The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-04-25
A SPEECH AND A PORTRAIT.
The Hon. J. Hamilton Lewis, States
man and warrior.
From NC New York Sun.

From the New York Sun.
The attitude of what we believe TO be
a very small part Of the citizen soldiers OF
the United states toward the regular army
and its officers was Illustrated by the
speech delivered in the House two weeks.
ago by the Hon. James Hamilton Lewis, Of
Seattle.
This statesman and warrior is ordinarily
known as Ham Lewis. He made himself
prominent in the opposition which sent
back TO the committee on military affairs
the Hull bill for the better organi-
cation of the line of the army Of
the United States, aad prevented the
increase of the strength of the regular
army in war 10 105, GO men. The interest
of Mr.. Lewis speech arises from the cir
eumstances that he spoke avowedly as
the lieutenant colonel of a regiment in the
state of Washington and freely and YER
boseiy expressed his Individual opinion of
West Point.and its graduates, and of pro-
fessional soldiers generally.
Few Americans can read the Hon. Ham
Lewis speech against the regular army
and It's officers without amazement at his
effrontery and disgust with his senu-
mems. He began with this candid dis
closure of one of his motives for opposing
the army reorganization bill:
II am interested in this bill, and some-
what personally; and as the rules of the
House require that / should make that
known personally, I do not hesitate to do
so II this bill goes into effect as now
provided, il legislates me out of Office. /
am at present an officer Of the national
guard of the state In which / live. The
most cordial associations and the dearest
moments of my life have been enter
twined, within the social associations as
well as the sacrifices attending that
guard"
He then proceeded to record his opinion
of the regular army and of the bill which
would ''legislate him out of Officer
You have no other purpose In this bill
than to provide for 250 officers who have
been graduated at West Point, who have
no other hope than promotion TO life SER
vice under this law. There is no other
object in this bill, and you cannot keep
the secret longer from us. Your real
mission concerning this is to give these
positions TO these men. ] am opposed to
that am tired of such reigning infu-
ence in this country. l shall, as here
tofore fight any organization composed
of gilded military satraps on the one hand
and tasselled society sapheads on the
other'' tN,
And the Hon Ham Lewis continued:
"Fhe captains and lieutenants will be
neither friends nor neighbors of those I'M
der their control, the officers of these
men to be West Point graduates and
their main stimulus, seeking the bubble
reputation at the. lannon's mouth will
be to drive the men into battle, irrespecz
tive OF senliment or regard for their lives
or safety, and exterminate them in order
to maintain the official reputation Of these
national officers"
This attempt to put armed power in the
hands OF the selected few rim order to
give. power and exemption to the few fav-
ored, and place the burdens of government
and the right of authority upon the weak
is not a new question
Increase the standing army in order
to provide berths for a favored few. for
those who may have graduated at West
Point and hold now the privileges of this
nation. This is the object of the law. Make
mercenaries of our volunteer soldiers and
martinets of every insolent military un-
derstrapper."
LET these men (the West Pointers) work
| for living as men, and be entitled to the
consideration Of the American Citizens
I'VE are not pensloning these distin-
gulshed gentlemen by giving them official
| titles as favors; we are not creating an
/ official army for the purpose of satisfying
| the yet unsatislfed ambition of these PAM
/ pered maudlins.'
In place of any comment upon the re-
| marks of the Hon. James Hamilton Lewis.
4 We reproduce herewith from this weeks
/ number of Harper's Weekly a photograph
of that statesman and warrior, in full uni
| form and in a pose assumed by himself
at the very muzzle of the camera,