The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-02-21
HAMMER HENDERSON
Concord in His District Fast Being
Destroyed.
ALL ON ACCOUNT OF THE TARIFF
Constituents at u Loss to Under
stand His Position-He VIII
Have Opposition.
SDecia1 to The Journal

Special to The Journal.
Waterloo, Iowa, Feb. 21.-Not only did
Speaker Henderson offend many of his
constituents in this, the third Iowa con-
gressional district, by his recent utter
! ances on the question of revising the
tariff, in response to a largely signed pc
tition by business men of Blackhawk
county, but he has continued to rub salt
in the wounds thus made in the shape of
/, letters to private individuals in which he
| reaf1rms and reit crates his former state
ments at length.
| In one letter to prominent republican
of Iowa Falls the speaker says he is con-
WINGED that the tariff should be reduced
| on steel products and glass He says the
house will agree with him that such re-
duction should be made, but, he concludes,
the trouble lies in the senate. That body
as at present constituted he says, will
not be satisfied with this needed and rea-
sonable legislation, but will insist in tear
ing up every schedule in the Dingley bill.
Then the trouble predicted in his original
! letter to the Waterloo republicans he de-
clares would follow, and business would
be seriously disturbed.
| For that reason he deems it best that
the house make no attempt to aid in the
relief which he believes the country Is
| entitled to.
The people cannot understand this
method Of reasoning. They argue that
their representative has no knowledge of
| what the senate will do and even if that
body should insist on a free trade move
| ment, as he will have it, they cannot see
! how such action can influence him and
keep him from representing the wishes
! of his constituents, or from performing
| patriotic duty in following out the honest
dictate of his own conscience as to what
he believes ought to be done.
Again, they are saying that 1T is foolish
to declare the tariff should be revised,
and then add it cannot be done at this
| session Of congress. If it cannot be done
| now, when the party is strongly in power
in both houses of congress, when can it be
done? That is question these republi-
cans are asking.
The sentiment against the attitude as
| sumed by the speaker is growing rapidly
| throughout the district. Those who still
had faith in him after his letter on the
| subject was made public, and who de-
| clared he would change his mind as soon
as he learned the truth of the tariff feel
| Ing among his constituents, have now
concluded that such hope is groundless.
They are astounded they say, at the cal
| lousness of their representative, but real
| ize 1t is only the climax of the attitude
he has assumed toward them since being
| elevated to the speakers chair.
The stand taken by the people is re-
| fected by the republican press throughout
the district. With the exception of three
OF four instances where the editors are
postmasters, every paper in the district is
strongly urging revision OF the protec-
| tive schedules
The sentiment aroused is SO strong that
| there is no longer any doubt but Colonel
| Henderson will experience the sensation
next summer in the congressional con-
vention, for the first time, of having an
other republican cont est with him for the
! f1nrp ipaf hn ha will ha No
one as yet claims to be prophet enough
to tell. It may be Charles 6. Pickett of
| Waterloo, but it is more likely to be some
| man from the western end of the district
Again, 1t may be half dozen Of the nine
counties in the district Will put forth can
didates, and that in the convention they
will combine on the one making the
strongest showing. That Is plan which
is being seriously discussed by the lead
| ers Of the opposition to the speaker.