The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-12-24
WANTS TOO MANY SOLDIERS.
THE MINORITY's DIsAPPROVAL OF
THE HULL ARMY BILL.

Standing Army-Dhinks 10000 |
Men With Provision for 10000 |
Volunteers Would BE Amply suf-
ficient.
Washington, Dec. 29-The minority of |
the House committee on military affairs.
to-day flied with the clerk their report in |
opposition TO the Hull bill for the increase
of the regular army to 100000 men. II is as
follows:
The minority of the committee dissents !
from the views of the majority of the COM
mittee, because the bill reported makes a
permanent standing army for the United |
States of over 10000 men, Such an army
is not necessary to be maintained in this
country now, neither because of our rela-
tons to the islands of the sea, nor be-
cause of any necessity which in the past
year has arisen in this country itself.
The evils of standing armies are too well
known to be dilated upon here. Such
standing army as the one proposed in lime
of peace would 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.
Happily we are so situated that large
standing army is not a necessity and would
only be a luxury to be supported by the
taxes of the people. 1t is estima ted that
the Hun bin would cost the people annual
ly the sum of $150O00 600.
Way Up in the Millions.
This would be permanent charge
upon the people; S145,O00,000 are
being paid annually to the
soldiers Of the civil war and the
war with Spain, thus placing a permanent
charge of 1925 900 upon the people of
the United States, and this 10 maintain
the military establishment 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 states. With
such a large standing army the citizen
soldiery of the country would feel that il
was not necessary to prepare for war in
time Of peace, nor to go to war in time
of war.
The taxes. which are now so burden
some to the people, will continue TO be col
lected, and will rather be increased than
otherwise. No hope of economical admin
istration can be ihduiged in while such
permanent and lavish expenditures is pro-
vided for.
Corporations Want 1t.
1t is well understood that the great cor
porate interests of the country are demand
ing 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 a President
dominated by such interests would have,
with such a standing army. the means at
his hand to invade the liberties of the peo-
pie, to suppress freedom of speech and to
desecrate the ballot box itself.
1t is needless however. to continue to
point out the many evils of this bill. Suf-
flee it to say that both in form and sub
stance 1t overturns the policy which has
been pursued so successfully By this gov
ernment for so many years, and launches
the country upon a course which can only
terminate in the destruction of the libcr-
ties of the people.
The minority holding the views above ex-
pressed have thought they owed 1t to the
country to present to the House of Repre-
sentatves a substitute for the bin reported
by the majority They herewith report said
substitute as em5odying every need in the
government in its present condition, and at
the same time preserving with scrupulous
care the liberty of the citizen and avoid
ing the evils of a great standing army.
Would Not Increase the Army.
The substitute provides for a permanent
standing army of $4,000 enlisted men, about
the number in the army before the war
with Spain. The organization provided for
in the substitute conforms 10 what it has
been. with some few important changes. A
larger number of men is provided for the
artillery than usual by reason of the ne
cessity of manning our coast defenses,
upon which large sums have been spent
The substitute also provides for $4,000 vol
unteers 10 be taken from the states and
territories and the District of Columbia in
proportion to population These volunteers
are to be mustered out of the service OF
the United States within two years from
the date of the passage of the act unless
their service is sooner terminated. Their
organization is to be the same as that Of
the regular army.
Preference for Volunteers.
Volunteer organizations now in service
are TO be given preference as to re-en-
listment. All volunteers now in the SER
vice OF the United States are to be must
cred out within sixty days from the pas
sage of this act The substitute is not 10
operate to discharge any commissioned
officer who was in the army of the United
States prior TO the war with Spaiu The
necessity for this body Of volunteer troops
arises from the relations which the United
States government now bears 20 Porto
Rico, Cuba. the Philippine Islands, the
Hawaiian Islands and the Ladrone ISL
ands. Fifty thousand men are very near
the mark which the general Of the army
said would be necessary in these islands,
in his testimony before the committee on
military affairs.
Representative Hay Of Virginia, who
prepared the minority report, estimates
that The regular army establishment pro-
vided for in the minority substitute would
entail an annual expenditure Of $50 100000
or about 81 900 per man, and that the vol
unteer force of $4,000 by the calculation,
would cost $5000.0O0 or a total during
the existence of the volunteer army OF
sSOOO0O00. The war department IS prepar-
ing official estimates which VIII be ready
In a few days.