San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-04-08
SENATORIAL SAYINGS.

Quite an animated discussion took
place in the United States Senate yes
terday on the army bill, which provides
for the increase of the regular army to
10000 effective men. The bill was
strongly opposed by Senators Teller and
Van Wyck; Senator Hawley. of COnnec-
ticut, being its chief advocate. The
objections made by Teller were princi-
pally on the ground of its inutility; that
it was wanted more as a general police
than as a defence for the nation in time
of war, and that as such police the COun-
try had no need of it. He very justly
remarked that the dependence of the
nation was upon the volunteer arm Of
the service in time of actual war, and
that the increase Of the regular branch
of the service was entirely unCalled for.
He took strong exceptions to the en-
ployment OF the army of the nation to
enforce State laws, saying that when
that was done "our republican govern
ment would be at an end" His remark
that 1.-THE people of the great West were
not asking for standing army, if Con-
necticut was" drew the fire of the Con-
nectiCut Senator and a hot passage of
words ensued.
When Van Wyck, of Nebraska, took
the floor there was no oil poured upon
the troubled waters. He charged that
the secret Of the whole matter was, that
as the army was employed as a slave
hunting police under the last Demo-
under this administration to keep down
the labor slaves of such men as Jay
Gould and the Vanderbilts. His exact
language was: You have raised an
other class of shareholders just as I'M
relenting and determined and steeled
against the instinct of humanity as the
old lave-hOlders were, and | think a lit
tie more So"
This language coming from a Senator
on the floor of the United States Senate
In the course of a commonplace debate
on the increase Of the United States
Army is significant, especially when
taken in connection with the dis
tinguished Senator's previous words.
When challenged by Senator Logan as
to the warrant he had for such language,
Van Wyck pertinently retorted: That
the courts under the fugitive slave law
decided the cases according to the
wishes of the omnipotent powers of the
times, and that as corporations were now
omnipotent powers decisions were in
their favor" This language is weighty
with meaning. In it are fruitful sug-
gestions for the thoughtful among our
people.
When one United States Senator, in
the Senate Chamber of this nation,
charges that the army is to be increased.
that it may be used as an interstate po-
lice force, and another clinches the
statement and points to history as a
proof Of the yenality Of those courts to
whom the most sacred rights of citizen
ship are committed-it is high time for
the people to consider whether they are
tending. One other incident of this de-
bate is worthy of remark. Hawley, Of
Connecticut, though vigorously oppos-
ing Van Wyck. and Terrell on the bill
before the Senate, remarked during the
debate. "For myself would not work
16 hours for any man, l would strike,
would organize" Strange sentences
falling from strange lips, in strange
places, to produce strange and startling
effects. Strange language for United
States Senator on the floor Of the
National Senate Chamber. Seed words
they were, dropping into the kindly soil
OF peoples thoughtfulness, to spring up
in after legislation and bear fruit, some
thirty-fold, some sixty-fold, some an
hundred-fold.