The sun., 1879-02-24
The Army Bill in the Senate.

The Army Bill in the Senate.
The results of the foolish conduct of the
House In Is dealing with the problem ofarmy
rctrcnchmcnt are now apparent. The hugo
fabric Of the BURNsfDE-BANN1No rcorgan-
ization which it sent TO Tire Senate, hitchcd
to the annual Appropriation hill, has been
stricken Of in lump. Tho vote of 45 to lS
by which the Senate cut away this mass, in
view of the rapidly nearing end Of the scs-
sion, is decisive. OF the iifty-four sections
in the House bill, forty-four were occupied
with tho BURNSIDE project, and every one
of these perishcd. Ncarlyall Of the remain
ing ten sections, consisting of Mr.. HEwITr's
original bill, ON which the BURNSIDE scheme
wns grated, and various amendments
thereto, suffered the same fate. Only by
the close vote OF 80 to 20 did section SO es-
capc-a provision OF minor Importance, al
lowing MIR. MCCRAKY Ito issue to any
established college or university Of the
United States, having capacity to educate
at the same time not less than one
hundred and fifty male students, small
arms or pieces Of field artillery belonging
to the Government and which can be
spared" In word, weeks Of cOgitatUn by
two House committees and several days OF
talking and voting in the House itself have
bocn thrown away.
Were this ALL the loss might not be great.
But IL is not all. The House, in grasping
after the shadow Of future army reorganiza-
tion, has let slip the substance OF present
army rctrcnchment. II passed almost with
out question the extraVagant annual army
support bill proper, reported by Mr.
lIEwITT's Committee In the twelve pages
Of items in this appropriation, the House
found nothing whatever to diminish or to
strike out save one purely hypothetical
allowance Of $2j,0OO for manufacturing
magazine guns in case magazine gun
should ever be recommended by an ord
nance board. All the rest went unchal-
lcnged and, nevertheless, that bill, rs
passed on Feb. s, calls for $26,7 800, whereas
last years bill, even after the Senate had
added to IL, only amounted to S25,77S,l 1918.
The Senate's first step was TO increase the
pay appropriation Of officers and men
from 50, $4,000 to S1000O.0OO. Then it struck
out the House provision that "no allow
ance shall bo made for claims for
quarters for servants heretofore or
hereafter and that the rate Of COM
mutation shall hereafter be eleven dollars
per room per month for officers quarters.
in lieu of ten dollars, as now provided by
law" Had it cut out only the latter piece
OF House generosity, it would have effected
an economy; but by cutting out also the
prohibition OF allowances for servants
/ quarters, 1t constructvcly authorizes them,
and. OF course, the balance is now the other
way. Then the Senate inserted a provision
allowing officers mileage for travelling in
other methods than by railroad, and mile
age even on railroads over which troops and
supplies are entitled 10y law TO go free.
Having thus added here aud there to the
appropriation. the Senate, as has already
been said cut of and threw aside the main
part Of the House bill, though for its favor
able consideration lavish annual appro-
priation seems 10 have been put out as II
bait. BY vote Of "a 10 30 it even struck
out section 81 Of the House bill, which for
ton so just in purpose, so moderate in pro-
vision, and so American in principle, that it
had passed the House practically without
argument against il. All that the Senate
has now left to do with the Army bill is to
come to decision regarding Gen. BUFFERS
railroad telegraph clause.
The timdity and folly Of the House have
| thus coiholheu Win the customary lavish
ness OF the Senate to bring TO naught for
another year the movement for retrcnch-
ment Of the army 1t is the history Of ses-
sion after session repeated. But perhaps
the House will be firm enough TO resist the
Senate's proposed Increase in the appropri-
alton above the extravagant total OF Mr..
HEWITT bill; and perhaps it will insist on
forbidding the use Of troops hereafter TO
overawe citizens at the ballot box. And
perhaps not.