The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-01-14
a Mi.chlavous Measure.

| The prevailing belief in Washington is
| that the anti-option bill will be passed by
! the Senate within a week. II will not be as
/ radical measure, however. as It was when
it was passed by the House. The Senate, 70
some extent, has responded to the growing
sentiment throughout the country that the
rneasure is mischieyous one, and will inJure
/ the very interests it is intended TO project
1t has not get been forgotten that con
! 'gress once undertook to prevent dealing In
gold that was not intended TO be delivered.
1t was thought that by prohibiting specu-
/ lation in gold rise in the premium on 1t
would be prevented. The enacting OF such
a Law showed how little congressman knew
about the matter. The law did not have
the effect It was expected 1t would. The
premium increased much more rapidly
after the passage Of the bill than it did
before. The premium on god became so
high that congress got scared and repealed
the law a few days after it had been passed.
Business msu and farmers who have
studied the anti-option bill carefully have
sent petitions to congress stating that 1t
would be great mistake TO pass it. Their
views, however, have not been sufficient 70
create a majority against it, though they
have greatly strengthened the opposition 20
It. Those congressman who are supporting
it seem 10 think that the majority of the
farmers favor it, They may be right about
that, but the great majority OF
the farmers do not even know its
provisions and, therefore, are not in
position TO give an opinion
relative to the effect it would have on the
prices of farm products that are bought aud
sold for future delivery. They have an idea
that speculation depresses prices, and that
IL there were no such thing as a future
market the money made by those who deal
in futures would go into their pockets. If
the pending bill becomes a law they will not
be long In discovering they asked to have
destroyed the very thing that does the most
to keep up prices when conditions are against
high prices.
The bill, Of course, will GO back 20 the
House, If it passes the Senate, for concur
renee IN the Senate amendments. It's
quite certain that the House committee to
which It will be referred will make q report
that will help to make it law, because it
bers of the committee would prefer,
Of course, the bill as il was before It
was sent to the Senate. but ss they cannot
get thatthey will favor getting all they can.
It is probable, therefore. that they will re-
port in favor of some of the amendments
and against others, 80 as to get the bill in
a committee OF conference. When once IL
is there they will try to fix it so that it will
meet with their approval to a much greater
extent than it does now.
II it gets through both the House and the
Senate the President may veto it. 1t is
hardly probable that he would, however. He
is good deal of q politician. and may think
that by signing it he might bring about
better feeling between his party and the
populists.
1t is considered certain that the supreme
court will be asked to pass upon the ques-
ton Of its constitutionality II it should be-
come law. A few days ago Senator Villas
delivered a speech against the bill that has
arrested the attention OF the whole country.
he took the position that If it should be-
como a law it would be unconstitutional
That view Of it had never been so strongly
presented before. There Is a chance, there
fore, that il it should be passed it would not
be permitted to become operative.