The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-03-30
The Speaker Gives
the Reasons Mhy

From Letter by Hon. David B. Hender-
son to an Iowa Constituent
7 CANNOT gather from your letter
what you personally think Of our
q action in the house, or what you
think of the president, who thoroughly
agreed with us and worked with might
and main to get the house bill passed,
and has been so working In the senate.
The question for me to settle, as an
individual representative is. what Is
my duty? That question I asked and
answered when worked with my as
sociates to pass the Puerto Rican bill.
Now let me get this matter clearly In
your mind. for sooner or later the
country will understand our position.
First. There are large quantities of
tobacco and sugar in Puerto Rico,
bought up by trusts and syndicates.
They want to get that into the United
States free of any duty, and when once
In, of course, 1t will sell in the markets
at the same rates as the tobacco and
sugar which have to pay the full tariff
rates, thus giving hundreds of thou
sands of dollars profit to the syndi-
Gates, etc. The trusts and syndicates
are fighting the bill. and have given
you the reason why. There has not
been, nor is there now, to my knowl-
edge, a lobby here working for the
Puerto Rican bill. but these syndicates
and the Goldfish interests Of New Eng
land and other interests including the
flour interests, are all trying to get
into Puerto Rico without paying the
4 <J,,tx hatV vnt a
proposed in the bill While under the
Dingley law a tax of 81, to illustrate.
Is imposed upon a certain article. un-
der the house bill it would only pay
fifteen cents.
Second. Now, why have we imposed
this Is per cent. of the Dingley tariff? ?
Let me answer this and fix it in your
mind Puerto Rico is poor and has
been swept by devastating and de-
structive foods. Her people are not at
this time, and In their present con-
dition, able to pay the expenses Of
their government. No one wants the
United States to pay the expenses of
running the governments of any OF
our several new possessions. The peo-
pie themselves in each Of the islands,
or groups, should pay their own ex-
penses. How Is Puerto Rico to do this.
now that she has no local government?
We must first give her local govern
ment, and both houses of congress are
at work upon that problem, and in my
opinion that problem will be wisely
solved when it is done. But 1t will
take a year and half or two years to
| formulate a government for her and
| to put 1t in running order so that those
| people, with their own government ma
| chinery, may raise money to run their
own government. In the meantime
what should we do? Follow the advice
of the syndicates and trusts and tax
this desolate island-or their lands, or
their limited productions-or do as we
propose and put this tritiing duty upon
| their exports and imports and give
every dollar of it back to them to run
their government? This will be felt
by none except the syndicates and
trusts and rich interests that will dc
the buying there and the shipping to
| Puerto Rico. Indirectly, of course
some of this will be paid by the con.
sumers, but it will fall lightly upon
them. and the burden will be imper.
ceptible, while a direct tax would be
simply brutal and inhuman. The bill
also provides that this tax shall ex.
pire in two years, which is time
enough to allow the government ma
chinery OF Puerto Rico to get into
working order. There is no proposition
to put permanent burden upon Puer.
to Rico, but 1t is merely temporary
expedient for her own interest.
| My friend, never was a bill so mis-
represented and misunderstood as oul
Puerto Rican bill, and the time will
come in the near future when those
who propose direct tax, which would
result from absolute free trade, will
suffer in every possible way for thei
misguided conduct, for their selfish
acts. What the senate Is going to d.
is problematical. 1t has it's share O.
towards. The senate is always tn,
body upon which the great interests
concentrate their efforts to defeat prop
er legislation. But this fact remains
that l have the knowledge that hav,
done my simple duty. and have don
it in consultation and in co-operatio'
with the president of the Unite,
States, whose heart Is quick to feel tn
aiiiictions of this little island; l hav
done it in conference with such mel
as Allison, Foraker and the earncs
patriots of the senate, who, defyin
special interests and combinations, ar
trying to map out a plan for the pres
ent needs of Puerto Rico, and to kee
our country so that it will be unfot
tered and fitted for the wise treatmor
needed, for all Of these new posses
| SippS