Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-12-24
Objections to Passage OF Hull
Bill Specified.
A SUBSTITUTE SUBMITTED
Enormous Cost OF Afatntainancc Ono of
Chief Objections to Measure Proviu-
ing for Increase of the Army
to 100000 Men.
(Bv Telerranl, \

NJ a
WASHINGTON, Dec. 23-The minor
~ report of the House Committee on
military Affairs today filed with the
clerk their report in opposition to the
ltull bill, for the increase of the regular
army IN, to 100000 men. It is as follows:
me minority OF the committee dis
sent from the views of the majority Of
inc committee. because the bill reported
makes permanent standing army for
the United States Of over 100, 900 men.
9uch 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 stand
ing armies are too we'll known to be
ollateu upon mere. Such a standing
army as the one proposed would in
TINE or peace be menace to the liberty
OF citizens and in time of war would
ZOE be sufficient to meet successfully
me armies of the first class powers Of
the world. I'M -
NOT A NECESSITY.
Happily we are SO situated that a
lal ge standing army is not a necessity
ana would only be luxury to be sup
ported by the taxes of the people It
y estimated that the Hull bill will cost
the people annually the sum Of $3.50, OO0.
ooo. This would be a permanent charge
Upon the people of the United States.
tlo,ooo,0oo are being paid to the soldiers
q the civil war and the war with
Spain. thus placing a permanent charge
of $4,000, 900 annually upon the people
| or the United States, and this to main
| tam the military establishment alone.
10 say nothing OF the navy. The pas
sage Of this bill means the practical
obstruction OF the national guard and
the volunteer troops Of the States
with such large standing army the
| cltizen soldiery OF the country would
teel that it was not necessary to pre-
rare for war in time Of peace, nor to
! so 10 war in time of war. =s5
n TAKESrxRHI IaIs!sIrl CREASE; s ss
ne taxes 94chrare fno w SO BURDEN
some to the people Will Continue to ha
collected and will rather be Increased
than otherwise. No hope Of economi-
cal administration can be INDUCED in
while such permanent and lavish ex-
penditure is provided for
IL is well understood that the great
corporate interests of the country are
demanding this large standing army;
i their reasons for such a demand are ton
obvious to be pointed out These ins
tcrests want force to enforce their de-
lnands, and a President nominated and
dominated by such interests would
nave such a standing army, by the
means at his hand. to invade the liber-
ties OF the people. to suppress freedom
OF speech and to desecrate the ballot
box itsif
EVILS OF THE BILL.
II IS needless, however, to continue to
point out the many evils Of this bill:
suffice 1t to say that both in form and
substance it overturns the policy which
| has been pursued so successfully by
inns government for SO many years and
launches the country upon a course
| Whlch can only terminate in the des-
truction of the liberties of the people.
The minority holding the views above
expressed have thought they. owed it
70 the country to prevent to the House
OF Representatives substitute. They
herewith present a substitute embody-
at the same time preserving with
scrupulous care the liberty Of the citi-
zen and avoiding the evils of a standing
army. The substitute provides for q
standing army Of 10000 enlisted, about
the number in the army before the war
With Spain.
Ihe substitute also provides for 5000
volunteers, to be taken from the States
and territories and the District Of
Columbia in proportion to the popula-
zion; these volunteers are to be muster
ed out Of the service OF the United
States within two years from the pas
sage of the act, unless sooner deter
mined. Their organization is to be the
same as that of the regular army
TO MUSTER VOLUNTEERS.
| Volunteer organizations now in SER
vice are to be given preference as to
I re-enistment. All volunteers now in
the service Of the United States are to
he mustered out within sixty days from
the passage Of this act.
The substitute is not to operate to
discharge any commanding officer who
was in the army of the United States
prior to the war with Spain. The ne
cessity of this body of volunteer troops
arises from the relations which the
10 Porto Rico, Cuba, the Philippine
| Islands, the Hawaiian Islands and the