The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1877-10-19
INCREASING THE ARMY.

army to forty thousand men. Such &
measure has in advance the approval oi
such Democrats as General MCCLELLAN,
of such Democratic journals as the
Courier Journal, and of such magnates
10 the railroad and financial world as
Mr.. Tom SCoTT. Oi course, the Admin
istratlon press and party in and out OF
Congress will sustain it. Hence we may
look for q very vigorous and formidable
movement during the present session to
press such bill through the national
legislature.
An effort will be made to Stife the
protests of its opponents by references
to the recent strikes, the present un-
settled condition and threatening atti
tude OF the working classes, and to the
ominous relations of the country with
Mexico. Nor will this formidable muster
of specious argument be without effect.
Capital is alarmed, and ready to view
with favor any measure that looks to the
government of the masses by force, while
IL many portions of the country the war
feeling is becoming aggressive and will
swell with new ardor at the mere thought
OF sounding drums and the gathering OF
battaliOns.
The Democrats in Congress, however,
should set their faces against this move
ment, and the Democratic masses should
discouutenance 1t. The working people
OF the United States are treemen, and
there is no more law to govern them by
troops than there is to govern the
SCOTS, the GARRETTs, the NANDEE-
BILTs and the GoULDs by troops. For
the strikes and riots which have occur
red these men, and the bad and unwlse
government We have had Tor many years,
are more responsible than the mobs. The
increase of the army to forty or even to
one hundred and lorty thousand men
will not obviate such outbreaks In the
future. The only way TO insure the pub
lie peace and the security of property Is
for Congress to adopt the Democratic
policy, reform the tariff, pursue an econ
omicsl policy, and thus extend our trade
and reanlmate our industries.
Ii we are TO have war with Mexico, u
standing army OF 10000 men would be
but u poor reliance for defence or con-
suest. The Mexicans would speedily
whip out OF their territory whatever por-
ton of the 10000 regulars we could
spare from She Indian wars 10 send
against them. II we are to have war,
within twenty days after call fer them,
wice forty thousand volunteers can be
mustered into service and sent forward
10 the frontier. Texas, indeed Is already
organizing an advance guard Tor any
such emergency. Thus there is not the
slightest necessity for an increase OF the
army. The dependence of this Republic
in time OF WAT is upon its militia and
not upon its standing army; and when
the people lose sight of this tact their
liberties will be in serious danger. In
the most glorious era of her history Eng
land had no standing army.
Let the Federal government reverse
the oppressive and ruinous policy it has
pursued Tor the past fifteen years, and
look To the interests Of the people instead
OF TO those of party leaders monopollsts
and office holders, and the perfect love
and loyalty of the people of their coun-
try will always insure the government
double the force of volunteers 1t may
need for defense or even for wisely as
gresslve war.
The true military policy of the Ameri-
can government should be to encourage
the organization and esprit de corps OF
the militia of the several States. In time
of peace the militia will cost the country
little or nothing, and in case OF war 1t
will be we'll drilled series OF armies,
composed of the finest material, ready to
take the field. If then any military ap'
preparation is made over and above what
Is necessary to maintain the present
army let that appropriation be made IN
the way of improved arms and camp
equippsge TO the State governments ior
their militia.