Omaha daily bee., 1894-04-16
FIGHTING THE ANT1-opTIoN BILL.

1t is now more than two weeks since MI
Hatch was instructed to report the anticipation
bill to the house, but the forces of delay
have prevented his doing so. 1t is believed
by those who have a favorable opportunity t
know the sentiment of the house that a ma.
jority of that body will support the meas.
ure and that it will pass the house during
the present session, but the danger is that
this will be accomplished at so late a date
in the session that the senate cannot con-
slider the bill until next winter, when, it
being the short session, it may be crowded
aside by other measures. AS at present ar
ranged the anti-option bill will not be called
up for consideration until the agricultural
appropriation bill is disposed of, the inten-
ton being to report the latter this week.
Other appropriation bills are ahead of it on
the calendar, so that it will probably be the
end of April before all these bills are out
of the way. The banking question is then
likely to come before the house, and the
speaker has promised the chairmen of sew
eral important committees that they shall
receive recognition for leading party meas
ures. The prediction is that the anti-option
bill cannot pass the house sooner than late in
May. In that case there will be small
chance of its being taken up in the senate
at this session, as the tariff bill threatens
to take until July, and the senate will then
be glad to hurry through with the appropria-
tion bills and other imperative legislation
and adjourn.
The anti-option bill is expected to en-
counter a vigorous opposition in the senate,
and If so it would not be difficult for it's
opponents to prevent it coming to a vote
during the short session. They can easily
consume weeks in its discussion, and If
strong enough could make delay also by
pushing forward other measures upon which
the democratic majority is substantially
united. The free ship bill is one such meas
ure and some sort of new banking bill is
likely to be another. Either will invite an
extended debate, and the banking problem
alone will be recognized on both sides of the
senate chamber as one of supreme impor-
lance. 1t would seem, therefore, that moth
ing but a determination by the advocates of
the anticipation bill to put it ahead of every
other measure can permit 1t to pass the
senate during the lifetime Of the present
congress. There is apparently a lack Of
interest regarding this proposed legislation
on the part of the people who have asked
for it. The agricultural interest was two
years ago most earnest in demanding a law
for the suppression of illegltimate speculation
in farm products, but since the meeting of
the present congress very little has been
heard from the farmers of the country on
this question. 1t is, perhaps, not to be as
sumed that they have grown Indifferent to
the matter or that they are less DESTROYS
now than formerly to secure this legislation,
which they have professed to believe would
be greatly to their benefit, but it would GER
talnly help the advocates of the bill in con-
gress if the people who have asked for such
a law would manifest a little liyelier con-
Germ regarding it, The opposition to it
has not been apathetic or negligent. On the
contrary 1t is alert and vigilant. The com
mercial bodies that do not want any inter-
ference with speculation, on the plausible
plea that trade should be free from all re-
straint, are not losing any opportunity to
their views upon congressman, either
through special representatives or the news
paper organs of these bodies. The agricul-
tural producers of the country ought to have
a greater influence with congress than the
spectators and their champions, but they
not exert it by silence and apparent
Indifference,