The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-12-09
BRING THE BOYS HOME
HOUSE DEMOCRATIC MEMBERS OBJ.
JECT TO THEIR BEING HELD
IN SERVICE
DID NOT ENLIST AS POLICE

Standing Army-Urgent Def
cheney Bill Passed the House
After a Somewhat Heated Debate
Upon the Points Enumerated.
WASHINGTON, Dec. S.--The urgent
deficiency bill, to provide for the sup
port Of the military and naval estab-
lishments, was passed by the house to-
day, practically without opposition. A
fear had been expressed that the meas
ure might open up a prolonged debate
upon the conduct Of the war, but the
Democratic leaders decided that such a
debate would properly come later, upon
the regular appropriation bills or upon
the bill for the reorganization of the
army. There was not a word of criti-
cism of the war during the debate.
The only point upon which an issue
was raised today was as to whether the
bill, providing as it did for the pay Of
the volunteers until July l, 1899, might
not be construed as a modification of
the law under which the volunteers
were mustered into service. Mr.. I'm
derwood Dem, Ala.) questioned Mr..
Cannon with a view of receiving a
statement as to the disposition of the
volunteer army.
Mr.. Cannon said the treaty Of peace
might be ratified in January; it might
not be ratified for months. No one
could tell what was in front Of us. We
must deal with a situation. The volun-
teer army might be mustered out and
Its place taken by the regular army.
That was a matter for the future to
decide, but he felt confident that the
treasury was rich enough and congress
ready enough to meet any emer-
Gencies.
Mr.. Sayres Dern., Tex.) the ranking
member Of the minority of the appro-
priation committee, gave his indorse-
nlent to the bill, which, he said, did
not affect in any way the legislation re-
garding the volunteer or regular ar
mics. 1t simply made appropriations to
support the present naval and military
establishment. The bill was based on
the theory that the volunteers would
continue in the service until July /,
1899. If they were mustered out the
appropriations would be covered back
into the treasury.
AMENDMENT OFFERED.
Mr.. MoRae Dem., Ark.) gave notice
that at the proper time he would offer
an amendment declaring that nothing
in the pending bill should continue,
extend or modify section of the act
of April %, creating the volunteer
army. He said he would not have
dressed this amendment had 1t not
been for the presidents declaration in
his message that he would muster out
the volunteer army when the regular
establishment was reorganized. 1t was
an injustice to the volunteers to hold
them in service when congress had CIV
en- solemn pledge that they should
be mustered out as soon as the war was
ended. He believed it was the purpose
Of the president to hold the volunteerT
until a large standing army was pro-
vided.
"The army on a peace footing num-
bers but 26, ,0OO" interposed Mr.. Can
non. do the gentleman and his side
Of the house stand ready to support a
bill to increase that army to meet the
government in its present emergency?''
VOLUNTEERS AT A CLUB.
1--WE will meet that question when II
arises" responded Mr.. McRae. eve
are opposed to large standing army
and we are opposed to holding the vol
unteers to perform the duty of regu-
lars and be used as club to force us
to create a large standing army. Let
reorganization Of the army come in the
regular way"
Mr.. Fleming declared that the volun-
teers had enlisted under the promise
that they should be discharged wher
the war was over. He did not see why
the chairman of the appropriations
committee should oppose the McRae
amendment, which simply provided
that nothing in the present bill should
continue, extend or modify the act o.
April %.
OPPOSED BY CANNON.
Mr.. Cannon said he saw no good pur
pose which would be served by the in
corporation Of the amendment. 1
| would simply give the gentlemen o.
the other side an opportunity to f1al
their wings and proclaim with SOUND
and fury their friendship for the vol
| unteers. Uaughter)
Mr.. De Almond Oem., Mo- advo
Gated the adoption of the McRat
amendment. The president, he said
could not transform the volunteers In
to uniformed policemen if congress il
its wisdom decided otherwise. Th'
| whole question was mere quibble a.
| to whether the universal understand
ing of the 100000 men who had en-
| listed that they should be discharged
when hostilities ceased was now to b,
abandoned and the volunteers held t
do police duty in different parts Of tn,
world.
Mr.. Campbell finally accepted the Nc
Rae amendment and removed the onl!
| shadow Of opposition to the bill.
| number Of amendments were adopted
upon the recommendation Of the appro
priation committee, which received
some supplemental estimates after tht
bill was prepared. The largest of thes
was an item of $4,000, 900 for an emer
gency fund for the war department an(
1 $57SO0 for the ordnance department
increasing the amount carried by tht
bill as passed to $69, ,S59, 1892.
A conference report on the bill relat
ing to the bonds Of copsuls. vice con
suls and consular agents was adopted
and the house adjourned until Monday