Evening star., 1898-12-23
OPPOSED TO THE HULL BILL
Views of the Minority of the House Military
Committee
Why Enlistment for Term is Pre-
ferred to a Large Stand-
Ing Army.


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 dissent
from the views of the majority of the COM
m>ttee 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 OUT rela-
tions 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
standing armies are too well known to be
dilated upon here. Such standing army
as the one proposed would in time OF peace
be menace to the liberty of citizens, ana
in time of would not be Su1nclent TO
meet successfully the armies of the first
class powers of the world. Happily we are
so situated That a large standing army is
not a necessity and would only be a luxury
to be supported by the taxes of the people.
il is estimated that the Hull bill will cost
the people annually the sum of $15OWO,0D.
This would be permanent charge upon the
people; S145 S00,0O are being annually paid
to the soldiers of the civil war and the
war with Spain, thus placing a permanent
charge of S295, ,G00.0W upon the people OF the
United States. and this to maintain the
military establishment alone, to say moth
ing of the navy.
Effect of a Large Standing Army.
THE passage of this bill means the prac-
teal destruction of the National Guard and
the volunteer troops of the states. With
such large standing army the citizen SOL
dieTy of the country would feel that it 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 burdensome
to the people, will continue to be collected
ho
wise. No hope of economical administra-
ton can be indulged in while such perma-
nent and lavish expenditure is provided for
1T is we'll understood that the great cor
pOrate interests of the country are de-
manding 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 Presi-
dent 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 this bill; suffice
ii to say that both in form and substance 1t
oVerturns the policy which has been pur-
sued successfully by this government for
so many years and launches the country
upon a course which can only terminate in
the destruction of the liberties OF the peo-
pie.
The minority holCing the views above
expressed have thought they owed 1T to
the country to present to the House of Rep
reSehtat1Ves d substitute for the bill re-
ported by the majority. They herewith re-
port said substitute as embodyine every
need of the government in its present con-
dftion, and at the same time preserving
with scrupulcus care the liberty of the cit
IZen and avoiding the evils of a great
standing army.
The substitute provides for permanent
standing army of 10000 enlisted men, about
the number in the army before the war
with Spain; the organization provided for
in the substitute conforms to what il has
been, with some few important changes
a larger number of men is provided for the
artillery than usual by reason of the neces-
sIty of manning our coast defenseS upon
which large sums have been spent. The
substitute also provides for 10000 volun-
teers, to be taken from the states and terri
tories and the District of Columbia, in pro-
portion to population. These volunteers are
to be mustered out of the service of the
United States within two years from the
GATE of the passage of the act unless
sooner terminated. Their organization is
10 be the same as that of the regular army.
Preference Given Those In Service
Volunteer organizations now In service
are to be given preference as to re-enlist-
ment. All volunteers now in the service Of
the United States are to be mustered ont
within sixty days from the passage of this
act. The substitute is not 10 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 govern
ment now bears to Porto Rico, Cuba. the
Philippine Islands, the Hawaiian Islands
and the Ladrone Islands. Fifty thousand
II en- are very near the marx which the gem
eral of the army said would be necessary
in these islands in his testimony before the
committee on military affairs.
Representative Hay of Virginia, who pre-
pared the minority report, estimates that
the regular army establishment provided
for in the minority substitute would entail
an annual expenditure of $30,00OO00 or
about $1,000 per man, and that the volun-
teer force of $4,000. by the same calcula-
ticn. would cost fifty million, or total
during the existence of the volunteer army
of ssD,uO0O00. The War Department is pre-
pairing official estimates, which Will be
ready in few days.