Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-06-26
SWINGING IN A CLOUD. I
The Worlds Commerce and Enter
prise are Resting.
50 Says Congressman cosmbs Opposition
10 Tho Hatch Anti.0piion Sill.

ii the mouse Oh representatives had main
tanned the gait with which it started out
on the Hatch antioption bill, the discussion
might have closed late in July-and it
might not. When, however, q few ad cap
tandun harangucs had been delivered il
Illuminating the evolution Of agriculture
from Cain to Kansas, the most persistent
for delay were ready for compromise, and
IL was unanimously agreed that at the end
OF the fifth day the vote should be taken.
They might as well have taken it the first
FAY, for it was evident from the start that
the support to the bill was much weaker
than in tho previous congress, and with
possibly two or three exceptions the
speeches were far inferior to those on the
state bank tax. There was some fun, but
most Of it was at the expense Of the speak
er, IN each case consisting Of guying and
mock applause. AS to wit, there was less
II possible than in any previous debate,
and the anecdotes told to illustrate alleged
arguments were actually moss grown with
age In this particular Mr.. Talbert Of
South Carolina sinned beyond forgiveness.
A Necessity to Business.
The argument against tho bill was real
ly exhausted by Mr. Warner Of New York
who seemed to have stcercd straight across
trail point of the discussion at the start
He showed that options and futures are an
absolute necessity in modern business
Dealers must know to certainty just
what they will be compelled to pay for ma
tcrial six months hence. Gambling comes
In as n mere incident. His argument that
producers are benefited by option sales,
whereby money that would otherwise be
idle carries the surplus produce through
dull periods, was both novel and ingcn-
ious, and several southern men concede
that his figures on cotton fluctuations are
very hard to explain on the Hatch theory
In his opening Mr.. Hatch complained Of q
general ignorance about his bill, and the
wits OF tho capitol say that some of his
supporters have illustrated that ignorance
beautifully. Mr.. Bryan, for instance, said
that "a pound OF cotton would now buy
more western bacon than ever before,
which caused "a dcrsive litter among the
far southern members.
The end Of Mr.. Warmers speech seemed,
though 1t might have been mere coin
cidcnce, to be the keynote for all the
Democratic speeches against the bill He
said, 'As Democrats we should remember
the welfare of this country demands less
rather than more Of federal interference;
that WE came here not to extend paternal-
ism, but to abolish it, and that our office
Is rather to repeal bad laws than to mako
worse ones" Mr. Coombs astonished tho
house with some "reminiscences, saying that
in 40 years of business life, In which he
had dealt with nearly every nation on tho
globe, he had never before known time
when some were not prosperous. Now"
said he, mot one IL SO. | shall not at
f,,ri rl,,lN,,
to be swinging in cloud We are fully
as prosperous rs any nation and more
prosperous than most of them. Commerce
and enterprise are resting as nature rests
In winter"
After some sarcastic references to Mr..
Hatch and the crudity of the bill he said,
"You can no more subject tho rushing,
roaring currents of the business of the
New York and Chicago exchanges,
amounting to hundreds of millions daily,
to the petty annoyanccs of this scheme
than you can dam the floods of Niagara
with one of his proposed postage stamps"
Congressman sibiey's Eloqucnce.
When Hon. Joseph c. Sbloy of tho
Twenty -sixth Pennsylvania rose it was
evident that the house was of a mind to
have fun with him, but he took himself
altogether too seriously, and it was only
toward the last of his very long speech
that by mock applause and other guying
he was wrought up to the funny point.
His remarks covered pretty nearly the
whole field of legislation and human en-
dcavor and his speech is looked upon rs u
sort of bid for the candidacy for vise prcsi-
dent. The house was in an equal mood
for fun when Mr.. Talbert rose and was
not SO badly disappointed Tho horny
handed farmer, the sun Drowned SON of
agricultural toll, the man who rises be-
fore the lark and goes to bed when it is
too dark to work, the honest farmer who
never. never sold for sound any animal
that was ringboned, spawned or hip shot
this gentleman was the object of his
grandiloquont eulogy.
Hartcr on Speculation.
Mr.. Hartcr, who followed, was listened
to with interest, especially when he APP
pealcd TO southern members. His historic
sketch of antioption legislation generally
seemed entirely new to most of the mem
bers. He instanccd the act during the war
to stop speculation in gold, the effect being
that gold went up 10 per cent ut once and
congress fastened to repeal the act. Pre-
cisely the Same results would follow this
law, he thought, and make congress eager
repeal IL. w no, nc aSkcU, wants
prices put up by law The southern
man wants cotton put up, but not -four or
bacon. The western man wants wheat put
up, and SO do l If the laws OF God and ma
turc put 1t up, hut am opposed to a man
making any laborcr pay a cent more per
bushel for his brcadstuifs than tho laws of
trade demand. Abolish futures, General
Hatch, and you producers arc at the mercy
of the local factor. Abolish futures, Gem
eral Hooker and down goes your cotton
like Mr.. What -his-namc to the bottom of
the sea-
Futile Legislation.
/ After an able argument to show that
congress has no constitutional power to
legislate on gambling i'm the states and that
such legislation is u failure anyhow he
gave an amusing account of the reign of
the saints, Cromwell. Praise God Bare
bones and all that lot of humbugs, and of
the state of Maine, (which has been leg
islating 40 years to make men temperate,
and now even total abstaincr as am,
cannot stay in the state day and smell
the whisky fumes without getting dizzy"