The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-03-31
A1ETTER no A CONSTITUENT.

A LETTER TO CONSTITUENT.
Speaker Henderson's letter to Hon. Ed
ward Knott, a constituent of his a Wav-
cry, Ia, on the subject of the Porto Rican
bill, is regarded as a very remarkable one,
and justly so, because while he pre- ends to
be entirely honest in the views he ex-
presses the impression he makes is that
he is not quite so honest as he insists he
is In the course of his letter he says:
Now, let me get this matter clearly in
your mind, Mr. Knott, for sooner or later
the country will understand our position. y
Unless we are greatly mistaken the
| country already understands our pcsi-
ton" that is, the position of the Repubi-
cans who are insisting that the products
of Porto Rico coming into our market
shall be taxed. Mr.. Henderson insists
that the tax is levied solely and wholly for
the good of the people of Porto Rico. He
says that the sugar and tobacco of Porto
Rico are owned by trusts and syndioates,
and that it will not be a hardship to
them to pay the tax. He insists that the
opposition to the tax comes from these
syndicates and trusts and the Goldfish in
terests of New England. They want to
have the benefit of free trade with Porto
Rico. because it would be immensely
profitable to them.
Mr.. Henderson also points cut that the
money which will be derived from the tax
is needed in Porto Rico for governmental
purposes-that the Porto Ricans are too
poor to stand direct taxation, and that no
one in this country is willing to be taxed
for the purpose of sustaining a govern
ment in Porto Rico. 80
That sounds very well and no doubt will
impress those Republicans who seem to
think that their party can do no wrong.
But, as a matter of fact is the tax being
laid for the purpose of raising revenue TO
meet the expenses of a government in
Porto Rico? Is it not, rather true that
when Congress met it was the purpose of
the Republicans in that body, led by the
President, to give Porto Rico free trade?
Did not the President say in his message
that it is our plain duty to give the
Porto Ricans free trade? He certainly did.
1t appears therefore that there is some
other reason than the raising of revenue
for a government in Porto Rico that
tariff tax is to be levied on the products of
that island that come to our market. What
is that reason? Is it not to save the prin-
ciple of protection? Did any Republican
member of the House, Speaker Henderson
included, think of putting a tariff on the
commerce of Porto Rico, until the extreme
protectionists raised a cry against the free
trade policy of the President? Not one of
them.
The conclusion, therefore, is inevitable
that the abandonment of the free trade
policy of the President and the adoption
of the policy to tax the products of Porto
Rico coming to our market were not
caused by consideration for the poverty
stricken condition of the Porto Ricans--
their inability to stand direct taxation for
purposes of government-but by the fear
that there would be serious trouble in the
Republican party if the free trade policy
were adhered to.
This being the case, what becomes of
the honesty of purpose to which Speaker
Henderson lays claim in his letter to his
Iowa constituent? few days ago Con-
gresham Grosvenor, the leader of the Re-
publicans on the floor of the House, at
tended a convention in Ohio--a convention
which renomnated him. He did not pre-
tend at that convention that the Porto Ri
can bill was measure framed for the BEN
eft of the poverty stricken Porto Ricans.
He said frankly that the purpose of it was
to save the Republican principle of protec-
| ton It seems TO us that he was honest
ia making that declaration. If so, then
how can the letter of Speaker Henderson
| TO his Iowa constituent be honest?
In that same letter Speaker Henderson
minated that the fate of the Porto Rican
bill in the Senate was problematical. be-
cause that body has cts share of cow
ards" But do the Republican senator's
| show greater moral cowardice in opposing
the bill against the wishes of their party
associates than is shown by Mr. Hender-
son, who tells his constituent that the
| bill is intended for the relief of poverty
stricken Porto Ricans, when, according to
I Mr. Grosvenor, its purpose is to save the
principle of protection?