The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-12-24

CT the committee on military affairs
filed with the clerk of the house their
report on the Hull bill, to increase the
army to 100000 men. It is as follows:
The minority of the committee dis
sent from the majority Of the commit
tee because the bill reported makes q
permanent standing army for the Unit
ed States of over 1U0, 600. Such an army
is not necessary to be maintained in
this country now, neither because of
our relations to the islands of the sea,
nor because Of any necessity which in
the past year mas arisen in this count
try itself. The evils OF standing armies
are too we'll known to be dilated upon
here. Such a standing army as the
one proposed would, in time Of peace,
be a menace to the liberty of citizens.
and in time of war would not be suffi-
cient to meet successfully the armies Of
the frst-clasS powers of the world.
Happily we are so situated that a
large standing army is not necessity,
and would Oniy be a luxury, to be sup
ported by the taxes Of the people. 1t
is estimated that the Hull bill Will cost
the people annually tie sum of $780,
600. This would be a permanent
charge upon the people; Sl45, 1000 are
being PAID annually to tine soldiers of
the civil war and the war with Spain,
thus placing a permanent charge of
S295.00G GOO upon the people of the Unit
ed States, and this to maintain the
military establishment, to say nothing
If the navy.
The passage of this bill means the
practical destruction of the National
Guard and the volunteer troops Of the
states. With such a large standing
army the citizen sOi6iery Of the cOun-
try would feel that i was net neces-
sary to prepare for war in tiIle of
peace, nor to go to war in time Of war
The taxes which are now so burden
some to the people win continue to be-
collected, and viii rather be increased
than otherwise. No hope - economical
administration can be INDUCED in while
such permanent and lavish expenditure
is provided for.
1t is well understood that the great
corporate interests Of the country are
demanding this large standing army
Their reasons for such q demand are
too obvious to be pointed out These
interests want force to enforce their
commands. and a president dominated
by such interests would have with such
q standing army the means at his HAND
TO invade the liberties of the people,
to suppress freedom of speech and to
desecrate the ballot box Itself
It is needless, however. to continue
to point out the many evils Of this bill;
suffice to say that both in form and
substance it Overturns the policy which
has been pursued so successfully by
this government for so many years,
and launches the country upon q course
which can only terminate in the de-
structiOn Of the liberties Of the people
The minority, holding the views
above expressed. have thought they
owed it to the country to present to the
house Of representatives a substitute
for the bill reported by the majority.
They herewith report said substitute,
as embOdying every need Of the gov
eminent in its present condition, and
at the same time preserving. with
scrupulous care. the liberty of the citi-
zen and avoiding the evils Of a great
standing army.
The substitute provides for perma-
nent standing army of 10000 enlisted
men. about the number in the army
before the war with Spain. The reOr-
ganizatiCn provided for in the substi-
tute conforms to what it has been,
with some few important changes. A
larger number Of men is provided for
artillery than usual. by reason Of the
necessity Of manning our coast de-
lenses, upon which large sums have
been spent.
The substitute also provides for IS
OeO volunteers. to be taken from the
states and territories and the District
of Columbia. in proportion to pOpula-
ton: these volunteers are to be mus
tered out Of the service Of the United
States within two years from the date
of the passage Of the act, unless sooner
terminated Their organization is to
be the same as that of the regular
army. Volunteer organizations now in
service are 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. The substitute
IS not to operate to discharge any com
missioned officer who was in the army
of the United States prior to the war
with Spain. The necessity for this body
Of volunteer troops arises from the re-
latiOns which the United States gov
eminent now bears to Puerto Rico,
Cuba, the Philippine islands, the Ha-
waiian islands and the LadrOne islands.
Fifty thousand men are very near the
mark which the general of the army
said would be necessary in these is
lands in his testimony before the COM
mittee on military affairs.
Representative Hay Of Virginia. who
prepared the minority report, estimates
that the regular army establishment
provided for in the minority substitute
would entail an annual expense Of
$50. OCO. 900. or about $1,000 per man, and
that the volunteer force of $4,000 men
BY the same calculation would cost
$40. GOO. OO0. or a total. during the exist
ence of the volunteer army. of SS0.000-
900. The war department is preparing
official estimates which will be ready in
few days.
Suits Filed at Pocatsllo.