, 1889-08-01
SOLDIER BUSINESS.
The Committee of the whole Attempts
to Make Warriors.

froSSor moved to go into committee
of the whole on tho military article. So
ordered, with Mr.. Henry in the chair.
The military article was taken by Sec
tions:
Section 1 says that all able bodied
male citizens of this state between the
ages of is and u years, except such as
are exempt by the laws of the United
state, or by the laws of this state, shall
he liable to military duty.
Section ? provides that the militia of
this state shall be divided into two
classcs--to-wit: One, consisting of those
who enlist in the active militia, which
shall bc known as the National Guard
of Washington, and the other to consist
OF those subject to military duty, but
not included in the active enlisted
militia.
Griititts moved to strike out this sec
tion, and said this was only the first
section of u regular scheme, all inter
dependent and necessarily to be dis
cussed as II whole. His objections were
that they We're purely legislative, and he
did not believe such n system was ever
before attempted To be put into consti-
tuition, nor eyer should be- Even sys-
ton that was beyond criticism would be
unwi>cly placed in the constitution.
How much more unwiScly when such IA
system has faults, which the gentleman
pointed ont, and eloqucntly argued
against putting 1t into the constitution
in one OF
THE LONGEST ARGUMENTS
of the session thus far, lasting twenty
tive minutes.
kinncar thought the last speaker COW
cred too much ground; that section .
merely provided what class of citizens
shall he liable to military duty-u very
proper section, which hc was I'M favor Of
~ lic WAS of nearly all the sections fol-
lowing. lie spoke nine minutes.
tosgrovo hoped the members would not
coniound zeal with anger in what he
might say, for when lie was angry IL
would be unmistakablc.
Moore Most gentlemen will not get
angry this morning.
Cosgrovc said he probably should not.
Aftcr paying his respects to Grtiitts for
his hostility TO the militia system, dcs-
pitc that gcntleman's declarations to the
contrary, he presented string of argtl-
ments in favor of fixing a minimum
number and u general scheme of the
militia system by the constitution, safe
beyond disturbance, and said he
COULD TALK An HOUR
(he did talk only eight minutes) on this
subject, but would spare the convcn-
tion.
Dunbar thought it was nobody's bust.
ness what the personal feeling of any
member WIS regarding the state militin.
~ ts..,, 4
much time (he only occupied six min.
utes) over the feelings of com
mittces regarding the fate of their
reports. Question was solely as to the
wisdom of providing for the militia i'm
the organic law, and he thought u nu-
cleus was very important To he so pro.
Vidcd for.
Mr.. buchanan called him to order
once for wandering away from section =.
hut the chair reiterated his ruling of
yesterday, that the gentlemen could
hardly discuss either section without re-
ierring tu the others.
Turner said that when ho seconded
the motion yesterday to report this
whole article adversely, he only did so
on the ground that il was legislative;
bat now ne objected to incorporating
ton a military system which
was over and above The
legislature, and thus not in strict sub.
ordination to the civil authority. This
second motion might not be particu-
larly objective in itself, but still it fixed
name for all time which the people
might want to charge some time and it
was the initial stop in II general scheme,
which we should not adopt unless we are
prepared TO adopt the whole scheme.
He was surprised that such scheme
should be proposed in II convention
composed of men descended from Eng.
lish ancestors, and challenged the com.
mittee which presented il to show one
single constitution in this country which
had fixed IN ii military system. lie
opposed 1t in nine minute speech as a
system that was Un-AmoriCan, un-demo-
cratic and un.rep,lblican.
buchanan thought the gentlemen who
talked against this article yesterday
ought TO have suggested something to
take its place.
Dunbar called him to order for wall
dering from section . into u discussion
of the motives Of the gentlemen who
spoke yesterday.
Buchannn-l was just coming to that.
These remarks were preliminary. lie
proceeded in five minutes speech to
advocate the firm establishment of an
efficient military force.
Comegys favored the striking out of
and criticized the article in various par
ticulars, believing the legislature should
attend to the details. Four minutes suf-
feed him.
Moore thought that, as there was such
q very infamatory spirit aroused, il was
perhaps scarcely safe for man with
A PEAcEABLE DISPOSITION
to say anything on the sub
ject, but he proposed TO try
and, like the "bad man from Bitter
Creek, this was his night to howl. He
was absolutely in love with this Nation
al Guard of this territory, and proposed
to say and do and vote at all times any
possible thing that he could do to main
tain and benefit them, but didn't pro-
pose to be driven by intlammatory, war
like speeches or anything else into vot-
ing for anything his judgment did not
approve. He quoted cOpiously from
Jamison on constitutions to show that
only absolutely fundamental principles
were to bc embodied in constitutions,
and especially that no enactments par
taking of an experimental character
should be so placed, and to show the
distinctively separate fields occupied by
legislatures and constitutional con
vent'ons. He endorsed Mr.. Turner S
remarks upon the jealousy with which
our English and American forefathers
guarded against the intrusion of stand
ing armies, and quoted from the Dcclar-
ation of Independence, "I1e has kept In
our midst in times of peace standing
armies without the consent of our leuis