The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-03-30
Gpenimg State 5o,lrnal.
A BILL TO ABOLISH THE WAR AND
NAVY DEPARTMENTs,

NAVY DEPAkVME ENTS,
| Hon. John B. Storm, Of Pennsylvania, in
troduced in the House, day or two ago, ga
| bill to reduce taxation and promote peace, by
abolishing the departments of war and Of the
| navy" 1t provides that all directly warlike
studies in military and naval academies shall
be discontinued, no more cadets appointed, and
| the academies shall be, snd hereby are, abol.
| ished when the cadets now under instruction
have finished their other studies that enlist
ments shall be forthwith stopped, and all army
| and navy officers, as soon as possible, relieved,
and put on the retired list; that all property
| of the United States in charge of either de.
| partment shall be turned over to the others
under the Presidents direction, and such ss is
unsuitable for their use shall be sold under di-
rection of the Secretary of the Treasury, and
the proceeds applied to payment of the public
| debt; that SO soon as these provisions have
been carried into effect both departments shall
be, and hereby are, abolished, and all duties
now performed therein, and not hereby dis
pensed with, shall thenceforth be discharged
under direction of the secretary of the inte-
rior, and that the President shall propose dis
armament and arbitration to all nations. The
bill was referred to the committee of ways and
means.
| Mr.. Storm deserves the thanks of the
American people for his timely introduce
tion of a subject, which is soon to occupy
largely the attention of our people, and Of
the whole civilized world. Our present
system of army and navy organization is
not only worthless for war purposes, but
1t is a cruel burden upon the people. At
enormous cost, we are sustaining an estab-
| lishment whose revenues, devoted to the
education of the people, introduction of
new implements, seeds and machinery in
aid of agriculture and manufactures, would
double the wealth of the United States in
ten years.
We are spending forty millions of dol
lars annually for military establishment
which is totally useless in time of peace,
and wholly inadequate for war. For
killing Indians, volunteer companies of
Western hunters will do the job at hun.
dredth part Of the cost. For police pur-
poses, volunteers can be called as needed.
Our navy, converted into a merchant
marine, would carry our flag and our
commerce into all seas. 1t would expand
to meet the wants Of the country, and
furnish a school in the future, as hereto
fore, to train our gallant seamen for war
as well as peace.
The vast outlay which we annually
make, in improving the machinery Of war
is mostly wasted even for war purposes.
The progress ofinvention sweeps forward,
and leaves last years ornaments worth
less. We have seen during the last few
years progress in the art of war, which
has rendered stone forts, and wooden ships
as valueless as pasteboard walls for offen-
sive or defensive purposes.
After expending millions upon our navy,
an old tub, improvised by the rebels in
that desperate energy which makes all men
inventive, aoated down the river one fair
morning and sunk one of our grandest war
ships at a blow. But for little monitor,
improvised also in the hot atmosphere of
war, this water devil might have driven us
out of our forts, and cleaned the coast of
our last sail. We have no legitimate use
for war ships, and the time is not far dis
tant when all true patriots will unite in
stopping this fearful waste of money,
wrung from the overburdened industry Of
the country.
Just think What vast results might
be achieved if the forty millions now spent
annually, on this useless engineery of war
were devoted to the education of the
people. If single million of it were
spent in sustaining agricultural and me-
chanical schools. If another million were
devoted to experimental farms in every
State, where new seeds and plants might
be tested, new varieties developed by in
telligent crosses, and new implements in
vented and tested
The cost of single gun and its carriage
would equal steam plough. Our present
ordnance works and arsenals are capable
of furnishing, with little substitution Of
equipments, agricultural implements to
one-half the country. The inventive,
genius, and working force of these estab-
lshmeuts, directed to the problem of
steam cultivation, would doubtless over
come the obstacles to its general use, and
bring it within reach of every enterprising
farmer in the land.
Our army and navy officers, losing no.
thing in rank or pay, would become the
captains of industry, commerce and civili-
zation.
We throw out these rough hints for the
consideration of thoughtful men. We
know they are ahead of the times, and
will be regarded as Utopian by some but
we are sure there is better way to make
eur country great and strong in peace and
war, than by burdening its labor with the
support of navy and standing army.
Universal education, developed re-
sources, varied and prosperous industries
these constitute the glory and strength OF
nations. Give us this, and just cause Of
war. and the nation will rise as one man
to repel aggression or assert its rights. Its
powers of good in peace will be converted
as &c hv magic into destructive energies,