The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1899-02-10
- WASHINGTON LETTER, y.
Washington, D. C.
February Z, 1899.

udlY ., 1919.
Hull S army bill passed the house
with the clause stricken out making
it mandatory to have 100, 900 the
limit. If fixes 80, 900 as the nominal
figure and leaves it to the discretion
Of the president to raise it to ;OO,-
900.
The bill passed. by practically a
party vote. While three democrats
aud n populist voted for it, they
were offset by the five republican
votes against it.
Chairman Hull and the rest of
them are making verbal promises
that the president will keep the
army at the 80, 900 limit. But We
all know what promises are worth.
The senate is very strongly oppos-
ed to the Hull bill in its present
form. The republicans admit that
their victory in the house is a bar
ren one The democrats and ropu-
list senators not only will not pass
the Hull bill in its present shape,
but will content, themselves with
making temporary arrangements
and letting the coming republican
congress take the responsibility.
Representative Amos Cummings
exposed one of the greatest dangers
of a big standing army. He said
that it would be used to coerce
workingmen and would be called out
to suppress strikes instead of being
utilized against a foreign foe. He
reminded congress of the time presi.
dent Cleveland sent regular troops
to suppress the Debs railroad strike
in Chicago and that he sent them
against the protest Of the governor
of the state.
Cummings dill not pose as a de-
fender Of mob violence, but said the
governor Of the state ought to b.
the judge of when he needed help.
Cummings offered an amendment
providing that regular troops could
only be sent to qucll a strike on
application of the governor of the
state.
He pointed out that the working
men all over tine country were op
posed to d big standing army, fear
ing it woull be used to Cypress
them. "Now,' he said, If you
mean to do, it ay so; if you dou't,
adopt my amendment.' Hi, amend
men: was defeated by a vote of 80
to l2l. That vote shows one Of the
future uses Of the big army, if we
have it.
The trusts and cembints do no,
propose to be bothered by disputes
with their mon ABOUT living wages.
They want an army always ready to
crush the American Citizen who
earns his living by honest toll. and
wants a chance to live.
At any rate Cummings made them
show their hand and if the bill
should pass the senate we will know
what TO expect.
The senate with the treaty off its
hands is ready to 80 home without
caring whether there is any further
legislation or not. Promises tina,
the Hull army bill should not 90
through, w~re among the ways en-
ployed to persuade those who were
doubtful about the ratification of
the treaty.
One of the interesting develop
mentS came out wh.n the president
forwarded the correspondence be-
tween himself and the peace com
mission.
1t appears that he only progress
ed very slowly toward expansion.
At first he thought the island OF
Luzon would do US very we'll. Then
he allowed the commission to per-
suade him that we ought to take
all the islands from poor, de.
crepit old Spain. Thee the Spanish
commission put in it's plea for $50
600, 600 INGENUITY. The president,
in effect said to the peace commits
sion; Boys, do as you like. What's
a little bayatelle of 500, DOC, 900 to
US? Let Spain have it if she will
only be quiet" Not a single argu-
ment advanced to show any reason,
for Offering those millions. They
we're rendered as carelesslv as Won