The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1908-04-10
washington Minority Leader Ap-
plies Above to Republicans.
WHO WANT REVISION STALLED
Com missioner Of Corporations Favor
Futures" Says They Are Not
Harmful to Country.


people of the country at large may
regard the democratic fillibuster that
was inaugurated in the house last
week, it has certainly furnished not
little amusement to many members
of both parties and to the thousands
of visitors who at present throng the
capital city and occupy all available
space in the numerous hotels and more
numerous boarding houses. just at
this season. Washington always is
the mecca for high school and semi.
nary junkets, but this year these ex-
cursions have been especially frequent
and extended, and every incoming
train seems to bring another party
The white house and the capitol usu-
ally form the magnetic centers, leav-
ing the many other points of interest
to mere "side trips" But the lively
skirmishing that has been taking place
in the house during the last week or
so has served to attract and hold near
~ all that is, all who could gain adj
mission to the crowded galleries, while
the others have stood in line in the
corridors, and waited their turn. When
Minority Leader Williams compared
Congressman Payne, the republican
floor leader, with Honest John Fall
staff the other day, the members on
both sides were much affected while
the galleries INDUCED in uproarious
laughter, but the witty Mississippian
literally brought down the house"
when he restorted to rhyme and de-
clared that the action of the republi-
cans in desiring to put off all con.
structive legislation until after the
presidential election reminded him of
a verse his small son had found
at school and brought home:
'When 1 asked my girl to marry me,
she said,
Go to Father;
She knew that 1 knew her father
was dead;
She knew that I know what a life he
had led;
She knew that L knew what she
ment when she said:
Go to Father;'"
Mr.. Williams asserted that there
are many republicans living in tariff,
revision districts who want tariff re-
vision, but declared they do not want
it refused by. being told to "Go to
Father!"
An investigation has been made by
Herbert Knox Smith, commissioner of
corporations in the federal department
of Commerce and Labor, of the bills
which have been introduced in congress
aimed at the prevention of dealings
in farm products for future delivery,
and he has decided unofficially that
these futures" are neither PERM
cious nor harmful to the community.
As a matter of fact every merchant in
the country is dealing in futures all
the time. Frequently the government
makes contracts for supplies with mer-
chants who have not the goods on
hand and who must arrange to get
possession of them before they can de-
liver them. The principle is exactly
the same as obtains in the cotton and
grain exchanges of New York and
Chicago. The operator at Chicago, for
example, agrees to deliver a certain
quantity of grain within a specified
time. He has no grain in his posses
sion. 1t is growing. When the time
arrives for delivery he must observe
his agreement, and the exchange sees
to it that delivery is made. Future
needs for consumption are thus pro-
vided for without gluttering the mar