Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-12-31
Atistettantoas 8eaaing.
NO LARGE STANDING ARMY.
Democratic Members of Military Commit
tee Submit Sensible Report.

The minority of the house commit
tee on military affairs has filed with
the clerk their report in opposition
to the Hull bill for the increase of the
regular army to 100000 men. 1t is
as follows:
The minority of the committee dis
sent from the views of the majority
of the committee, because the bill
reported makes a permanent standing
army for the United States of over
100000 men. 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 has arisen in this country
itself. The evils of the standing ar
mics are too we'll known to be dilated
upon here. Such a standing army as
the one proposed in time of fpeace will
be menace to the liberty of citizens,
and in time of war would not be suf-
ficient to meet successfully the first
class Powers of the world. Happily
we are so situated that large stand
ing army is not necessity, and would
only be a luxury to he supported by
the taxes of the people. 1t is esti-
mated that the Hull bill will cost the
people annually the sum of $3.50, ,0OO,-
900. This would be permanent
charge upon the people; $145, 100000
are being paid annually to the soldiers
of the civil. war and the war with
Spain, thus placing the permanent
charge of 1926, 100000 upon the peo-
pie of the United States, and this to
maintain the military establishment
alone, to say nothing of the navy.
The passage of this bill means the
practical destruction of the National
Guard and the volunteer troops of the
states. With such large standing
army the citizen soldiery of the coun-
try would feel that it was not neces-
sary to prepare for war in time of
peace, nor to 60 to war in time OF
war.
The taxes, which are now so bur-
densome to the people, will continue
to be collected, and will rather be
increased than otherwise. No hope
of economical administration can be
INDUCED in while such permanent
and lavish expenditure is provided
for.
It is well understood that the great
corporate interests of the country are
demanding this large standing army
their reasons for such a 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
people, 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 the
bill. Suffice it 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 coun-
try upon course which can only
terminate in the destruction 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 sub
stitute for the bill reported by the
majority. They herewith report said
substitute as embodying every need
of the government in its present con-
dition, and at the same time preserv-
ing with scrupulous care the liberty
of the citizen and avoiding the evils
of 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 organ
ization provided for in the substitute
conforms to 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 necessity of manning our coast
defences, upon which large sums have
been spent.
The substitute also provides for
$4,000 volunteers to be taken from
the states and territories and the Dis
trict of Columbia in proportion to
population. These volunteers are to
be mustered out of the service of the
United States within two years from
date of the passage of the act, unless
sooner determinated. Their organi-
zation is to be the same as that of the
regular army.
Volunteer organizations now in SER
vice are to be given preference as to
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 dis
charge any commissioned 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 relations which
the United States government now
bears to Porto Rico, Cuba, the Philip
pine Islands, the Hawaiian 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 islands in his
testimony before the committee on
military affairs.
Representative Hay, of Virginia,
who prepared the minority report,
estimates that the regular army es.