The sun., 1879-02-05
ARMY REDUCTION DEFEATED
T5E DEBATE ELICITTNG SHARP Talk
on An SIDES or the HOUSE.

u.uocrnts Divided ns TO What the Number
of Troops should be-Ind Grant aud the
Amy Anything ~ do with Placing Hayes
In the Chair - Assertion that they uId.
wAsutNGroN, Feb. I.-Thc House being
q, Committee oi the Whole on tho Army Appro-
nriotion bill. Mr. Durham tDcm.. KY submit
,oi an amendment reducing the army to 10000
o,iis,cd mon. For his part he would likcto SEQ
,be army reduced TO 10000 mon. hut fearing he
might be- in error. had proposed 10000 ns cvi-
dontly sufficient for the needs Of tho country.
II, was opposed to the doctrine that because
,hcre was a liilc bread riot in Baltimore or
elsewhere. the Federal army must bo called in
10 suppress it. That duty devolvod upon the
state militia.
Mr.. whitthorne Dem. Tenn.) moved to re-
duee the number to $4,000 and argued in favor
oi n better organization Of the militia. which
was the sure reliance Of a popular government.
The people should be taught that tho country
relied upon them for protection.
Mr. Wait rep. Comm said 1t was idle to talk
about relying on the militia. In the Western
states there was no we-organized militia. 1t
would be much better to increase the army to
10000
Mr.. Coneer Rep. Mch) was surprised that
his friend from Tennessee lMr. Whitthorncl
had neglected to mention tho navy as one Of the
buwarks VI the nation.
Mr.. Whfuhorne replied that since he had
read the remarks oi the Senator from Maine
MIR. Blainel. II no had had no other prior con-
yic,ion ON tho subject. he would have been sure
that there was no navy 10 talk about
II might be that he had that opinion now. but
he would say to his friend from Michigan Mr..
Conceri tina, in using tho general term militia.
ha ma *
people from whom were recruited the forces On
land and soa II was to the people he looked
Tor defence rather than to any organized force.
He believed that all goNcruneuts should do.
pend upon the support ana au'ction ana
Give nerve and strength to it's army whenever
emergency called for and required Y. He
had no hostile leoling toward the army. nut ne
had love for the popular institutions OF the
country and rciviur on them he believed for
one that the people oi the United States would
in future mnrrh forward IN such progress as
had never boon ouualied 10 the past history of
the world. Believing that the people might be
trusted he would provide i9r no agency or riotro
whatever Tor the support oi the Government be-
yond what was necessary To protect its property
and defend 1t against foreign enemies.
MIR Townsherd Dem. H. favored the amend
ment Standing armies were dangerous 10
liberty On the lst Of December 1851. France
was repu1ll with President and u National
Assembly. On the morning OF the "a 81 De,
cenber the people ot France awakened and
found themselves living under despoti-m.
That had happened because there were 80 OlO
men in Paris who had been taught to believe
that passive obediencc to the orders Of the COM
manders was their duty
Mr.. Throckmorion Dem. TeNasl opposed
the amendment. People Of his and the border.
ing States had been suffering and were still
suffering. because VI this miserable economy,
which had cost his people millions OF money
AMI a sncriiice of thousands OF lives.
Mr.. Hanna tkep.. lnd.l said II looked as
though the little army would have no peace un-
I'll there WIS another war. To say that an army
Of 10000 men was a standing menace TO the
liberties Of the people, was not worthy the con-
pf
insult 20 everybody in the land.
Mr.. Hewitt dem. y. ~ said that In previous
Congresses the Committee on Appropriations
had reported bills providing for the main
tenance OF an army ot 2O.WO men. Ihosr bllls
The number had been inNnria0ly rejected ~
the other end ot the Capitol. and the House had
always recsded, because \ did not want to let
the bills fail This year the Committee had re-
ported a bill providing Tor 25 900 men. because
II would have been idle 10 have done otherwise.
The change had been made al the other end ot
the Capitol by the votes Of Repub. cans and
Democrats alike. and therefore the Committee
had concluded no longer 70 raise the question.
Mr.. Garileld rep, Ohiul sent to the Clerk :
desk and had read letter Of George Washing
toms. IN which he stated that "A standing army
was not to be dreaded. but that the want OF one
Mr.. Whitthorne's amendment was defeated.
Mr.. Cox Dem, \. Y. moved 20 amend hy fiN-
Ing the force at 1000 men. His friend from
New York MIR. Hewitt had given rs the reason
why the bill provided Tor 25.0no that the senate
would not agrco 10 what the House demanded.
He Mr. Cox did not lay much emphasis on that
sort OF reasoning The House WAS the popular
branch and should be fret consulted and al
ways consulted upon the contamination of leg
isation of this kind. He saw no reason why
this army of $4,000 should be kept NJ. He
feared that there was some other object beneath
this appropriation. He knew that the gentle
men of tho majority ot the Committee ON Ap-
proprlatlons did not intend H. but the cNpr;
rlenee which the country had had. connect d
with the disruption OF States. and the breaking
down ot popular and electoral liberties. hud
given II a warning against any undue increase
believed
OF Gen. Grant. Commandcr-in-thieto OF the
army whose special love Of military power had
been aggraudlI.d hy his travels in Europe, and
but t0r the iat that there was an army oi 2o.ooV
In lS11. the popular Will of the country would
not have been stricken down hy the lnaugdrl-
non o!ihe present occupant oi the White HOUSE
with faith growing out ot the jealousy ot mil
iAry power and physical force ne hhd always
voted and would always vote Tor the reduction
OF the army.
Mr. Ak ms Dem. Tennl said the House had
on three fierent occasions voted for 25,OO1 us
the regular iorce Of the standing army That
had been the expression Of the House, ana ne
committee on Appr4uriauons knowing that IN
would have 10 be- fixed M 25OOO. had fixed that
number in the bill The Committee on Appro-
II dld not want 10 make cheap rcpumtlon ana
capital before the country 10y reducing the
army, knowing that d could not force the re-
duction through tho House. II did not desire
Mr. Finley D"m. Ohio-Dld the Committee
think they were right when they advocated 20
Mr. Atklus-lcs
Mr Fn.ey-Arr they wrong now?
Mr.. AtKins-No, sir, for the very reason nave
given.
Mr.. Mills Dem Texas sni that there
seemed % BE- o ieNr that q standing army would
destroy the llsrl"s 0i the people. one % tho
inthers OF the House Mr. tuNl reminded tue
House that standing army had overturned tht
Hberte5 OF the people on ono occasion. lhh'
was when there had been about 500 men In
the District Of Columbia. in 1871. Eighteen
men would have effect the same purpose. lie
Mr.. Cox had said tuit IL had been c'asloneC
by threat u Gen. Grant. II mat WAS 50, he
iMr Mills thought that Gen. Grant could have
zone 1; without any troops. II that gentleman
wanted o. get relief, he had l"li"t abolish Gen
Dranf. Laughter on the lsrpuh.lHu side OBJ
ile hous"l The army was an essential feature
IN all Governments There WAS no Gpv"rn
ment on earth that had not an army for ~ pro
lection. An army OF 25.uuJ mon would Dee
menace agulu-t the liberties Of the people /
that army Wa IN the District Of Columbia. Bu
we United States had territory lying ron
ocean o. ocean, covering three millions %
square miles iuuHbltod hy iOrty-iye milioul
oi pHlple scattered throughout lis borders. l
hal au army winch could NOT maintain sKir
ulsh 44ur across II. and yet gentlemen SAID lnd
We liberties ~ the people were imperrlI"d b
an army Of 2jUJ0 Tho border had been
running, bleeding wound ever since Texas hu'
PEN admitted into the Union. IL had away
been sO
Mr. Townshend Dem. H. made some re-