The evening times., 1900-03-29
House Of Representatives..

Washington. Mafcn - 1000.
Ny Dear Nr Knott. Yours Of the cath instant
about Porto Rico Is received / cannot gather
from your letter what you Psrs0naly think Of our
action iu tar House, what you think Of the
President. who thoroughly agreed with US AID
worked with might and main 90 get the House bill
passed. aud has been so working IN the senate
The question for me 60 settle, as an iudiyidu2l
Representative IS What is ms dutyY That ques-
tiou asked aud answered when | worked with my
a,sociatcs Co pass the Porto kican bill.
Nov, Dec me get this matter clearly IN yo"r
mind. AR. Knott. for sooner or later the country
viii understand our position
Ttcrc are large quantities Of tobacco and
sugar in Porto Rico, bought up by trusts and syn
dhcatr-. They want % get that into the United
state, free OF DUTY and when in, Of course, n
will sell .u the markets at the same rates as the
tobacco and sugar which have 70 pay the fuil tar
ih rates. thus giving hundreds Of thousands Of ool
f1rs profit to the SyudiCateS. etc. The trust, and
syndicate are lighting the bill, and We given
You tie reason why. There has not been, non -
there Iun. tl my knowledge lobby Worhlug Pos
fba Porto Ri,4u bill. bul these syndCdteS and che
goldfish interests of New England and other IN
tcrr-,- including the -four interests are all Try
iHs to ce. into Porto Rico without paving the l5
Der cent duty their products, as proposed d.
The bII While under the Dlngiey law tax ot
ST. TO Illustrate. +, imposed upon certain article,
under tIc House bin it would oEly pay y cents
, Now Why have imposed this D. per cent
% .lc BIug.ry tsrlht
1t m. answer this and fix il in ycur mnd.
Porto Rico poor and has been swcU. by d'vI-,''-
iug and destructive floods. Her people are not 1i
thi- Time and iu their present condition able Z"
pay Iir expenses ot their government. No 'i-
wants the United states o. pay the eyp'u-t- Of
ruuuiu- thc governments 0t any ot our several
new pu--a-,i0n, The people themselves lh e'ci "I
tLr is'Jut,s. groups, should pay their own r\-
prusrs. Hos is Porto Rico TO DO this. now ilff
size hs> Ha local government Ne must hr~J GiN'
hct local government. and both Houses of Con
grr~, are work upon that problem, and DOB uit
opinion that problem viii be- wisely solved when
70 i, done But IT will take a year and halt oI
Two yeJrs 10 formulate government Tor her ara
10 put % In running order, SD Jhat these people
with their governmental machinery NAV RAILS
utorty 60 ruu their own government ID N'
suiiwc. what saOu,d We DO. Follow me I.-
Nicr 0f ,hr syndcates and trusts and tax THIS dc~'-
late isiand-ur their lands their limited UJudur-
tiuu--0r do as we propose and put tins t1niug
duty upon their exports and import, and glFr
every dollar of 10 back 90 them 90 WH tly.r
government. This viii be felt by none except the
-NfdlgL.e- ILl trusts and such interests ina. VIII
d1 yhe bUirE there and the shipping To- Porte
Rico. Indirectly. Of course. some Of this viii uc
paid hy tl, consumers. but il will iall lightly
upon lHcru. aud the burden win be impercspthle.
v'Ii.r direct TAX would be simply brutal and in
human The 1ul also provides that tins Tax shall
expire in two yeats, which IS time enough lo al
lOu the government mae uiucry oi Porto Rico %
get into working order. There is no pruU1-it
20 put permanent burden uDon Porto Rico. bgi ~
is merely O. temporary eNpedieut Tor hcl own in-
t-rrst
Ny friend. never was bill So misrepre=ented
and misunderstood our Porto RicaH bill. and
the time viii come. In the near future when tnoa'
who propose direct iaN. which would result from
absolute free trade will suffer in every possible
WAY Tor thcir misguided conduct. for Jheir seinsi
acts
What the senate is going 90 do is predetermined
j. hss %, share U' towards The Senate Is alnl1I
the body upon which the great interests c0ncau
trltc tler ef,fs 10 defeat proper legislation. Bs
1his iacl remains. that have the knowledge rll
] have dome my simple duty. and have done D. II
consultation and I'm cooperation with tho Presl
dent of the United States whose hear. is quick @,
feel the afiict0ns OF this little island, have dom
it IN conference with such men as Allison. frr
aker. and the earnest patriots Of the senate vino
defying special interests and combinations. au
irving tU map out plan toT the present Hff4- %
Porto Rcp and O.. keep cur country 50 th5t Do Nil
be unirr.rrrl an, fitted for wise treatment Heelr.
for an uf these new possessions aul, m. uicnD
d. b. HENDERSON.
Hon. Edward Knott Waveriy, Iowa.
This unfortunate Porto Rican business
is developing into a great scandal. which
prophesy viii produc, no good TO the Re
publican cause" said a Republican member
of Congress this afternoon The publica-
tiou of the Henderson Knott letter lends
only 20 widen the breach, between Repub-
Icans who view the Porto Rican tarin bill
from different standpOints'
A Democratic member Of Congress said
the publication OF this private letter va.
an effort on the part Of the Speaker to
deliver 2 speech TO the American people
through the columns Of the press.
1T is clear to me that il was writer
with a view TO being published and thi.
theory is strengthened by the fact that IN,
letter was circulated not by single news
paper correspondent but by a great pres
association. The letter must have beer
given out by Mr.. Henderson. as il wa
written on Tuesday. addressed 10 a man il
Wavsrly. Iowa. and was sent out from
Washington by the press associations OI
Wednesday, night"
Mr. Henderson's assault on the Senat,
Republicans who oppose the Tariff bill. i
was said in the Senate late this afternoon
will only serve TO embitter them and in
crease their animOsity TO the bill.
One of the theories advanced at the Cap
it0l today was that the letter was inspire
after a conference with the President whit
has used Mr.. Henderson aG a means Of eX