Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-01-27

try to the ratification of the peace
treaty. He announced that the future
OF the Islands was a matter for Con-
gress to decide and that for the Presi-
dent to announce policy would be for
him to usurD the authority of Congress-
The friends Of the bill continue to
express great confidence in the passage
of the bill. but they admit that some
important notifications may be made.
The advocates of a general staff de-
tailed from the line may be success
full in the size Of the infantry com.
panies reduced.
The House resumed consideration of
the army bill. Marsh. Rep. ILL.,. MEM
Der Of the military committee, was
the first speaker. He opposed certain
features of the bill though he said he
heartily favored the reorganization and
enlargement Of the army. He was not
prepared to say that the regular army
should be increased to 100000 men. but
he was willing to leave the size of the
army to the discretion of the President
and he said he should offer an amend
ment giving him that discretion. Marsh
cdfA iiC NlOidtCd IOIIHutHNe WICl Ilt
said that the President was in SYM
pathy with his proposed amendment.
The President had told him that he
would not enlist man or commission
an officer more than he deemed neces-
sary. Marsh also opposed the PROPOSE
ton to increase the size of the IN
fantry company to 145 men.
The real purpose in providing for
these large companies, Marsh declared,
WAS to protect the organizations and
the officers in the case the number of
enlisted men was largely reduced in
the future. If the army were reduced
10000 for instance. they could be taken
from the infantry companies, reducing
their size to so without disturbing the
officers. That was the milk in the
coacoanut. He strongly opposed the
present and proposed state organiza-
ton. AT present staff officers were ap-
pointed from the line by the President
and remained in the staff permanently.
He should. he said. offer an amend
ment providing that staff officers
should be detailed from the line for
four years duty. They should then re-
turn to the line and not be eligible for
staff duty again until they had served
four years in the line. He expressed the
opinion that the weakest point in the
army during the war had been in the
staff. The blunders made could be
traced directly to that weakness. Cen
eral Miles. the head of the army. said
he was in favor of detailed staff.
Marsh was in favor of annexation of
the Philippines whether the natives
or moi
we had fought in this country to force
the Southern people to submit to the
constitution against their will. 1t was
absurd to say that we could not en-
ploy force to take and hold the Philip
pines.
Dinsmore. Dem, Ark, opposed the
bill. he also spoke in opposition to the
annexation of the Philippines.
Grosvenor, Rep, Ohio, who followed
Dinsmore. said he would approach with
due sOlemnity the measure fraught
with such far reaching consequences.
He should aim simply to point out his
own position, distinctly disclaiming
that he spoke for anyone else. He did
not wonder that there was a wide, dis
tinct, antipodal difference upon the
question said to be involved in this bill
Those who imagined it threatened an
assault upon their liberties naturally
opposed it vigorously. Despite this al
legged horror at the prospect of mill
tarism but twice in the history of the
country had the regular army been
used save in war. He recalled the ac-
ton of Pres. Cleveland during the Chi
cago riots in sending troops there upon
the advice Of Sec. Olney, saying that
that act commended itself to him more
than any other of the Cleveland ad-
The idea that the army |
might be invoked to subvert our liber- |
ties was man of straw which gentle |
men set up. 1t was SANDER upon the
American people.
He characterized JohnsOn's speech,
yesterday. as the fiercest and most vim
dictive attack upon the administration
he had heard on the floor Of the House.
The trouble was that the foundation
upon which the whole magnificent SUI
perstructure was built was false. The
argument he had made answered itself
as soon as the intelligent mind recap
the history of the past few
morths. Grosvenor contended that the
purpose of the administration had new
er deviated from the time the declara-
ton of war was adopted with the alb
surd provision in it which no one here
would now support. From that day to
this, the government. under the guild
ance of the administration had never
deviated from it's purpose and stood,
today. simply executing the orders and
DEGREES of Congress, of civilization apd
Of Almighty God.
Does the gentleman mean the Tel
Ter provision as the absurd provision
in the declaration of war;" asked Dins-