Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-04-06
LOGAN'S MILITARY BILL.
OPPOSES TIE PRO
POSED INCREASE.


Tho Peace of the Country Safer in Con
tentment of the People than In the
Hands of an Increased Army-Mr'
Frve Tries to Thrust the Fisheries into
the Question.
WASHINGTON, April 5.--The army bill
was placed before the Senate today, the
pending question being on Mr.. Hale's mo-
ton to strike out section !, which pro-
yides that hereafter the army snail con-
sist of 10000 enlisted men.
Mr.. Plumb took the floor in opposition
to the bill. While he was speaking, Mr..
Frye interposed with some remarks on his
resolution about the North Atlantic fish
cries. He regarded it as very important
that that matter should be discussed and
settled. 1t involved a matter, he said,
that looked to war. He read resolutions
Of a fishing association at Portland, Me-,
praying that the American government
send armed vessels to the fishing grounds
10 protect our fishing vessels, inasmuch
as the Canadian government had forbid
den American fishing vessels to enter
Canadian ports for any purpose except
the merest purposes Of shelter.
MR.. MORGAN SURPRISED.
Mr.. Morgan expressed his surprise that
discussion OF the fisheries should be in
terjected into discussion of the military
bill. lie supposed NJ. Frye thought this
a good opportunity to express his bellig-
erent views. The question involved, Mr..
Morgan said, was one of commerce, and
was capable of being handled without
the Intervention OF an army or navy either.
Mr.. COckrell next spoke in opposition
TO the army bill. He said an Increase Of
the army was not necessary on account
OF Indian troubles, and that the strength
and perpetuIty of our institutions de-
pended not on a standing army, but on
the respect of the people. A standing
army was danger to any republic, and
was in direct cOntTayentOn of the repub-
lican system OF government.
AMERICAN POSSIBILITIES.
To-day, if occasion demanded, we could
put in the field from five to eight or ten
million Of as good soldiers as ever marched
to the music of the battlefield. Whenever
the people CT the States. with their own
militia, aided by the President of the Uni
ted States, with the militia OF other states,
could not enforce rights and redress
wrongs in the several States then self gov
ernment would be failure. II En- Slish
soldiers were to appear on the coast Of
Maine IN case of "the war;" suggested by
the Senator from Maine, Mr.. Frye) the
patriotic citizens of Maine would immedl-
atelv organize and come forth as militia
under their State officers and, would des-
troy any force that IL would be possible to
and on the soil Of that State in the next
.WelYe months.
UNRIVALLED STRENGTH.
The people of this republic can success
fully resist all the combined nations of
the earth. Mr. COckrell asserted that
greater fraternity of feeling existed in the
United States to-day from the lakes TO the
gulf, and from ocean to ocean, than had
ever existed in our history. and never had
the sentiment OF the peace and good will
among our people been held in higher re-
gard than it was held to-day. There
might occasionally, he said, be some local
turbulence, as there would be under all
governments. but the public sentiment of
t1e country would suppress 1t. All that
the country needed in the way of military
organization was small, compact organ
l1atiOn on the Indian border.
MIR. sEWELL FAYoRs THE BILL.
Mr.. SeNell favored the increase pro-
posed by the bill, and favored it upon
economic grounds.
Nr. Logan again took the floor in reply
to the criticisms upon the bill. At 4:40
o'clock Mr.. Logan yielded for motion
that the Senate go into executive session.
The motion was agreed to. At $3.50
o'clock the doors were reopened and the
Senate adjourned.
Before adjournment Mr.. Sewell gave
notice that on Monday, April 10, he
would call up the Fitz John Porter bill.