The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-03-02
Defeet Of the Anti-oDtion Pil.

]
The defeat Of the anticipation bill in the
House yesterday will not be very generally
regretted. It was ostensibly bill TO bene-
ct the farmers, and it was believed thai tae
farmers favored Il. Il Is doubtful il q very
considerable percentage Of them had ts ken
the trouble 70 study it thoroughly. TX
traordinary efforts had been MADE to cres' e
the impression that prices Of farm products
would command higher prices # speculation
in them we're prohibited. These efforts
were effective to q certain extent, especially
among farmers who do not think for them
selves
| 1t Is worthy OF notice, however, that
/ farmers who consider carefully tbs ques-
tions which affect the farming interests
we're opposed to the bill. They believed
that the bill would do the farmers a great
deal more harm than good In their
opinion the effect of the bill would
have been to place the wheat, cotton
and pork producers in the power Of q
comparatively few men. The millers Of the
vest, for instance, would have been
able to fix the price Of wheat.
The- could, and doubtless would,
have combined to get wheat at the lowest
possible price. They cannot do that now,
because the price is fixed in the produce
| exchanges by the open bidding Of men who
make themselves thoroughly acquainted
with the condition Of the crop and know
whether or not the supply is likely to
greatly exceed the demand.
1t Is true that efforts are often made to
force down the price OF wheat, pork,
or cotton, and sometimes they are success
full, but as often efforts are made to force
up the price, and with equal Success. In
deed, it can be safely said that the general
effect Of speculation is to keep up prices.
The shrewdest dealers in cotton do not hes
itste to say that the buying and selling OF
cotton futures do more than anything else
to keep up the price of cotton.
Doubtless the bill will be introduced into
the next congress. Congressman, however,
know much more about it now than when
it was first introduced into the
House, and the more they know
about it the less inclined they
are to favor it. 1t is not only class Iegisla-
ton, but there are good reasons for thiuk-
ing that the originators of it had no inten-
ton Of helping the farmers, Their motive
was a wholly selfish one.
Whether or not the President would have
signed it had it been passed by congress is a
question that cannot be answered. It has
been said he would have vetoed it, but those
who express that opinion may have known
nothing of the Presidents attitude in regard
TO it.
If it should be passed by the next congress
Mr.. Cleveland would veto it, in ali prob
ability. He doesn't approve of legisla-
ton Of that kind, and his Secretary of Agri-
culture, Mr.. Morton, does not. Mr.. Morton is
quoted as condemning the bill in the strong
est terms. He regarded it as a measure to
give few men iu the west the control of
the wheat crop. He is practical farmer
and Mr. Cleveland would be controlled, in a
great measure, by his advice in such mat
ters as this anti-option bill.
1t does not look now as If the next con-
gress would be bothered by this bill or other
bills Of a similar character. Congress
knows MIR. Clevelands views relative to
them, and it would hardly send him such a
measure, knowing veto awaited it.