Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-01-04
SPECIAL MESSAGE
ON SECRET SERVICE


CONTINUED from page one)
90, ana most formidable criminals with
.,som the government has 20 deal noth
W., ,,.fafinc in violation Of the anti
VIZ. i.o and othcrs. The amendment
oresflon was OF bencht 20 no one exc
,ii,g to these criminals, and Il seri-
~, hampers the government in the
s-tc.fion of crime and the securing OF
,-,ire Moreover. II not only Affects
s,srfntente outside OF the treasury,
~ f tends 10 hamper the secretary
y ,he treasury himself IN tho effort 20
.,nlvo the employees OF HIS department
a. hest meet the requirements
,ts pubuc service n forblds him
80 preventing frauds upon the GUS
CON service. from investigating irreg-
,,io,ftiee In branch mintH and assay Of
eess and has seriously crippled him.
\, nrevcnts the promotion of employees
~ ne secret service, and this further
Sisooura ges good EFFORT. IN It's present
sorm the restriction operates only 70
~ advantage OF the criminal Of the
vrongdoer
,The chief argument IN favor OF tho
,ro,fslon was that the congressman
IA MOT themselves wish TO be lnvesti-
M III such investigation has been done
H. fbe past but It Is true that the
work of the secret service agents was
r,rtlv responsible for the indictment
and conviction OF a senator and "A con-
,,rossuan for land frauds in Oregon. I
a. not believe that Il Is In the public
interest to protect criminals IN any
branch OF the public service. and exact
~ al we have again and again during
,be mast seven years prosecuted and
corvicted such criminals who were In
the executive branch Of the govern
,aent SO in my belief we should be Civ
on ample means TO prosecute them II
found in tho legislative branch. But II
this is not considered desirable a spe-
cisl exception could be made In the law
prohlhltng the use Of the secret service
forco In investigating members OF the
Congress II would be far better 10
40 this than 10 do what actually was
aone and strive to prevent or at least
10 hamper effective action against Grim
inals BY the executive branch Of the
government
he WAS MISUNDERSTOOD.
A careful reading Of this message
win show that / said nothing 10 war
rant the statement that THE majority
OF the congressman were in fear OF be
inr investigated by the secret service
men" or that Congress as a whole
was actuated by that motive" I did
not make any such statement I'm this
message Moreover / have never made
any such statement about Congress as
a whole. nor with a few inevitable ex-
oeptons. about the members OF Con-
grass. In any message or article or
b. d
not only deprecated but vigorously re-
sented the practise OF indiscrlminate
attack upon Congress. and indiscrim-
mate condemnation Of all congressman,
wise and unwise. No and unfit, good
and bad alike. No one realizes more
than the Importance Of cooperation
between the executive and Congress,
and no one holds the authority and
dignity OF the Congros OF the United
States IN higher respect than / do. 1
have not the slightest sympathy with
the practise OF judging men, for good
OF for ia, not on their several merits,
bat IN a mass, as members OF one par
ucular body or one caste. To put to-
atther an men holding or who have
held a particular office, whether Il be
the Office Of president, or Judge. or sem
ntor or member OF the house OF repre-
gcntatiyes, and 60 class them all. with
ou' regard to their individual differ
onces az good or bad. seems to me Mt
terry indelenshle and u is equally in
deiensibie whether the good are con-
founded with the bad IN a heated ana
unuawanted championship Of all. or In
q heated and unwa rranted assault up-
On an I would neither attack nor de-
fend an executive officers in a mass
whether presidents, governors, cabinet
officers, or officials OF lower rank; nor
would attack OF defend all legislative
officers IN a mass. The safety OF the
government rests very largely IN the
ability of the plain, everyday citizen to
discriminate between those public SER
wants who serve him well and those
public servants who serve him IN. He
can not thus discriminate " he Is per-
snaded 20 pass Judgment upon a man.
not with reference TO whether he Is a
no or unfit public servant. but with
reference 20 whether he Is an executive
OF legislative officer, whether he be-
longs 10 one branch or the other Of tho
SO, ernment
This allegation IN the resolution.
therefore, must certainly be due to an
entire failure TO understand my mos
sage
The resolution continues: That the
president be requested to transmit to
me house any evidence upon which
De based his statements that the chief
argument IN favor Of tho provision was
mat the congressman did not themselves
wish 70 be- Investigated by secret SER
vice men,, This statement which
was an attack upon no one. still less