National Republican., 1878-05-17
THE PROPOSED REDUCTION OF THE
ARMY

This is the way the St. Louis Republican,
Democratic sheet, in its issue of March IL,
speaks of those eminent statesmen, HEWITT
and BANNING:
"Mr. HEwTrTs army bill, which we sup
pose Is intended rs q substitute for BAN
NINGs, provides for the reduction of tho num-
Der of regiments from forty to twenty-six,
which Is equivalent to q force Of 10000 men
or about 1900 musket carriers. 1t is claimed
that this reduction, and tho cutting down Of
the officers pay 90 per cent, will insure an an
nual saving Of Si,O0O,OOO.
Here Is another illustration of that su-
premely foolish economy which we have too
frequently had occasion to condemn. Lot u.s.
for the sake Of argument, assume that tho
country has an absolute guaranty against any
trouble except the usual Mexican raids
across the Rio Grande and q possible Indian
war.
as the military force at present at the dis
posal Of the Government any too large for the
work assigned itr Compelled to watch the
Mexicans in Texas and the Indians in Mon
tana-posts at least fifteen hundred miles
apart-and at the same time to maintain garri-
sons in the most important seaboard fortifca-
tions, is there any danger that Federal soldiers
will eat idle bread? Is II not notorious fact
verified by experience and confirmed by tho
testimony Of our ablest generals that the army
as II now exists-say 10000 fighting mon all
told-is ridiculously inadequate for the press
lug necessities OF the case9 Does not every
body, HEWITT and BANNING included, know
that II matters on the Rio Grande become at
all serious, or II SITTING BULL moved his two
or three thousand warriors across the Canadian
line, our 10000 fighting men would have oon-
siderably more business than they could at
tend to? Yet 1t is gravely asserted that ls, 900
will be sufficient to meet all possible demands.
But we have no guaranty that Mexican raids
and an Indian war are all the dangers the
country has to guard against. Putting foreign
complications aside entirely, is the domestic
situation so serene and altogether lovely that
disturbances requiring military interference
should not be taken into tho calculation With
the events of last summer still fresh In the
public memory; with the influences which
produced those events openly organizing IN
nearly all tho great centres of population
with social insurrection of tho worst sort
openly preached among us with the strong
probability, TO say the least, that inccndiary
doctrines widely disseminated will sooner or
later produce Appropriate fruits II wise to
leave tho Government thus helpleSs2 The
Republican, in common with other prominent
journals, declared last summer that the law
abiding portion of tho community must make
up thoir minds TO one of two measures of self
protection A strong standing army, or thor
Oughly reliable militia, Us good in every re-
spect rs regular troops.
Nothing has occurred during tho past ten
months to change our opinion; on the contrary,
much has occurred to strengthen it. Not more
than half Il dozen States have militia Organi-
zatiOn worth mentioning. and Mr.. HEWITT
recommends further reduction of the already
too small army. 1t seems to us that such
policy is simply suicidal. 1t invites tho very
trouble VIC are anxious to avoid. 1t encour-
ages evil-dispOscd persons to stir up tho strife
in which they have everything to gain and
nothing to lose. In the name of economy it
lays us liable to immense expenditures. What
Is $i,OOOOOO compared to the damage inflicted
upon the industry of the country in single
one Ofthe memorable days last summer Self
preservation Is the first law of nations as of in
dividuals, and we trust Congress will have
sufficient regard for that law to refuse to
weaken the military arm Of the Government
any more until the States have proper sub
sttutc for it in the shape Of an etcen t
militia"