The daily gazette., 1877-11-10
The Army Appropri-
- alton Bill Before yu
= the House.
AMENDMENTS ARE OFFERED
WAsHINGToN, November 8.

hours. Mr.. Atkins, chairman of the
Appropriation Committee, explained
that the estimate of the War Depart
ment for the present year amounted to
$50 500, ,0e0, while the biA appropriated
$25, 100000, a decrease of $3,00O,OOO
from the appropriation of last year. The
bill had been drawn up upon the basis
of $4,000 men for the first lfour months
of tina year, and: 10000 for the remain
ing eight months. With regard to the
restriction placed upon last years bill,
he said it had been left out of the pres
ent bill because the committee did not
fell that, in view of recent events, lin
view of the action of the President in
carrying out the Constitution, in carrying
out the time-honored doctrine of nom
intervention, and in allowing the States
to regulate their own affairs In their ow n
way, 1t was unnecessary to place the re-
stricting clause in the present bill. He
supposed that some of his friends would
find fault with the committee for that
omission, but he declared that If the
same circumstances existed now as ex-
listed eight months ago he would have
stood squarely by the restriction, no mat
ter what the consequences might be. T" i
After speeches by Messrs. Money, Con-
ger, Phillips of Kansas, Durham, and
Singleton, the Clerk proceeded to read
the bill by sections. ..f,lT r.yprf ..-
Mr.. Schleicher, (Dem.,) of Texas, Of
fered an amendment striking out the
clause which prohibits the recruiting of
the army above its present strength, and
spoke in favor of it. .. .layJ 5.l- ~. -
He said if the army was composed of
only $4,000 men, as some gentlemen had
stated, the bill would not allow that
number to be increased. He called at
tention to the fact that though the Presi-
dent had given orders to the larmy to
follow Mexican maurauders over the
border, General Ord had had been afraid
to do so, because the only available mov-
able force which he had on the border,
after garrisoRing the posts, was 800 men,
while there were thousands of men on
the other side of the Rio Grande who
defied the United States Government,
and defed their. own government. The
United States Government was in the
shameful condition of being defied and
treated in that manner. There would be
a limit to the patience of the people on
the frontier, and when that limit was
reached there would be war. The show
of force, power and sternness is the only
way to avoid difficulties. Those were
the only arguments the Mexicans could
f..f q 44slt E..
Mr.. Blount (Dem.), ofGeorgia, opposed
the amendment and called attention to
the fact that in 1856, when the Mexican
frontier was as large as at present, the
army was composed of but 10, 200 men.
The labor question was next introduced
into the debate, Mr.. Atkins saying: G
The policy of large standing army
was anti-American. 1t was an insult to the
Amencan soldier to make policeman of
him. The idea that q large standing
army was to be maintained to keep order
and preserve peace was total subver-
ZION of the very theory of the govern
nent. The theory of the dual system of
government was that each State should
AXE care of itself, and preserve peace
md protect life and property, The idea
hat o large standing army was to be kept
up for that purpose was monstrous. 1t
lad been estimated that there were 170,-
100 men engaged in the riots Of last sum-
ner, and was the Government to main
ain u regular army of 100000 men to
meet such an event? =? If it was expected
hat peace was to be preserved by the
Irmy, it would require not %, 600 men,
,ut four times that number. A quarter
# million of men could not keep the
,eace If the strong arm of power was to
,e relied on. He believed that even in
Texas a large force was not required. as
Texas would defend her own border, and
nly wanted the opportunity to it He
'elieved that an appropriation should be
made to increase the stock of small arms,
nd to encourage military organizations
a the State, and he believed that that
Vonld do msre than anything else to
emedy the evil. - .4-l a
Mr. Blackburn Dem.), of Kentucky,
moved to reduce the force of the army to
1000 men. ami aH.+
He denied for himself and members on
is side of the House that the proper
METHOD of preventing such disorders as
isgraced the country last summer was to
70 found in an increase of the army, or
q supplying more canister and grapeshot
0 shoot down the Impoverished laoorers
f the land, who dared to complain of the
obberies of which they were victims, by
eason. ofthe persistent class legislation
f the last fifteen years. Some applause
n the galleries. They were not willing
D admit that such process of repression
oupled with the wholesale murder of
starving populace was either statesman
hi fair dealing or manhood properly il
In conclusion he gave notice
hat he would call for the yeas and nays
a the House on his amendments, so as to
est the sense of the House whether it
Tould propose to redress the wrongs of
he impoverished citizens of the country
y an increase of military power. More
pplause in the galleries..
Hendrick B. Wright, of the Luzern,
Pa.) district also took the floor:
He represented district where troops
ad been stationed during the recent
lots. Those troops had not been in
reduced at the instance of the business
len of the district, but came at the soli-
ltation of the controllers of the mines.
Ie had been there all the time and could
ee no occasion for an officers sword or
soldiers musket, and he favored the re-
uction of the army to $4,000 men.
Mr.. Clymer Dem.) of Pennsylvania
aid that if the Adjutant General had not
lated that the army did not exceed 90
DO, he would have voted for a proviso
eduoing it to that number. But he
nought the bill should be passed without
Irther reduction, and that the officers
nd men should receive til cir just dues,
'aving the question of the reorganiza-
on to be considered at more length in
10 future. After further debate, and
'ithout action, the committee rose, and
le House at 40 adjourned.