The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1899-01-06
WILL DESTROY LIBERTY!
The Proposed Standing Army him
ical to the FreeSom Of
the Masses.
TO ENFORCE THEIR DEMANDS
The Corporations Need a Vast Army
to Intimidate Labor.>>Minor>
itv Report.
ity Report

Washington, Dec. 23.-The MINOR
affairs today filed with the clerk their
report in opposition to the Hull bill
for increase of the regular army to
loo, 900. 1t is as follows in part: The
minority dissent because the bill re-
ported makes permanent a standing
army for the United States of 100, 600
men. Such army is not necessary in
this country now, neither because Of
our Relations to the islands Of the sea,
no. any necessity which in the past
year has arisen in this country itself.
TIE evils of standing armies are too
vel! known to be d:lated upon here.
Happily we are SO situated lhat a
iaaye standing army is not IA necessity
and would only b. a luxiry to b.. sup
ported by taxes on the people. 1t is
estimated the Hull bill will cost the
people annually $3.50, 900, 900. This
vould be Il p1rm tn5nt charge upon the
people. The passage of the bill means
the practical d estruction of the nation
ii guard and volunteer troops of the
states and with sucn a large standing
army the ciliZ'n soldier OF the country
would feel it was not necessary to pre-
pare for war in time of peace nor 20 to
var III time of war. IL is we'll UNDER
sLoudt that the great corporate interests
1t The country are demanding Il large
Standing army. They want force to
tnfurce thei' d .lnands and the presi-
lunU dominated by such interests
would Lave, with such d standing army,
means at hand to invade the liberties
II the people, suppress freedom IF
'peecl aud desecrate the ballot box it.
,elf. Bolh in form and substance the
dill overturns the policy pursued so
successfully by this govern nent so
many years and launches the country
upon IL C 'urs5 which can only termin-
Ute in the destruction Of the liberties
If the people.
The minority herewith report a sub
Liiute for the bill. The substitute
Provides for Il permanent standing
army of 30, 00O enlisted men. about the
lumber in the army before the war
With spain. The organlzt tlon provid-
I'd for in the sub-tilute, conforms to
what i; has been with some few i'm
p%'rtant changes. A iarg,:I number Of
men is provided for the artillery than
Usual, by reason of the necessity of
manning our COAST de:enses, upon
which large sums have been spant.
The substitute. also provides for 50,0'0
! ~, ii II nt,n.,.s f.,,, 7 E, -. 49,. ,- ,..,.
les and District Of Columbia, ia proper
tlon to populations: these volunteers
are to b. mustered out of service Of
the United States within two Years
from date Of passage Of !he act, unless
sooner terminated. Their organlza-
LiOn are To be the same rs the regular
army. Volunteer organic stion now
in service to b. given preference as to
re. enlistmnnt.
/ All volunteers now in the service of
the United States are to be mustered
out within sixty days from the passage
# the act. The necessity for this body
OF volunteer troops arises from the re-
latlons the United States government
now bears to Porto Rico, Cuba and the
Philippines, HawaiiaL islands and
LadrouY islands.
Representative Hay of Virginia, who
prepared he minority report estimates
that the regular aamy establishment
provided for in the minority sub,titu e
would entail an annual expenditure If
S3O, 900 or about ST 900 par man and
the volunteer force of SO. 900 by the
same calculation would cost $50, 900 or
Il total during the existence of the vol
nnteer army of $50, 900, 900.