer therefrom.O That act he claims
crippled the efficiency Of the service
and, therefore was Of interest chiefly
to. wrong doors.
He says it forbade the practices
that had been followed to a greater
or less entent by the executive heads
of various departments for twenty
years. To these practices we W th'
securing Of the evidence which en-
abled us to drive great lotteries on
of business and secure a quarter 0:
a million dollars in fines from thei
promoters. These practices have en-
abled us to discover some Of tn
most outrageous frauds in connec
ton with the theft Of government
land and government timber by grea
corporations and by individual
These practices have enabled us I
get some Of the evidence. indispens
, able in order to secure the convictlo
of the wealthiest and most formidaol
criminals with whom the governmen
has to deal, both those operating i
violation of the antitrust law an
Others.
He refers to the fact that throug
the secret service both a senator an
q congressman were convicted {
4. land frauds in Oregon. He believe
that the government should be a
lowed to investigate all branches, b,
pleads that Congressman might
made an exception If so desired, witt
out cutting off so much Of the pow
of the secret service as to cripple i
usefulness in other spheres.
He denies vigorously that he sa
that a majority Of congress did n
want to be investigated and says {
the contrary / have alwsys not on
deprecated but vigorously resent'
the practice Of indiscriminate attat
upon Congress, and indiscrimina
condemnation Of all Congressrne
wise and unwise, fit and unfit, go'
and bad alike. No one realizes mo
than I the Importance Of cooperate
between the Executive and Congre.
and no one holds the authority a
dignity Of the Congress of the Unit
States in higher respect than I do.
have not the slightest sympathy wi
the practice Of judging men, for go
or for i'll, not on their. several meri
but in a mass, as members Of one p
ticular body or one caste.
In defense Of his terms in the m
sage that argument in favor of t