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

pluy ubteCtlFe agencies. vi course the
government can detect the most dan
gerous &imes and punish the worst
criminals only BY the use either Of the
secret service or Of private detectives.
To hamper 1t in using the one and for
bid II to resort to the other can inure
to the benefit Of none save the crimi-
nails.
Secretary cortelyou Sustained.
The facts above given show beyond
possibility o. doubt that what the Sec
retary Of the treasury and / had both
written prior to the enactment Of the
obnoxious provision aud what have
since written N my message to the
congress state the facts exactly as
they are. The obnoxious provision is
OF benefit only to the criminal class
and can be Of benefit only to the Grim
inal class. IL II had been embodied In
the law at the time when ! became
president all the prosecutions above
mentioned and many others Of the
same general type would either not
have been undertaken or would have
been undertaken with the government
at a great disadvantage. and many
and probably most Of the chief offend
ers would have gone scot free instead
Of being punished for their crimes.
Such a body as the secret service,
such body OF trained investigating
agents, occupying permanent posi-
tlon In the government service and
separate from local investigating forces
in different departments, Is an absolute
necessity If the best work is to be
done against criminals. It Is by Ear
the most efficient instrument possible
to use against crime. OF course the
more efficient an instrument Is the
more dangerous it is II misused To
the argument that a force like this
can be misused II Is only necessary to
answer that the condition OF its use
fulness If handled properly is that It
shall be so efficient as to be dangerous
If handled improperly. any instance
of abuse by the secret service or other
investigating force In the departments
should be unsparingly punished, and
congress should hold itself ready at
any and all times to investigate the
executive departments whenever there
is reason to believe that any such In
stance Of abuse has occurred. | wish
to emphasize my more than cordial ac-
quiescence in the view shat this is not
only the right Of congress, but EN-
phatically its duty. To use the secret
service In the investigation Of purely
private or political matters would be
gross abuse. But there has been no
single instance OF such abuse during |
my term as president.
The Presidents Appeal.
In conclusion, / most earnestly ask |
in the name Of good government and |
decent administration, In the name Of |
honesty and for the purpose Of bring |
ing 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, hav-
ing before 1t strongly worded protest
lAppendix D. from Secretary Cortel-
you like that he had sent to Mr.. Taw-
ney, accepted the secretary's views,
and the senate passed the bin in the |
shape presented by Senator Allison.
In the conference, however, the house
conferees insisted on the retention Of
the provision they had inserted, and
the senate yielded. TAppendix d CON
sists OF ia letter from Secretary Cortel-
You to the late William d. Allison,
chairman OF the senate committee on
dated May 8, 1908. In
It the secretary protests vigorously
against the amendment to the sundry
civil bill prohibiting the payment Of
"any person detailed or transferred
from the secret service division He
gives reasons for such details and In
m appendix cites instances In which
the secret service men have been de-
tailed effectively in cases outside the
treasury Department.
The chief of the secret service Is
paid a salary utterly inadequate to
The Importance of his functions and
o the admirably way in which he