The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-12-09
NO CRITICISM OF THE WAR
QUESTION OF TIME OF MUSTER
ING OUT THE VOLUNTEERS.
PASSAGE or PENSION BILLS CRITICIZED
Nr. Vest Declares tier Passage Simply by
Peading Titles and When a Quorum
Of The Senate is Not Present
Must Cease.

Must Cease.
Washington. Dec. S.-The Urgent De-
ficiency Bill to provide for the support
of the military and naval establishments
was passed by the House to-day practi-
cally without opposition. a fear had
been expressed that the measure might
open up n prolonged debate upon the
conduct of the war, but the Democratic
leaders decided that such 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 criticism of the war
during the debate The only point upon
which an issue was raised to-day was as
to whether the bill, providing as it did for
the pay of the volunteers until July 1st,
1899, might not be construed as a modi-
fcation of the law under which the vol
unteers were mustered into service Mr..
McRae, of Arkansas, offered an amend
ment providing that it should not be sol
construed, and upon it there was gem
eral discussion as to the advisability of
mastering the volunteers out before
the regular army was increased. Mr..
N$stluph IttfNttu IHt hEHAEI
amendment and that removed the only
shadow of opposition to the bill. A mum
ber of amendments were adopted uponI
the recommendation of the appropria-
tions committee. which received somel
supplemental estimates after the bill was
prepared. The largest Of these was anI
item of S3,000,000 for an emergency
FUND for the War Department. and
GE~2 0nn r.. ~, ~.
increasing the amount carried by the
bin to S69,S59.S92.
When the bill was first called mp, Mr..
Underwood, Democrat. Alabama. inter
rogated Mr.. Cannon, the chairman of
the appropriations committee with al
view to securing a statement as TO the
disposition to be made of the volunteer
army.
Mr.. Cannon said the treaty of peace
had not been ratified. 1t might be rati-
ned IN January, it might not be rati-
fed for months. No one could tell
what was in front of us. We must deal
with a situation. The volunteer army
might be mustered out. and its place
taken sby the regular army. That was
a matter for the future to decide. but
he felt confident that the treasury would
~ AiNh NIlohSH anu AOIlSTtSS Wise
enough to meet any emergency.
Mr.. Sayers, Democrat, Texas. the
ranking minority member Of the ap-
preparations committee, gave ibis un-
qualified endorsement to the bill. 1t did
not effect in any way, he said the legis-
ation regarding the volunteer or rcgularl
armiesl
Mr.. livingston, Democrat Georgia.
in cIInpQrfinrr fbn hill ~
ion that the law under which the yolun-
teers were mustered into service was
subject to double construction as to the |
time when they should besmustered out.
That law said they should be mustered |
out when the purpose for which they
We're enlisted had been accomplished, |
or when hostilties had ceased. He be-
lieved if the President was disposed tol
keep the volunteers in the service until
the regular army had been re-organized |
this bill appropriating money for their
payment would strengthen his hands
Mr.. McRae, democrat, Arkansas. |
said there was no purpose on his side of |
the House to oppose the appropriations |
in the bill, but he did not believe that
it's passage should be construed as in any |
way interpreting the act creating the
volunteer army. He said he would not |
have pressed the amendment above re-
ferred to, which was finally adopted, had |
it not been for the Presidents declara-
tion in his message that he would must |
er out the volunteer army as soon as |
the regular establishment was in
creased. 1t was unjust to the volunteers
to hold them in the service when Con-
gress had given n solemn pledge that
they should be mustered out as soon as
the war ended.
Replying to a question by Mr.. Cannon,
Mr.. McRae said:
we are opposed to a large standing
army, and we are opposed TO holding
the volunteers to perform the duty Of
regulars and be used as a club to force
us 10 create a large standing army
Let reorganization of the army come in
the regular way"
Mr.. Underwood asserted that the vol
unteers who enlisted did so with the
understanding that they would be mus
tered ont as soon as hostiities ceased
and since hostlities had ceased there
had been a daily average Of 800 appli-
cations for discharge. He was opposed
TO keeping men in the field who volun-
teered for patriotic purposes. He, as
well as his colleagues, received letters
every day urging their discharge. If an
increase in the regular army was found
to be necessary he stood ready to vote
for il. But an increase should not bel