National Republican., 1878-05-22
FORTY.FIFTH CONGRESS.
CONTINUED from Fra Pooe. ]

CONTINUED from Fra Puoe.l
The SPEAKER pro tenn. (sir. sAYLER) posi-.
lively declined to recognise any one until or
der was restored.
The regular order having been demanded,
the Speaker pro TEN. announced that to be the
unfinished business, which was tho bill TO reg.
ulate Interstate commerce.
Mr.. HEWITT(N. W antagonized that bust.
ness with motion to 60 Into Committee Of the
Whole on the army appropriation bill, while
others wanted o morning hour, so that they
might 90 to business on the Speakers table.
The House decided to 60 into Committee Of
the Whole.
Mr.. MILLS desired to move that all gen.
eral debate on the army bill be closed In
twenty minutes.
The SPEAKER pro tenn. decided the motion
not In order at this time.
Mr.. HEWITT IN. " said number Of gen.
tlemen desired to speak. He would at the
proper time move to close general debate.
The House then went into Committee Of the
Whole on tho army bill, Mr.. SPRINGER In the
chair.
Mr.. SINGLETON was recognized, and said
he intended to depart from his usual practice
and make speech on q subject other than
that Immediately before the House. He then
proceeded to mako a speech In favor of the
Texas Pacific Railroad bill.
MT. ofhhho spoke 10 tne question: lHl1ne'
diately under consideration, and said that
while the army bill was not perfect, he
thought II did justice alike TO the country and
the army. He argued that tho Appropriation
Committee had been liberal, just, and generous
to the army, and he doubted whether any man
would say anything to the contrary.
Mr.. SCHEEICHER said that when he got O
chance to speak he would be the man who
would declare to the contrary, and would show
that tho committee had not been generous OF
liberal.
Mr.. SPARKS thought he could show differ.
emily. and he proceeded to argue that the bill
did not affect materially the numbers or pay
Of the army.
In the further progress of his remarks, Mr.
SPARKS reviewed the speech made by Mr.
McCooK on Saturday, and took issue with hi;
argument that there were 100000 Indians In
this country, and that the army was necessary
for protection against these Indians. The
trouble was that the army was not wanted Ia
protect the country against Indians. The true
secret was that the army was to be used to
suppress domestic riots md instructions.
Mr.. WRIGHT. That's the whole Of It, That's
all 1t means.
Mr.. SPARKS said that In proof his assertion
no would have read an extract from the late
message of the Secretary Of War, In which he
asserted that If troops had been within cal
last summer the riots Of that year would not
have taken place.
Mr.. WHITE (Pa.) asked Mr.. SPARKS If ht
did not indorse that as fact.
Mr.. SPARKS said that II the extract just
read meant that we were to maintain a stand
ing army to put 'down riots In the States, ht
did not indorss it. The militia was the pro
tecting power. II a riot occurred which the
municipal authorities could not quell, let tn,
but the idea of using O standing army for the
purpose was against the spirit and genius o.
our Institutions
Mr.. PHILLIPS argued that II was a mistak,
to reduce tho army, and he did not believe
that this House would indorso the suggestion
for o reduction. He took issue with the ides
that largo force was not necessary for the
protection Of the frontier. Indian wars wer,
not over, and 1t was better to have an adequat,
force for protection than to lament after al
Mr.. BANNING denied that there was an,
necessity for q large standing army in thi
country, but our dependence should res
on the militia and volunteers. II,
then went on to argue In favor Of
terizing the present organization as absurd
because Of the disproportionate number of Off
GERS and men. He referred to statistics ant
muster-rolls to show that his position was cor
rect-tbat regiments and companies were ridic
ulously small. lie had been charged with be
ing inimical to the army, but he denied tina
the charge was well founded. He had beer
charged with being dishonest because he ad
vocated a reduction Of the army, and a news
paper made the charge against him that h,
was pandering to the ideas of the Communists
The Communists and the riots came from
bad legislation and from bad admin
istmtion. The legislation Of the past
tho Pacific mail. the Credit Mobilier, the sal
ary grab, and kindred affairs led people to be
lieve that there could be no further good ad
mnistration of affairs. What he desired wa
to bring the Government back to the days o
the fathers, when there was honesty Of admin
istration. Let us have reduction Of expend
itures, and an honest government honestly al
mnistered. 1t was because no was in favor O
that, that he advocated reorganization of tn
army. lie did not propose to affect the en-
listed men, but he wanted to strengthen tn
force and make 1t effective. But he did dc
sire to get rid Of the enormous staff corps. II
insisted that under his proposed reorganiza
tion, If carried out, there would be muc
moro effective organization than there was a
present.
Mr.. CALDWELL wanted to explain his vot
on the river and harbor bill. He was accused Q
inconsistency because hc voted for q like bill
two years ago and did not vote for II this yeai
His vote was given for II two years ago at tn
earnest solicitation of his colleagues, who rep
resented that there We're large appropriation
III u lOr tennessee. win reference TO wa
claims, he said he thought 1t was an evil t
bring them here, and he would vote on all oc
casions to strike out the enacting clause of wa
claim bills. He objected to them also bccaus
they led to discrimination between loyalt
and disloyalty, discrimination which Ough
to be abolished.
His policy was to let all these war claim
go down with the passions and prejudices @
the war. There was another subject, and tina
was the Texas Pacific Railroad. If thore wa
any subject which he believed himself to b
instructed to vote against 1t was the Texa
Pacific and all other subsidies. His people d
not want money taken out of their pockets +
be given to private corporation.
Mr.. CRlTrENDEN inquired II he woul,
vote to subsidize the Brazilian line.
Mr.. CALDWELL would subsidize no line
The South was not here begging for sucl
things They asked once to bs let alone, ant
thanks to the man now In the White Hous
they were let alone at last. And they dom
want to disturb him in his seat He has dom
too many good things for them. They did no
forget that he took Democrat and an ex
Confederate and put him in the Cabinet, an,
they must Of necessity feel kindly to him MI
CALDWELL concluded his speech by opposing
the transfer of the Indian Bureau to the Wa
Department.