The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-01-04
President Denies That He Has Made
Any Charges of Corruption
Against Any Member
Of Congress.
HE CITES FRAUD CASES
Outlines the Work of the Secret Ser.
vice and What it Has Ac.
complished for the
Country.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 4.-President
Roosevelts expected special message
on the secret service was sent to the /
house today. 1t denies the statement
made in the house resolution of in
quiry that he had charged any mem
Der of the present congress with cor
ruption or that the majority OF con-
gressmen were in fear of investigation
by detectives. He gives the names of
former senator's and representatives
convicted in connection with land
frauds, and reiterates the declaration
made in his annual message that the
limitation placed by congress on the
operations of the secret service could
be of benefit only to the criminal class.
OF the work done by the secret serv-
ice, the President refers to tho land,
naturalization, lottery, silk, opium, Ink
and other frauds. He re ,ommends
that all the government detective serv-
ices be consolidated into single bu-
reau to be attached to the department
of justice and that Chief Wilkes sal
ary be increased from $4,000 to $4,000
9 year.
He denies strenuously the allegation
made in certain quarters that he ever
used the secret service in purely pri-
vate or political matters
incidentally, he charges that agita-
tion against the secret service was be-
gun with an article written by L. w
Busbey, private secretary to Speaker
Cannon for Chicago newspaper.
Altogether the President presents
strong though calm argument that he
was exactly right in making the criti-
cisms that enlivened his message at
the opening of the session.
Il am wholly at a loss" he says, to
understand the concluding portion of
the house resolution. l have made no
charge of corruption against congress
nor against any member of the pres
ent house. If 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 Representa-
tives Williamson, Hermann and briggs
at different times since | have been
President.
"a careful reading of my message
will show that | said nothing to war
rant the statement in the houso reso-i
luton that the majority of the con
gressmen were in fear of being investi-
gated by the secret service men, or
that congress as a whole was actuat-
ed by that motive.
In support of his statement that the
chief argument in favor of the move |,
alleged fear of some members that
they might be investigated, the Presi- |
dent refers the house to the report of
the debate last May on that subject,
as given in the Congressional Record. |
He says responsibility for the action
mittee on appropriations under the
leadership of Chairman Tawney (Rpn.
Mimi Smith (Rpn. Iowa), Sherleyt
(Dem. KY, and Fitzgerald (Dem. N.
W
The beginning of this agitation, thel
President says, was a 5000 word letter
sent to the Chicago Inter-Ocean in
1904 by l.. w. Busbey, private secre-i
tary to Speaker Cannon. At tle time
this letter assailing the secret service
was published, President Roosevelt
points out those government detectives
were working on the great land fraud
in the west and aiding in ~ne beef
trust investigation.
But oil of this continues the Tres-
ident's message, is of Insignificant
Importance with the main the real is
sue This issue is simply: Does con-
gress desire that the government shall
have at its disposal the most efficient
instruments for the detection of Grim
inals and the prevention and punish
ment of crime, or does it not? The
action of the house last May was en-
phatically an action against the inter
est of Justice and against the interest
os law-abiding people, and in its eff
feet of benefit only to law breakers.
Is the house now willing to remedy
the wrong?"
The President quotes from a letter