The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1898-01-12
Cleveland, Jan. 5, 1898,

(leVelanO, jan. ., 1o0o,
Hon. Il. G. Batter.
My Desr Sir-Owing 70 my ccatin-
ue6 ahseace in the south FoGr esteem:
ed letter of Dec. hiss but just reacheo
me, ard in reply 10 your question
would say that I have no obj ciion tc
your using my letters for publication
if in your judgment they can do tie
cause any good.
feel quite certain, however, that
nothing can ever be accomplished n
the matter by any attempt TO curtail
the production OF either grain or cot
ton, further than that which will nat
urally take place wherever commod-
ity drops to Price below cost CT pro.
6uctior-in fsct. the continued intro
duction Of new and chesper methods
of producing will On the whole cause
sill larger production. We have
reached q point in our labor condition
where it IS bsoiu:ely imperative that
larger proportion OF our people viii
have to till tie soil to gain their liv-
ing. The war and the effects Of the
wac, so far as living extra7ssantIy. IS
over We are again On normal
basis, ard it is only to the soil that tie
crest Masses can lock for support. It
seems tc ne, therefore, tast the only
true wsy to imprcvs present condl-
tons is TO eliminate all fcticiouS con.
ditions of tie markets and bring them
back to the Legitimate and natursl
conditions of the lsws OF supply and
demand. Then they will be set reg
ulatine.
I feel certain that laws preventing
the trading in futures" il our great
staple products OF cotton, grain and
pork would 60 far to bring q satisfac-
tory condition about, and relieve the
sgriculturalist from the baneful N.
fuence now prevailing. 1 also believe
that such a lsw IS l propose csn be
passed. if prepared and fought out on
the lines Of a revenue measure. On
such lines it would be perfectly consti-
tutional and 10 valid objection can ce
raised against it. am aware of the
former attempt to pass the Hatch and
Washburn bills, bat they were too
cumbersome in their details and had
serious Objectionable features--and as
firm as ! sm in MY views could not
approve Of them. There IS 8 certain
amount of this future business that is
perfectly legitimate, ard ought not to
De iettere6, as it is eDinentiy conser-
vative, and under the plaa I propose
such transactions could be carried On
but it would always keep the
amount of trading confined to the &C
tual amount of stock o. the srticie on
haud.
OF course the bill would mset with
the opposition of the gambling por
tion OF the trade, but it would gain
the support OF legitimate traders, as it
would terd to throw the whole busi
ness into legitimate handlers Of the
cotton and grain And have con-
siderable faith tha! if such s plan
plainly set forth in clear aud precise
language-Were presented, that It
would find the necessary support even
among such congregation of i'm
practica5les" as compose our present
congress. You would a: least have
the masses cf the people stuih and
west pulling on one side CT ths strus-
gle. Ona great trouble i2 ths matter
seams to De that our legislators DO not
seem to get any clear ideas of this
business. They DO lot seem to clearly
understand It's workings
From S large personal contact with
business nsn-both IN this country
and Earope-I know that the general
sentiment smorg them is favorable TO
wiping this trading in futures as now
prac:iced entirely out.
I enclose newspaper cutting herein
Very truly yours,
y s 6 Nth