The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-01-04
MESSAGE ON THE
 SECRET SERVICE
eTesldent Replies to Congres.
 { sionaI Resolution.
jAYS,HE DID NOT HIT AT HOUSE

S"hO stS DsD NSs tuu Nt hVoSS Language Tn Annual Communication
 Called Objectionable by Representa-
 Ssses Will Stand Analysis, Declares
 Executive = He Renews His Arsu-
 mont For Repeal of Law Limiting
 Activities of Treasury Asents-Cites
 Cases In Which They Have Aided
 in Punishment of vioIators of Fed
 srat Lave,
 Washington,s Jan. 4.-In a special message to the house of representa- tives today President Roosevelt says: flo the House of Representatives:
 I have received the resolution of the house of representatives of Dec. 17, 1908, running as follows:
 Whereas, There was contained in the sundry civil appropriation bill which passed congress at its last session and be- came law Q provision in reference to the employment of the secret service in the treasury department; and
 Whereas, In the last annual message or khe president of the United States to the two houses of congress 1t was stated III reference to that provision, Ut IS not too much to say that this amendment has been of benefit only and could be of bene- it only to the criminal classes, and 1t was further stated, '"The chief argument In favor of the provision was that the conRressmen did not themselves wish to be investigated by secret service men, and 1t was further stated, @But if this Is kSNt considered desirable a special excep- lo lv,f fhSa Ia Q the use of the secret service force in i'm Svestisating 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 the above words is that the majority of the congressman were 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 ques tion; and. s.%
 Whereas, Your committee appointed to consider these statements of the presi- dent and to report to the house cannot find In the hearings before committees nor in tho records of the house or sen ate any justification of this impeach- rneTt of the honor and integrity of the congress; and,
 Whereas, Your committee would prefer In order to make an intelligent and com prehensive report, just to the president as well as to the congress. to have all the Information which the president may have to communicate; now, therefore.
 Be 1t resolved, That the president be requested to transmit to the: house any evidence upon which @he based his state merts that the "chief argument in favor of the provision was that the congress men did not themselves wish to be in- "a 1ry v&@0 S 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 off, ciai capacity and to inform the house whether he has instituted proceedings for the punishment of any such individual by the courts or hes reported any such alleged delinquencies to the house of rep reseftatives.
 q Cannot Understand Resolution"
 am wholly at loss to understand the concluding portion of the resolu- tion. have made no charges of cor ruption against congress nor against any member. of the present house. If had proof of such corruption affect Ing any member of the house in any matter as to which the federal gov ernment has jurisdiction, action would at once be brought, as was done in the cases of Senators Mitchell and Burton tRnd Representatives Williamson, Herr nfann and Drtggs at different times since I have been president. This would simply be doing my duty in the execution and enforcement of the laws without respect to persons. But do not regard 1t as within the province pr the duties of the president to report b the house alleged delinquencies" of members or the supposed corrupt action" of d member "fn his official ca pacity." The membership of the house Is by the constitution placed within the power of the house alone An the prosecution of criminals and the enforcement of the laws the president must resort to the courts of the United States.
 sq Portion of Message Quoted.
 Tn the third and fourth clauses of the preamble it is stated that the meaning of my words is that "the majority of the congressman are in fear of being Investigated by secret service men," and that congress as a whole was ac- tuated by that motive in enact!ng the provision in question:" and that this is an impeachment of the honor and integrity of the congress. These state ments are not, think, in accordance with the facts. The portion of my message referred to runs as follows:
 Last year an amendment was incor- pcrated in the measure providing for the secret service which provided that there should be no detail from the secret serv- Ice and no transfer therefrom. It is not too much to say that this amendment has been ofbeneht only and could be of bene- nt only to tho criminal classes. If delib- erateiy introduced for the purpose of di- nninishing the effectiveness of war against crime 1t could not have been better de- vised to this end. It forbade the prac- tices that had been followed to greater or less extent by the executive heads of various departments for twenty years. To these practices we owe the securing of the evidence which enabled us to drive great lotteries out of business and secure a quarter of a million of dollars in fines from their promoters. These practices have enabled us to discover some of the most outrageous frauds in connection with the theft of government land and government timber by great corporations and by individuals. These practices have enabled us to got some of the evidence in- dispensabie in order to secure the convic- ticn of the wealthiest and most formida- ble criminals with whom the government