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

Washington, Mafcn .. lBf8-
NJ Dear NIr. Knott: Nouns OF the oath instant
ahout Psrto Rico is received cannot gather
from your letter what you personally think CT our
action in tLe House. hat you think 81 the
President. who thoroughly agreed with US ahg
worked with might and main 10 get the House bill
passed. and lss been working IN the senate
The question for me settle, as an IndR ldtal
Representative is, What is my dutyI That quts
1ion asked aud answered when worked Win my
a.sotiateS 10 pass the Porto Rican blll.
Now. lea me get this matter clearly IN your
mind. AIR. Knott for sooner or later the country
viii understand Our position
There are large quantities Of tobacco ana
sugar in Porto Rieo, bought up by trusts and syn
,cates. lhey want TO get that into the lnittu
state, free OF duty. and when once in OF course, II
will sell Ia the markets at the same rates as the
tobacco saa sugar which have 10 pay the fuli tar
in rates. thus giving hundreds OF thousands oi COL
iaus' profit to the syndicates, etc. The trusts ana
syndicate are lighting the bill, and ] have gIV~n
Fou fI,s reason why. There has not been, nor As
there Bow 70 my knowledge, lobby working ief
fhn Porta Rilau bill. hut these sNno-cateS anC iae
,,tlr.H Interests Of New England and other IL
tsla-t, fr-ludug the -four interests, are an lit-
ife ID c-. into Porto Rico without paving the 10
pr cent Jviy their products, as proposed IT,
rlc b.3 While under the Dngiey la" taA 1l
81 10 illustrate. Is imposed upon certain dtll'l-.
lIpg,t Tie Hons, bin il would only pay l. cents.
, New. Why have We imposed tins D. per cent
of tie BiugIry Jsriht
III IN. answer this and fix II IN your lnihd.
Porto Rico D. poaT aud ha- been swept hN d'N--'"--
.ug and distinctive floods. Her people are not at
1his time and iu theI present condition 2nie u
psE the expenses of their government. No '''-
want. tI.c niteG states 70 pay the eNpthsta 'l
tuuuiug thc governments OF any OF our several
ncU po-S"s,ions The people themselves lh e3ch nl
The iSiJu,,s. groups should pay lheh own en-
ppuses. HuN l. Porto Rico 20 Do lhs' i'N lt'.
sle bg, Do local government. We must hI>i give
her a local government. and both Houses "f ''''
era>, are AT work upon that problem, ana DID ia,
opinion that problem VIII be wisely solved WffH
ID l. done. But il Viii take year ana . iHtI '
I'M RasT "a formulate A government lDr Hel afa
TO put it IN running Order 50 that these people
with their Own governmental machinery. NAV id'>
money 20 run their own government III J''
meantime. Nhat should we do. tolio" l-' 1-'
Nice u me syndicates and trusts and tax tbs ae~'-
late isiand-of their lands their limited piudur
tiauS-0r do a. propose and put TINS linIuE
dug upun their exports and imports ana El'r
every dollar Of il back TO them 10 ruH tAt.'
Eov-rIasnt. This viii be felt by none except j1g
-lrdiua-c- and trusts and such interests thar 81.
ao tle bI,ug there and the shipping TO Port,
Rico Indirectly, OF course. some OF Uhls Hlu %,
IRfd hg tine consumers. but it viii tall Hgt's
lpou tiisu. aud the burden VIII be IEpercepJlh.e
while a direct Tax would be simply brutal and IN
human. The bill also provides thai TINS lax sld- !
s.ypsrp I'M Two wears which is time enough 90 al
low the government machinery OF Porto Rico =
get into working order. There IS no proposition
10 puj permanent burden upon Porto Race. pll i
i mer,il temporary eApedlent Tor hei own Ia
trresl.
Nv ,rscnd. never was Lill SO misrepreseatee
and uisuiurrs'v0d our Porto RIcan bll. ard
,lt0 prannsc } direct tax. which would result from
absolute free trade. viii suffer in every poS>ih.
WAY fof tlril misguided conduct, for THEN Selhs
acts
Nbat fbe senate is going to do is predetermined
u hss 80, shane uS towards The Senate Is .2lHa2
the body upan which the great interests congaF
1raje theii efforts 10 defeat proper leg>lSito ~!
1hiS tsgt Irlu9llls. that have the khoWltuGr ma
I have dome niy simple duty. and have done It i
consultation and I'm cooperation with the FIesi
dent o. the United states whose heart is quick q
feel tie Affections this little island: have don
il in conference with such men as Allison, f't
sker AMI the earnest patriots OF the Senate, Wh.
deriving special interests and combinations ",
irving to map out a plan for the present needs q
Porto Ripn and 60 keep cur country So J-8t 10 1914
l,e untet. etel and fitted fur wise treatment Hs-av
f0r ala ut these new possessions. au, ms iitno
D. R. HENDERSON
Hon Edward Knott, WaverIy, Iowa.
This unfortunate Porto Rican business
is developing into great scandal, whicl
Iprophesy will produce no good to the Re
publican cause" said a Republican member
of Congress this afternoon. The publica'
tion OF the Henderson Knott letter tends
only to widen the breach, between Repub-
licans who view the Porto Rican tariff bill
from different standpoints."
A Democratic member of Congress said
the publication of this private letter Wa
an enort on tne part OF Ine Spedhei g
deliver a speech TO the American people
through the columns of the press.
1t is clear to me that il was writer
with a view 10 being published and thi
theory is strengthened by the fact that th'
letter was circulated not by single news
paper correspondent but by great pres
association The letter must have beel
given out by Mr.. Henderson, as ii wa
written on Tuesday. addressed TO man il
MaverIy. Iowa, and was sent out iron
Washington by the press associations ol
Wednesday, night"
Mr.. Henderson, assault on the Senat
Republicans who oppose the Tariff bill. /
was said in the Senate late this afternoon
viii only serve to embitter them and in
crease their animOsity 10 the bill
one of the theories advanced at the Cap
itol today was that the letter was inspire
after conference with the President Wit
has used Mr.. Henderson as a means of eX