Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-04-01
DEFENDS HENDERSON.
Private Secretary States Iowa Mans
Position.

Washington, March 2S, 1902.
The statements made in these dis
patches concerning the attitude OIL
Speaker Henderson with relation 10
the question of Cuban concessions, ap-
pear to have had the effect of satisfy
ing the press as to the speakers at
titude now, but there is an intimation
that the harmony between the speaker
and the President and the majority CT
the ways and means committee lnil-
Gates a change of heart on the part OF
the speaker In this assumption Ger.
tain newspapers in Iowa are equally
misinformed and in error.
What His Private Secretary Says.
Ii may be assumed that Julian W.
Richards. private secretary to the
speaker, is in position to speak with
some degree of authority and accuracy
concerning this question. Mr. Richards
says:
Zone reason for the false position in
which the speaker has been placed IN
portions of Iowa is that certain news
papers interpreted the speakers state
ment of an existing condition as an
expression of his personal opinion.
The speaker has invariably replied to
| inquiries touching the question as to
what congress might do, in this wise:
There are two questions involved:
First, is it our. duty to help Cuba? and
if this is answered in the affirmative.
then, second, how far may we go IN
helping her without injuring our own
people?' This is merely statement
of the case which cannot fairly be
distorted into an expression of person
al opinion. In the Funk letter the
speaker said: have never express.
ed an opinion against doing something,
whatever we possibly can, to strength
en- the hands of Cuba. | stand side
by side with lne President and ways
and means committee, trying to devise
some plan to do something which
: without injuring the farmers OF oul
own country, would at the same time
give encouragement to Cuba. In the
same letter, the speaker said: Inc
beet sugar industry has developed tt
a wonderful extent, and SO much so ii
the states of California, Colorado, Ne
braska, Wisconsin and Michigan tha
the delegations from these states have
their faces set vigorously, firmly ant
most determinedly against any reduc
ton, the contention being that TO-
the first time in the history of thu
country the farmer finds direct in
terest in protection. The secretary o
agriculture also tells me that ever,
acre of land in Iowa is capable of rails
ing the sugar beet and that this is tru
of every state throughout the west AM
in the Mississippi valley Herein tn
? speaker has expressed no opinion as t
: the best policy to pursue, but merely
Ia t1,<r nnic frttt1
of which cannot be gainsaid. He hope
it will be possible to aid Cuba withou
detriment to home interests.
i THAT is exactly the position tn
t President and the ways and mean
e committee have maintained in stron
J. sentiment in the middle west in fave
n of the proposition of Congressman Bal
n cock relative to the modification of tn
: steel schedules of the tariff law. 1t ha
; been asserted by newspapers in tn!
e section that the speaker is out of ha
e mony with his constituents because b
g opposes the opening up of the entil
a tariff question at this time. In lette
S to constituent the speaker make
q clear his position upon that point 6
C. follows:
s Wise Tariff Revision Desirable.
e THAT there could be wisely revisio
4 of certain parts of the tariff law an
L reductions wisely made in some ma
$ tiers, no sane man will attempt to den
The danger is, however, that in tryir
to apply a few remedies, we will i
it volve the country in serious diff1cultie
Is l cannot better express my views upc
'r this subject than by calling your atte
II ton to the language of our chief exc
is utive in his annual message to CO
IS gress. Here is what he says: The
is general acquiescence in our presel
tariff system as national policy. I'll
e first requisite to our prosperity Is tt
l. continuity and stability of this econol
al ic policy. Nothing could be more u
i. wise than to disturb the business
,e terests of the country by any gener
d. tariff change at this time. Doubt, a