Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1900-03-27
Congressman Dahie Explains.

The following letter explanatory of
the Porte Rican bill has been received
by Mr.. Paul Volkman, of the town of
WatertOwn, in reply to a note Of in
Quiry sent to Congressman Dahle
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,, q. S.
WASHINGTON, March IT, 1900.
Mr. Paul Volkman. Box 81, Watertown, Wis
Dear Sir:-I am in receipt of your letter of
March 10 regarding the Porto Rican bill. The
bill was passed because it was necessary in
some way to raise money for the government
of the island, and there were but two ways to
do it: Tax the people there or tax the people
of the United States for the government of
Porto Rico. The objections against taxing the
people OF the United States several millions
for the benefit of the Porto Ricans was very
strong, and it was decided that the people of
Porto Rico must pay for their govern
ment, not we pay for their government for
them.
With this plan in mind the house passed the
bill taxing them II per cent. of the tariff
in force in the United States. This tax is very
slight, only few cents for large quantities of
goods. but will probably raise enough money,
to pay for the government of the island IF we
had not done this the taxpayers of the United
States would have had to pay several million
dollars year to pay the cost of the govern
ment of Porto Rico. Every state in the United
| States pays the expenses of its government,
| and why should the Porto Ricans not pay for
! 5helI own government as well as the people of
the state of Wisconsin?
| A careful examination of the matter showed
| that there was but one way to tax the Porto
| Ricans, and that was by tariff on their i'm
ports. Owing to the peculiar conditions pre-
vailing there no other form of taxation was
| possible. Everything is in confusion there
| They have no tax officers as we have, with reg
| lister of deeds Offices by W hich it can be told
who owns property and all other means of
! leVying taxes They have none Of these things
and the government officials found by examin-
alton Of the island that there was but one kind
Of tax possible to levy, and that was the tax
levied in the Porto Rican bill
What the United States does with Porto Rice
she will have to do with the Philippines 1
the United States pays the cost of running the
government of Porto Rico it will have to pay
the cost of running the government of the
Philippines The cost of the government O
| OTTO hICO WOu1u D6 only d rev millions a year
but the government of the Philippines vii
cost many millions, probably as high as So coo
600 year. Are you in favor of all this expens
being laid on the taxpayers of the Unitet
States? Do you believe the people Or the Re
publican party would justify any members O
the house of representatives who passed sucl
bill?
There is a common misunderstanding anon
the people about the attitude of Presiden
Mckinley on this bill. He is now heartily il
favor of the bill and is doing all he can to ge
it passed. Trusting that l have explaine
t clearly the reasons which led to the passa g
: of the bill, and that you will see how unjus
!; to US the criticism is, I remain.
2 Yours respectfully,
Y HERMAN B. DAZZLE.
P. 81 neglected TO say that have also re
ceived numerous protests from the tobacco
growers and cigarma<ers in my district Oh
jecting to the free introduction of Porto Rical
. tobacco into the United States This bill meet
l their objections.