Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-02-05

the House, MIR. Cox, reminded the House that
the standing army had overturned the liberties
of the people on one occasion. That was when
there had been about ], 800 men in the District
of Columbia in 1877. Eighteen would have
effected the same purpose. He, Cox, had said
that it had been occasioned by the threat of
Grant. If that was so, he, Mills. thought that
Gen. Grant could have done it without any
troops. If that gentleman wanted to get re-
| lief, he had better abolish Gen. Grant. The
| army was an essential feature in all govern
ments. There was no government on earth that
had not any army for its protection. An army
OF 70, 200 men would be a menace against the
Liberties of the people, If that army was in
| the District of Columbia, but the United States
had territory lying from ocean to ocean. COW
erlng J, 1000, GOO square miles, and inhabited by
80, uOO,0OO of people. scattered throughout its
border. 1t had an army which could not main
tain skirmish line across it. Yet gentlemen
said the liberties of the people were imperiled
by an army of $4,000. The border had been
| a running bleeding wound ever since Texas
had been admitted into the Union. It had al
| ways been SO.
Mr.. Townsend made some remark which was
not heard by the reporters.
MIR. Mllls-Yes, you would have Texas bleed
ing until every man, woman and child had been
slaughtered, if you could make $4,000 in
| economy and go before your people for your
reelection. When Texas was admitted to the
Union there was treaty, by which the govern
against foreign enemies. It bound itself to do
that thing. and ever since we have been assum.
ing our own defense. Talk about economy.
daughter on the Republican side.)
MI. Townsend am glad to find the laugh
ter comes from that side.
Mr.. Mills-Let it come from where it will
stand by my constituents.
Mr.. Townsend-Of that $4,000 how many
were kept on the Texas border?
Mr.. Mills-Not enough to protect it.
Mr.. Townsend-How many men were kept on
the Indian border?
Mr.. Mills-Not enough to protect it.
Mr.. Townsend-There were only 300 with
Custer when he was destroyed.
Mr.. Mills-Then he did not have enough, and
it was because of your false economy that
Custer bled. Talk about your economy when
your border is laid in blood and ashes,
Economy seems to be the only idea which has
an existence in the craftsmanship Of the
House. A government is institution to pro-
tect the people, and cannot fail to do it with
| out being guilty of dishonor. (Applause on
| the Republican side.)
Mr.. Townsend said the laugh came from the
| same quarter as in 1851 in France it came from
| the friends of imperialism. loud laughter
and applause on the Republican side.) His
friend from Texas, Mills, had charged the Dem
ocratic party with being the cause of Clusters
! death, because of its economy. Notwithstand-
| ing that there was an army of 5000, Custer
had been compelled to face nearly two thousand
| red devils with three hundred men. Where was
| the balance of the army? In the Southern
| States binding up imperialism. daughter and
applause on the Republican sidc.) When Gus
ter had been compelled to face the Indians with
three hundred men there had been brigadier
generals commanding in Louisiana and holding
the bayonet at the Threats of the people of that
State. 1t came with i'll grace from the gentle
man from Texas to accuse the Democratic
party OF being guilty, by economy, of the
death OF Custer and his men, when the living
fact remained that there had been an army of
| twenty-five thousand men with no use for it
! save on the Indian border
MIR. Durham insisted an army of twenty-five
thousand was too large.
MIR. Klmmel suggested that the real point of
objection was no! SO much to the strength of
! the army as to the uees which the army was
| applied, and he called attention to the fact
| that the present secretary of war was endeavor-
| ing to have the posse co,,itdtus clause of the
last army appropriation bill modified or re-
pealed. The object of such appeal was to ea-
! filed.
MIR. Keifer reminded the gentleman from
Maryland that the Governor of that State had
in July, 1877, appealed most piteously to the
President for troops to be sent to Baltimore to
put down a riot that could not be controlled by
| the militia. He also asserted if it had not been
for the few troops gathered in Washington BY
PRESIDENT Grant two years ago the decision of
| the electoral commission would have been
| overturned by violence and revolution, and
| man would have been put in the Presidency
who had not been elected by the people. For
mmself he was IN favor of larger army than
| 5000 men.
Mr. Cox, of New York, said that there was
| not member on the floor who did not Under
stand very well that but for certain menace,
but for sending out orders for troops and artil-
/ lery to come to Washington, the electoral COM
/ mission WNu16 bauo hoa ,tol
citizens, money lords and bondholders men
| Whe are constitutionally afraid of revolution,
| and who would rather submit to fraud and
wrong than resort to violence or revolution,
when that menace came from the chief execu-
| tive and when all arrangements had been
made, as they were being made now for 1880,
had been frightened, and that fright had been
| the procreate of the electoral commission. This
menace had made some members of the House
forget their manhood, and all that is ne to
American citizenship, and succurnb to a power
that was merely physical not moral. That was
a part of the history of the country. More
than S26O, 100000 had been spent on the army
IN the last ten years. GU bo7os What good had
it ever done? Had it settled the Indian cues.
ton? No. Had it given protection on the Rio
Grande: No. It had only, as expressed in the
declaration of independence, eaten out the sub
stance of the people, The gentleman from
Texas, Mills, had caused smile on the other
other side of the house by ridiculing the Dem
ocratic apprehension of standing army.
Where had that gentleman got the right to call
the Democratic side of the house to account for
its proposed action?
MIR. Wells-1 got it from my constitu ents,
| (appiause ON the Republican side,) and will
| never fail to exercise it, either.
| Mr.. Cox amendment was defeated without
division, and Durham's by vote of 66 to 11s.
Mr.. Butler submitted an amendment author
| izing and requiring railroad companies who
have telegraph lines to transmit kilograms for
| the government and for the general public at
rates to be fixed by the government, according
| to the provisions of the revised statutes
Adopted.
Without further action the committee rose.
The House then took recess until 7:3O, the
evening session to be for consideration of
Mississippi levees.
| Erening Sissi0a.