The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-01-04

other member Of congress was indict-
From 1901 to 1904 a successful in
vestigation of naturalization AFFAIRS
was made by the secret service. with
the result of obtaining hundreds of
convicted of selling fraudulent papers
of naturalization (Subsequently
congress passed very wise law pro-
vidtng special service and appro-
priation for the prevention of natural
ization frauds; but unfortunately. at
the same time that the action against
the secret service was taken, congress
also cut down the appropriation for
this special service, with the result of
Gripping the effort to stop frauds in
Naturalization The fugitives Greene
and Gaynor, implicated in a peculiarly
big government contract fraud. were
located and arrested in Canada by the
secret service, and thanks to this they
have since gone to prison for their
crimes.
The secret service was used to assist
/ in the investigation of crimes under
the peonage laws. and owing partly
thereto numerous convictions were Sc
cured and the Objectionable practice
was practically stamped out, at least
| in many districts. The most extensive
smuggling of silk and opium in the
history of the treasury department
was investigated by agents of the Sc
cret service in New York and Seattle
and a successful prosecution of the Of
tenders undertaken. Assistance of the
utmost value was rendered to the de-
partment of justice in the beef trust.
| investigation at Chicago, prosecutions
were followed up and fines inflicted
The cotton-leak scandal in the agri-
cultural department was investigated
and the responsible parties located.
What was done in connection with lot
| terry Investigations is disclosed in
letter just sent to me by the United
States attorney for Delaware, running
as follows:
1.-THE destruction of tha Honduras Ma
tiona1 Lottery company, successor 10 the
Louisiana Lottery company, was entirely
This excellent work was accomplished by
Mr.. WillIie and his subordinates, I
prosecution.
Fines Collected.
Three hundred thousand dollars in fines
were collected by tie government in the
| fraud in the bureau of engraving and
printing "a bureau of the treasury de-
Service and the guilty parties brought TO
Justice. Mr.. TaWney stated in the debate
secret service butFbv a clerk down there
conveying the Impression that the clerk
IF fact he s was in the e. secret service: mis-
/ to assistant chief for the exceilence OF his
work in this case. The total expense for
/ the office and field force of the secret
laSg year MAS Mas Se - 4h h by t1s
| ment over 100000 a year. Thanks to the
restriction imposed by congress it is now
very difficult for the secretary of the
/ treasury to use the secret service freely
even in his own department: for instance.
admirably in the case of this ink contract.
The government is further crippled by the
agencies. OF course the government can
detect the most dangerous crims and
luse. either of the secret service or of
IRrivate detectives: to hamper it in using
| other. can inure to the benefit of none
| save the criminals.
| The facts above given show beyond pos
| sibility of doubt that what the secretary
of the treasury and had both written
| prior to the enactment of the obnoxious
provision. and what 1 have since written
in my message to the congress, state the
| provision is of benefit only to the criminal
| class and can be of benefit only to the
criminal class. If 1t had been embodied
in the law at the time when became
president all the prosecutions above mem,
toned. and many others of the same gem
eraI tvDe. would either not have been I'M
with the government at great disadvan-
tage;, and many. and probably most. OF
4 free instead of being punished for their
/ crimes.
Such a body as the secret service. such
| a BODY of trained investigating agents, oc
| cupying permanent position in the gov
| ernmeEt service. and separate from local
| investigating forces in different depart
ments. is an absolute necessity If the best
work is to be done against criminals. 1t
| is by far the most efficient instrument
possible to use against crime. OF course
the more efficient an instrument IS the
more dangerous it is IL misused. TO the
argument that a force like this can be
| that the condition of its 1sefulness II
handled properly is that it shall be so eff
| cient as to be dangerous If handled inn
properly. Any instance of abuse by the
| secret service or other investigating force
| in the departments should be unsparingly
punished; and congress should hold itself
of any and all To inv ST fa
the executive departments whenever there
| is reason to believe that any such in
stance of abuse has occurred. i wish to
| emphasize my more than cordial
| acquiescence in the view that this is not
| only the right of congress, but ernphati-
cally its duty. To use the secret service
in the investigation of purely private or
| But there has been no single instance of
| such abuse during my term as president.
In conclusion. l most earnestly ask. in
the name of good government and decent
administration. in the name of honesty
vioiators of the federal Jaws wherever
they may be found. whether in public or
private life, that the action taken by the
house last year be reversed. When this
under the lead OF the late Snator Allison.
having before it a strongly-worded protest
| (Appendix D) from Secretary Cortelyou
like that he had sent TO Mr.. Tawney. ac-
cepted the secretarys views; and the sem
however. the house conferees insisted on
| inserted. and the senate yielded.
The chief Of the secret service Is paid
| a salary utterly Inadequate to the Inn
portance of his functions and to the ad-
mirable way in which he has performed
them. earnestly urge that II be Increased
to 5000 per annum. 7 also urge that the
secret service be placed where 1t proper
| ~ belongs. and made bureau in the de-
partment of Justice. the chief of the
secret service has repeatedly requested;
bat whether this is done not. 1t should
be explicitly provided that the secret SER
vice can be used to detect and punish
crime wherever It is found.