The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1909-01-08

bers Of congress. His speech puts most
weight on the investigation of members
Of congress-
What appears in the record 10 nlled
out and explained by an article which ap-
peared in the Chicago Inter-Ocean Of
January s. 1904, under Washington
headline. and which marked the BEGIN
ming OF this agitation against the secret
service. 1t was n special article Of about
~" words. written. I was then in
formed and now understand, by Mr. l..
w. Busbey. at thst time private secretary
10 the speaker OF the house. 1t con-
tanned an utterly unwarranted attack on
the secret service division of the treas
ury department and it's chief
AT the time of this publication the
work OF the secret service, which was
thus assailed. included especially the in
restigation OF great land frauds in the
west. ana the securing OF evidence to
heip the department of Justice in the
neef-trust Investigations at Chicago,
which resulted in successful prosecutions
Efforts to Kill Move
Found to De Unavaiiine.
These methods proved unavailinG 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-
civil bill. IT was impossible for me to con-
slider or discuss IL on Its merits, a. I
should have done had II been in q sem
arate bill. Therefore have now taken
the only method available that of dis
cussing 1t in my message to congress; and
as all enorts to secure what regard a.
proper treatment of the subject without
recourse to plain speaking had failed, I
nave spoken plainly and directly, and
have set forth the facts in explicit terms.
Since 1901 the investigations covered
by the secret service division-under the
practice which had been for many years
recognized as proper and legitimate. and
which had received the sanction of the
highest law officers of the government
have covered a wide range OF oiYenses
against the federal law. BY far the most
important OF these related to the public
domain. as TO which there was un-
covered far-reaching and Widespread
system of fraudulent transactions involy-
ing both the illegal acquisition and the
illegal fencing of government land and,
In connection with both these offenses,
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 dinicult
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-
cutlon the government has by decree Sc
cured the return to the government of
over million acres of grazing land:
in Colorado Of more than 1000 acres of
mineral land. and suits are now pending
involving 10000 acres more.
"All these Investigations in the land
cases were undertaken in consequence
OF Mr.. Hitchcock. the then secretary
OF the Interior, becoming convinced that
there were extensive frauds committed
in his department: and the ramincations
or the frauds were so 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-
cordingly 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 ONCE Of
the interior department was largely un-
der the control of the land thieves; and
In consequence the investigations above
referred to had to be made by secret
service men.
III the present law, for which Messrs
Tawney, Smith. and the other gentle
men have above mentioned are respon-
sible. had then been in effect, this ac-
ton would have been impossible, and
most Of the criminals would unqueston-
ably have escaped. No more striking in
stance can be magned of the desirsbl-
ity of having 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
f4I1 -N-A, T.
branch of the public service. In this par
ticular case most of the men Investigated
who were public servants were in the
executive branch Of tho government. But
in Oregon, where an enormous acreage
Of fraudulently alienated public land was
recovered for the government United
States senator, Mr.. Mitchell. and a msm-
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 q number Of
other instances. all OF which tend to
point out the efciency Of the secret
service. and he concludes:
I'm conclusion. I most earnestly ask. in |
tHc HAHle OF xOOO government ana Qe- Z
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, having before 1t .
strongly-worded protest from Secretary
Cortelyou like that he had sent to Mr..
accepted the secretary's views:
and the senate passed the bill in the
shape presented by Senator Allison. In
the conference. however, the house con-
ferees insisted on the retention Of the
provision they had inserted. and tho
senate yielded.
The chief Of the secret service is
paid salary utterly inadequate to the
Importance Of his functions and to tho
admirable way in which he has per-
formed them. earnestly urge that 1t
may be increased to 5000 per annum.
also urge that tho secret service be
placed where It properly belongs. and
made q bureau in the department of