Rocky Ford enterprise., 1910-07-01

Mr.. Sherley stated that there had
been pronounced abuses growing out OF
the use of the secret service for purposes
other than those intended putting his
statement in the form of . question, and
In the same form further stated that tho
private conduct of members of congress,
senator's and others ought not to be In
vestigated by the secret service. and that
they should not investigate a member Of
congress- who had been accused Of con-
duct unbecoming a gentleman and
member Of congress- In addition to these
assertions couched as questions. he made
one positive declaration. that This secret
service at one time was used for the pur-
pose Of looking nito the personal con-
duct Of q member Of congress- This ar
gument Of Mr.. Sherey, the only real ar
gument as to the merits Of the question
made on behalf Of the committee on ap-
propriations. will be found in columns l
and of page bs56. and column 1 of page
5557 of the Congressional Record. In col
umn Of page 5556 Mr.. Sherley refers to
the improperly Of permitting the secret
service men to investigate men In the
departments. officers of the army. and
navy and members of congress; in col
umn !, page 5557. he refers only to mem
bers of congress. His speech puts most
weight on the investigation of members
of congress.
What appears in the record 10 nlled
out and explained by an article which ap-
peared in the Chicago Inter-Ocean Of
January 3. 1904. under Washington
headline. and which marked the begin
ming of this agitation against the secret
service. 1t was a special article of about
5000 words. written. I was then in
formed and now understand. by Mr.. L.
w. Busbey. at thIt time private secretary
to the speaker of the house. 1t con-
tained an utterly unwarranted attack on
the secret service division of the treas
ury department and its chief
AT the time Of this publication the
work Of the secret service. which was
thus assailed. included especially the in
vestigation Of great land frauds in the
west. and the securing of evidence to
help the department Of Justice In the
beef-trust Investigations at Chicago,
which resulted In successful prosecutions.
Efforts to XIII Move
Found to Be UnavaIiIna.
These methods proved unavaiiing to
prevent the wrong. Messrs Tawney and
Smith. and their fellow members on tho
appropriations committee paid no heed to
the protests: and as the obnoxious pro-
vision was Incorporated in the sundry
civil bill. II was impossible for me to con-
slider or discuss II on Its merits, as I
should have done had II been In Q sep
arate bill. Therefore I have now taken
the only method available. that Of dis
cussinE II In my message to congress: and
as all Efforts to secure what regard as
proper treatment of the subject without
recourse to plain speaking had failed. I
have spoken plainly and directly, and
have set forth the facts In explicit terms
Since 1901 the Investigations covered
by the secret service divisiOn-under the
practice which had been for many years
recognized as proper and legitimate and
which had received the sanction Of the
highest law officers OF the government
have covered a wide range of ofYenses
against the federal law. BY far the most
Important of these related to the public
domain. As to which there was un-
covered far-reaching and widespread
system of fraudulent transactions involv-
Ing both the Illegal acquisition and the
Illegal fencing of government land: and.
In connection with both these offenses.
the crimes Of perjury and subornation Of
perjury. Some Of the persons involved
In these violations were Of great wealth
and Of wide political and social Influence.
Both their corporate associations and
their political affiliations. and tho Iawiess
character OF some Of their employees,
made the Investigations not only dificulS
but dangerous. In Colorado one OF the
secret service men was assassinated-
Instances In Which
Secret Service Starred.
I'm connection with the Nebraska prose-
cution the government has by decree Sc
cured the return to the government Of
In Colorado of more than 200 acres Of
mineral land. and suits are now pending
involving 10000 acres more.
IAN these Investigations in the land
cases were undertaken In consequence
of Mr.. Hitchcock. the then secretary
of the interior. becoming convinced that
there were extensive frauds committed
In his department.: and the ramihcations
Of the frauds were far-reaching that
he was afraid to trust his own officials
thnFOnrhGOInR vrif
them. One OF the secret service men ac-
cordlngly resigned and was appointed
in the interior department to carry on
this work. The first thing he discovered
was that the special agents division or
corps of detectives Of the land office Of
the interior department was largely un-
der the control OF the land thieves: and
In consequence the Investigations above
referred to had to be made by secret
service men.
''If the present law. for which Messrs.
Tavney. Smith. and the other gentle
men I have above mentioned are respon-
sibie. had then been in effect. this ac-
tion would have been impossible, and
most OF the criminals would ungusstion-
ably have escaped. No more striking IN
stnnce can be lima xined of tho desirable
ity Of having n central corps of skilled
investigating agents who can at any time
be assigned. II necessary In large num-
bers. to Investigate some violation of the
federal statutes. In no matter what
branch OF the public service. In this par
ticular case most OF the men Investigated
who were public servants were In the
executive branch of the government. But
In Oregon. where enormous acreage
OF fraudulently alienated public land was
recovered for the government. n United
States senator. Mr.. Mitchell, and n mem
Der of the lower house. Mr.. Williamson.
were convicted on evidence obtained by
men transferred from the secret service,
and another member of congress was In
dicted.''
Chief Asks for Reversal
Of Action Of Soions.
The president then gave a number of
other Instances. all OF which tend to
point out the efficiency of the secret