Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1909-01-13
president DEFENDS.
Ills Position as to Secret Ser
vice irregularities
GIVES HlSANSWER 10. CONGRESS
lie is Misunderstood and Misquoted-
Has Great Respect for Congress
Good Work of Secret, Service-It
is Necessity-Urges Present Re-
strictions Removed

Washington. Special.-Unusual at
tenticn was paid in the House of
Representatives Monday to the read
ing of a message from the President
replying to 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,
s Of New York, when the provision for
the restriction Of the operations Of
The secret service was up for 1iscus-
I 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:
tI am wholly at a loss to under
stand the concluding portion of the
resolution. / have made no charges
Of corruption against Congress nor
8 against any member of the present
j 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 my duty in the exc
cution and enforcement of the laws
without respect ito persons. But / do
mot 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 mem
ber 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
States.''
The President quotes from his mes
sage: "Last year an amendment was
incorporated in. the measure provid-
ing for the secret service, which pro-
3 vided that there should be no detail
from the secret service and no trans
fer therefrom. - That act he claims
rs crippled the efficiency of the service
D and therefore was Of interest chiefly
TO wrong doers.
He says it forbade the practices
tha. had been followed to a greater
s or less eptent by. the executive heads
! Of various departments for twepty
years To these practices we owe the
securing of the evidence which en-
abled us to drive great lotteries out
z Of business and secure quarter OF
million dollars in fines from their
promoters. These practices have en-
abled us to discover some oS the
most outrageous frauds in connec-
tion with the theft Of government
land and government timber by great
corporations and by individuals.
1 These practices have enabled us to
s get some of the evidence indispens-
able in order to secure the conviction
of the wealthiest and most formidable
criminals with whom the government
has to deal, both those operating in
violation Of the antitrust law and
Others.
He refers to the fact that through
the secret service both a senator and
congressman were convicted Of
land frauds in Oregon. He believes
& that the government should be al
lowed to investigate all branches, but
pleads that Congressman might be
made an exception. ifaso desired, with
ont cutting off so much of the power
of the secret service as to cripple its
usefulness in, other spheres. -
He denies vigorously that he said
that a.gmajority a. of congress did not
want to be Investigated and says on
the contrary 1 have alwlys not only
deprecated but vigorously resented
the practice of indiseriminate attack
upon Congress, and indiscrininate
condemnation of all Congressman,
wise and unwise, fit aad unfit, good
and bad alike. No one realizes more
than / the importance of cooperation
betreen the Executive and Congress,
and no one holds the authority and
dignity Of the Congress of-the United
States in higher respect than / do. /
have not the slightest, sympathy with
the practice Of judging men, for good
or for Ill, not on their several merits,
but in mass, as members of one par
ticular body or one caste.
In defense of his terms in the mes
sage that argument in favor Of the
provision was that. the Congressman
{, did not themselves wish to be in
vestigated by secret services men. he
z calls attention to the. fact that when
the. measure was being. discussed the
chief argument wes this. as can be
seen by reference to the Congress
al A