The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-04-20
ABOLISH THE ARMn.

ABOLISH THE ARMN.
"whnt Does America want a standing
Army For7
IChicago Times.l
"The proposition to reduce the army
to five thousand men in order to avoid
an extra session is most startling one
to army men and politicians. So says
Washington telegram. 1t startles the
army men because it implies the retire
ment OF good many Of them from sine
cure positions to some other method OF
existence. It startles the professional
party managers for different reasons.
The average party macbinist Is startled
because sixteen years OF war and war
policies have indurated in him habit
OF thinking that standing army is an
essential part Of the government ma
chine. without which society would not
be safe. A creature OF habit, he is
startled by any proposition which runs
counter to the mechanical order Of
his ideas. 1t startles the malignant
demagogues like Blaine and Morton
and Butler. because military govern
mental policy Is absolutely necessary to
their political Importance. Politically,
they are the products OF a war policy
in time Of peace. For the advancement
Of their political fortunes. the bloody
chasm OF civil commotion has been
kept open an entire decade after the re-
bellion surrendered. For the purposes
OF their ambition, a standing army has
been quartered in the Southern com
monwealths to prop up with bayonets
the miserable sham OF governments in
capable OF governing: They were
startled when they found that the un-
known quantity they took up at
their war policy. was resolved to
discontinue that policy. The Kenne-
bee swash- buckler could not restrain
the fury of his wrath when the fact be-
came plain that the new government
intended to turn its back upon the
bloody past, and withdraw the army
prop from the party OF the bloody shirt.
From the day Of Hayes Inauguration to
the present, Blaine, Butler, Morton,
nants have been meditating rebellion
against the government, which has
disappointed their expectation by
repudiating their war-in-peace pol.
ICY The proposition to reduce the
army down to the merely nominal
military establishment that was main
tanned before the civil contest startles
these belligerent demagogues, for it is
another proposition to demonstrate the
bad uselessness Of the policy they de-
mand-another step in the course Of
chiefs. To withdraw the army from the
upholding Of sham governments for the
benefit Of q Northern war party was to
send them politically to the rear; but
to supplement the withdrawal OF the
standing army from the South by abol-
ishing the standing army would be to
annihilate them entirely.
What reason is there why government
should keep up military establishment
Of twenty thousand men? A thousand
men are more than sufficient to take
charge OF all the forts, arsenals, and
other military properties that require to
be protected against injury and decay.
Four thousand men are more than suffi-
cieI1t to garrison all Indian posts and
guard the frontier against incursions Of
the savages. What else does America
want a standing army for? Unless it be
to use 1t as an engine OF partyism, or as
a means Of educating the people into
habit OF submission to or acquiescence
there Is absolutely no need Of military
| establishment exceeding five thousand
men, rank and file.
Though the proposition to reduce the
army to five thousand Inen is "start-
| ling one" to the military people and to
| the political demagogues WHOSE for
tunes depend on the pursuit of policies
Of war, to the people generally no prop
| osition would be hailed with greater
appreciation. No step which Mr. Hayes
government can take would be more
popular, because none would be more
| in accordance with the reality OF popu-
lar government. No matter what the
form of Il constitution may be, stand
ing army Is always a menace to political
| liberty.
1t is not because it would avoid an ex-
ira session of Congress that the propo-
sition ought to be carried out. It is
because the step would be Il step in the
right direct IN. 1t would be step in
the direction Of public economy, and in
the direction OF national peace, har-
mony and fraternity. BY all means let
the government take this STEP It's
members need not have the slightest
fear that the country will not support
it warmly.
| With the removal of the Southern
question from the field Of national poll
tics. other issues that have been tempo
rarily obscured by it will again come
into prominence. Among the most i'm
i o 81 Sa CrsEe