Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-05-22
House Of Representatives.

WASHINGTON, May 2l.-Ihe House at IL :30
went into committee of the whole, Mr.. Spring.
er in the chair, on the army appropriation bill,
Mr. Hewitt giving notice that at the conclusion
of to-day 3 session he would move to close all
general debate on the bill.
Mr.. Sparks, member of the appropriation
committee, supported the army bill. The ats
tempt of the committee to reorganize the army
had been met with sensational rumors about
Indian uprisings. There was no foundation for
these rumors. Coming down to thequestion of
the use Of the army in the suppression of do
mestic violence, he had read a portion of the
report Of the secretary Of war, in
which he declares that the army should
be to the United States what local police is to
city. If the secretary meant that riots should
be suppressed by the regular army, he would
most emphatically dissent from that. It was
in contravention of the Republican theory of
government. The great middle mass of the
people would protect the country from riots.
The money monopoly could Cypress labor and
could bring about state of things which it
was manhood to resist. Then the middle mass
might sympathize with labor, but when labor
got beyond the bounds Of what it could legiti-
nately demand, when it became communistic
and incendiary, the great body Of quiet
middle men would put its hand upon and crush
it out.
Mr.. Phillips said the appropriation commits
tee had come forward with almost q revolu-
tionary measure with an attempt to cut down
the standing army. Referring to the danger
of Indian hostilities he said the army was
needed to preserve the peace of the frontier,
and to give settlers the security which had
never been given to them. Within Is months
two of the most terrible Indian wars known to
history had taken place. and yet the gentleman
from New York, II ewitt, had told the House
he Tr,H1
That the government seemed to have been ready
about the millennium and thought that swords
were to be beaten into plough shares and spears
into pruning hooks.
Mr.. Banning, chairman of the committee on
military affairs spoke in advocacy of the bill.
He referred to Gen. Sherman's New York
speech last summer, to the effect that without
regular army the nation would be a mob, and
the report of the secretary of war as to the ne
cessity of an army in maintaining peace and
suppressing riots, and he expressed his decid-
ed dissent from those doctrines which would
result, he said, in converting what is a govern
ment the people into government Of force.
He referred to the charge Of dishonesty made
against him by what he called Jay Could
newspaper, and said there were in this country
two kinds of communists one composed of
those who went to steal food and raiment, and
the other composed of those who,
sitting in comfortable arm chairs, steal
railroads. This last class wanted the army to
enable them to keep their ill gotten gains. It
was necessary, perhaps. For them, COM
munism came from bad administrations. The
credit mobilier, the Pacific mail subsidy, the
salary grab, and above all the theft of the Pres
idency had made men believe that there was no
honesty left in the administration Of affairs. 1t
these big communists who needed a large
army to protect them. For his part he was in
favor of a change in conducting the old ship of
State in bringing the administration of the
government back to the days of the fathers
and to honesty. In conclusion, he appealed to
the House to pass the bill, as it would give the
country o better, more efficient and less e1-
pcrsive army.
Mr.. Caldwell said the bill before the House
met his sincere approval, not merely because it
would be reduction of the army, but because
it would effect reduction Of the burdens of
the people. He dessented entirely from some
of the views expressed in the debate in regard
to strikes and riots, and he held that when the
strikes and riots of last summer occurred it
was the duty Of President Hayes to respond as
he did to the Governors of West Virginia, Penn
sylvania and Maryland. He then drifted off to
the question of the river and harbor bill, which
he said he voted against. to the Southern wal
all the passions and bitterness of
the war, and to the question of sub
sidizing the Texas Pacific aailroad, to which
he also declared himself opposed. He thought
there were now enough railroads iE the country
and that it would be good policy on the part OF
the government to turn it's attention more te
the promotion of foreign commerce. Referring
incidentally to the Presidential question, ht
stated the people of the South were grateful tt
President Hayes, and that no Southern repre-
sentatives we're in favor of disturbing his title
After speech by Mr.. Boone in favor of tn
transfer of the Indian bureau to the war de
partment, the committee rose. General debat
on the army appropriation bill was ordered t,
be terminated with to-night's session and tn
House then took recess until 1880 P. M.