Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-05

thought it might be timely to recall this
prosecution.
Money Actually Saved to Government.
Three hundred thousand dollars in fines
were collected by the government
in the lottery cases. Again, the ink con-
tract FRAUD In the bureau of engraving and
printing Ca bureau Of the Treasury depart
ment) was investigated by the secret ser
vice and the guilty parties brought to JUS
tice. Mr.. Tawney stated in the debate that
this was not investigated by the secret
service but by a clerk down there" con-
veying the impression that the clerk was
not in the secret service. As a matter Of
fact, he was in the secret service; his name
was Moran, and he was promoted to as
sistant chief for the excellence of his work
in this case. The total expense for the Of
flee and field force for the secret service
last year was $135. COO; and by this one in
vestigation they saved to the government
over 100000 a year. Thanks to the re-
striction imposed by congress it is now
very difficult for the secretary of the
treasury to use the secret service freely
ever in his W department; for instance,
to use them to repeat what they did SO ad-
mirably in the case of this ink contract,
The government is further crippled by the
law bAdNAAA6 ~ W AARAC ACANNAlNC ooNIl
cles. OF course the government can de-
tect the most dangerous crimes, and pun
lsh the worst criminals. only by the use,
either of the secret service or Of private
detectives; to hamper 1t in using the one,
and forbid II to resort TO the other, can
Inure to the benefit of none save the
criminals.
Facts Exactly stated.
The facta abava 0iven shoU havo pd ms
sibillty of doubt that what the secretary
of the treasury and l had both written
prior to the enactment OF the obnoxious
provision, and what ! have since written in
my message to the congress, state the facts
exactly as they are. The obnoxious pro-
vision is OF benefit only to che criminal
class and can be of benefit only to the
criminal class. II It had been embodied
in the law at the time when / became pres
ident all the prosecutions above mentioned,
and may others OF the same general type
would either not have been undertaken OF
would have been undertaken with the gov
eminent at a great disadvantage; and
many, and probably most, OF the chief Of
tenders would ave gone scot-free instead
of being punished for all crimes.
Such a body as the secret service, such
a body of trained Investigating agents, oc-
cupying a permanent position in the gov
eminent service, and separate from local
investigating forces in different depart
ments, is an absolute necessity II the best
work is to be done against criminals. II
is by far the most efficient instrument pos
sible to use against crime. OF course the
more efficient an instrument is. the more
dangerous It is II misused. To the argu-
ment that a force like this can be mlsused
! az id pU1U naraaaary 20 anauvar fbaf tha
condition OF its usefulness II handled prop
erly is that 1t shall be so efficient
as to be dangerous II 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 instance
OF abuse has occurred. l wish to empha-
size my more than cordial acquiescence In
the view that this Is not only the right OF
congress, but enphatically It's duty. To
use the secret service in the investigation
OF purely private or political matters would
be a gross abuse. But there has been nc
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 and
for the purpose OF bringing to justice VIC
lators 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, having
before 1t a strongly-worded protest CAP,