Omaha daily bee., 1899-10-08
ALLISON SPEAKS AT MARION
Hawkeye Senator Opens the Cam
paign with an Able Discussion
of Curr""t Issues.

CEDAR RAPIDS -. oct. 1.-THE repub-
licans in the Fifth district opened today at
Marion, with an address by Senator Will
liam B. Allison. Mr.. Allison was met at the
depot by a large delegation headed by a
band and escorted to the Daniels opera
house, where he spoke two hours on the
issues of the day to an audience filling the
building.
He began his speech with brief reference
to state candidates from this part of the
state. Applause was frequent.
Senator Allison, in discussing the Philip
pine question, said in part:
1t Is said that the Philippine war is being
conducted without the authority OF con
gress, This Is not so; Every step In this
with the approval of the American people
as expressed by the votes of large ma
jority of their representatives and senator's
in congress. 1t is not being conducted, as
is claimed in the democratic platform 'un-
authorized by congress-" but it is being
| legislatively expressed, as l will show.
Congress has contided to 1t by the con-
sttut:on the power to ri raise s;e and support
! all along the pathway of our history been
used to defend and protect the territory of
the United States and TO suppress rebel
| lion against the authority of the United
States. The president did not raise the
army we have; he does not support it. 1t
| was congress that raised this army; 1t was
| congress. that appropriated the money to
| support 1t.
an army of but 27OOO men. 1t became
necessary to enlarge Il, and 1t was en-
larged to 900 men, with authority TO call
a large number of volunteers in addition,
| but 1t was provided in the law that when
peace was declared with Spain the regular
army should fall back to q, 900 men and all
| the volunteers should be discharged. Peace
having been established by the exchange of
ratidcations on April Il, 1899, the army by
| 900 men, which was conressedly too small
! an army to deal with the situation then
existing in Cuba Porto Rico and the Philip
/ pines, some insisting that we should imme-
| diately enlarge our army TO 100000 men;
| others insisting that until all these posses
| sions should be pacifed we would moi know
| how large our permanent establishment
| should be- though as reduced the army
would not be much greater than necessary
| to man our fOrtiiications at home.
Congress Meets Emergency.
| The house had passed a bill increasing the
! regular army to 10000 men. 1t was argued
| with force in the senate that the rebellion
then in progress in the Philippines consti-
! tuted the chief necessity for an enlarge
| ment OF the army, and that when the re-
| bell!On ended this necessity would no longer
! exist. But so urgent was the necessity for
| a temporary Increase and so universally
was this necessity recognized, that on Feb
ruary "a the senate committee, on military
bill to meet and provide. for this emer-
F, gency-democrats republicans and pop
| ulists uniting In this report,
! The bill provided that the regular army
might be recruited temporarily under the
| direction of the president to Go 900 men and
/, in addition 5000 volunteers were author
| lied, all of whom to be enlisted to serve
| until July !, 1901, or for two years and four
months, thus providing for temporary
| army of 100000 men, or so many thereof as
might be necessary, 10 serve for two years
and four months.
| The bin was debated for two full days IN
the senate and was as fully understood In
| its chief purpose and in It's details by sena.
tors as any other bill which ever passed
| that body, 1t was well known and stated
over and over again in the debate that tbs
main purpose of this authority given to the
president was to use the forces thus
| created for the suppression of the insurrec
tion in the Philippines and to maintain oul
sovereignty, There were, a few senators
J who opposed the bill and they opposed Il
on the ground that it was in substance
direction to the president to suppress the
insurreCtion with armed force.
This was also stated to be its chief pur
| pose by democrats who favored the bill
| who claimed that We, having acquired
sovereignty, they were constrained to give
| the president the necessary power TO sup
press the existing rebellion in order tina
the honor and credit of the nation nigh
be upheld After this fun debate In th'