The Portland daily press., 1898-12-24
BIG ARMY A MENACE.
Minority Submits Substitute For Hull
Military Bill.


Washington. December 23. The minorl-
ty of the House committee on military
affairs today filed with the clerk their re-
port in opposition to the Hull bill for the
increase of the regular army TO iuo,Ve
men. 1t is in part as follows'
The minority of the committee dissent
from the views of the majority OF the
committee because the bill reported makes
a permanent standing army for the
United States of over 100, COO men. Such
an army is not necessary to be MAIN
tanned in this country now. Such
standing army as the one proposed would
in time of peace be menace to the liberty
of citizens, and in time of war would not
be sufficient to meet successfully the
armies of the first class powers OF the
world 1t is estimated that the Hull bill
will cost the leople annually the sum OF
81 30. 900. 900. This would be a permanent
charge upon the people, $685. 5000 Ii
being annually paid to the soldiers of the
civil war and the war with Spain, thus
upon the people of the United States and
this to maintain the military establish
ment alone, to say nothing of the navy.
The passage of this bill means the prac-
tical destruction of the National Guard
and the volunteer troops of the state.
With such large standing army the oiti
zen soldiery Of she country would not feel
1t was necessary to prepare for war i'll
time of peare, nor to 80 to war In time OF
war.
1t is we'll understood that the great COR
porate interests of the country are de-
handing this large standing army. their
reasons for such demand are too obvious
to be pointed out. These interests want
force to enforce their demands and q
president dominated by such interests
would have. with such a standing army,
the means at his hand to invade the
liberties of the people, to suppress freedom
of speech and to deseerate the hallo6 pox
itself.
1t is needless, however. to continue 10
point out the many evils of this BILL Inc
minority holding the views above ex-
pressed have thought they owed 1t 70 une
country to present TIC the House OF repre-
sentstives substitute for the bill re-
ported BY the majority. They herewith
report substitute as embodying every
need of the government in It's pressnt
condition and at the same time preserving
with scrupulous care the liberty OF cltl-
zens and avoiding the evils OF a great
standing army,
The substitute provides for permanent
staining army OF 30, 600 enlisted men
about tile number in the army before the
war with Spain. A large number OF men
is provided for the ARTILLERY than usual
by reason of the necessity OF manning our
coast defense The substitute also pro-
yides for 30, 600 volunteers to be- taken
from the state and territories and the
District of Columbia in proportion to
population; the volunteers are to be
mustered oat Of the service of the United
State within two years of the dale OF
| passage of the act unless sooner terml-
mated, their organization to be the same
as that of the regular army. Volunteer
organizations now in service ara to be
given preference as to re-enlistment. All
volunteers now in the service Of the
United States are to be mustered out
within sixty days from the passage OF
this act. Representative Hay of Virginia
who prepared the minority report, esti-
mates that the regular army esta blish'
ment provided for in the minority substi-
tute would entail an annual expenditure
of $50, ZOO, 600 or about 81 200 per man and
that the volunteer force of 10000 by the
same calculation would cost $50, 600, GOO OF
total during the existence of the volun-
teer army of $50. 900, 600 The war depart
ment is preparing official estimates which
will be ready In a few days.