The herald., 1898-01-18
IN THE HOUSE
Lively Debate, But No Important
Bills Passed

IN THE HOUSE
Lively Debate, But No Important
Bills Passed
WASHINGTON, Jan. 17.-This was
District of Columbia day in the house,
but only three bills of local Importance
were passed. The remainder Of the ses-
sion was devoted to further considera-
tion of the army appropriation bill. The
debate was particularly notable for a
vigorous speech by Mcclellan of New
York, a son of Gen. Geo. B. Mcclellan,
attacking the present army organiza-
tion as obsolete and inefficient.
Representative Lewis of Washington
opposed any increase in the army, as an
attempt to further aid the trusts and
monopolies in striking down the people.
The congratulations sent Senator Hanna
by A. Seligman of Frankfort, Germany,
he said, had no parallel save those sent
by PLATE to Christ's executioners.
Lewis also attracted attention in his
denunciation of trusts, which, he de-
clared, were threatening the liberties Of
the country. The consideration of the
army appropriation bill was not COM
pleted today.
In the course of the general debate
Griffith of Iowa, Republican. defended
the policy of retiring army officers on
three-quarters pay. The debate was
made significant by an attack upon the
efficiency of the several branches of the
army by Mcclellan of New York, Dem
ocrat, son of Gen. Geo. B. Mcclellan.
The army, he declared, was little better
than a clumsily constructed national
police force, top-heavy with the gold
lace of staff officers, many of whom had
not seen more active service than falls
to the lot of a member of the police force.
The army should, he declared, be en-
tirely reorganiZed. He said this in no
spirit of jingoism, but for the purpose
of calling the attention of the country to
the fact that we were paying large
price for very inefficient army, utter
ly unprepared for war, while a very
small additional expenditure, with prop
er reorganization, would work wonders.
Mcclellan went into detailed discus
sion of the various branches of the SER
vice. Our infantry formations, he said,
would have been considered excellent in
the seventeenth century. He criticised
particularly the organization of the cav
airy. AS indicating the poor quality or
condition of the mounts purchased for
the cavalry, he said, we were each year
replacing 25 per cent of the cavalry
horses, while in Europe-Austria, for
instance-but IL per cent of the cavalry
horses was replaced annually. One of the
gravest defects in the present organ
ization, he said, was the lack of prop
erly instructed and competent staff. In
the modern sense of the word, we had
no staff. At the present rate of accumu-
lated reserve, he said, at the end of five
years we would have only enough am
munition to supply the infantry for two
days firing at the rate of the battle of
Gettysburg.
Lewis of Washington, Democrat, made
a vigorous speech against any increase
of the army. He created something of
an innovation by taking his position in
the arena in front of the speakers ros-
trum and speaking to the house face to
face, as to a congregation. He charged
that the trusts were in control of the
country and constituted the mailed hand
of power behind the DEGREES of the
courts. If the army We're increased the
people would, he said. be justified in
asking whether it was not to be used to
barricade the courts and break down ev
erything that means the freedom of the
country. He differed, he said, from the
leader-Mr. Bryan-whose cause he had
followed to the pit. He was not willing
to accept the idea that free silver was
the single end to be fought for. There
was necessity, he said, for a return to
the true democracy which had for its
end the freedom of the individual as an
individual. Mr.. Lewis quoted a tele-
gram which he said Senator Hanna had
received from Frankfort, Germany,
signed by A. Seligman, as follows: 81
congratulate you upon your election. 1t
is most satisfactory to me-"
The message, he said, came from the
man who helped to place mortgage on
this government of s20O,OOO,OO0. It's in
science, he said, had no parallel in his
tory.
HE is the last man." said he, whom
1 should take pride in calling an Ameri-
can citizen"
Hull of Iowa, Republican, chairman of
the committee on military affairs, ex-
pressed concurrence in the views of
Mr.. Mcclellan to the extent that he be-
lieved that the army should be reorgan-
lied, as the present organization was OBJ
solete. The discussion of the needs of
the army was continued by Messrs.
Wheeler of Alabama, Democrat; Clark
of Missouri, Democrat; Cox of Tennes-
see, Democrat; Marsh of Illinois, Repub-
lican, and others.
Without completing the bill the com
mittee rose, and at $40 p. m. the house
adjourned.