The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-01-25
ARMY BILL DEBATE
Measure Increasing Regular Army
TO 100000 Men.
o BY DEMOCRATS
BIG STANDING ARMY Is NOT
NEEDED.
Offer a Substitute, Providing For a
Provisional Force of Volunteers
Administration Bill Denounced
as a Step Towards Imperialism
and An Unnecessary Burden.

the army reorganization bill opened in
the house today, under an agreement
by which the general debate is to run
fifteen hours, exclusive of three night
.sessions, the final vote TO be taken not
later than 9 o'clock next Tuesday.
Practically three propositions are be-
fore the house, the house bill, provid-
ing for a standing army of 100,0 900 men;
the minority substitute, increasing the
standing army to sc, 600 men, and lodg-
ing with the president discretionary
power to call out $4,000 volunteers for
emergency service, and a proposition to
continue temporarily the regular army
at it's present war strength-62,O GOO men.
1t is also understood that Mr.. Marsh
Rep., Ills.) will champion the Miles
bill.
Among the supporters of the majority
bill are those who, like Mr.. Mcclellan
I Dem, N. ", a son of General George
B. Mcclellan, favor a provision for a
general staff made Of officers of the
line, so as to make the army organiZa-
ton responsible to a single head. The
fate of the measure is still considered
| doubtful. although Chairman Hull and
his friends profess great confidence in
it's passage. The debate today was not
exciting.
Mr.. Hay, from the minority of the
committee, gave notice that the minor
ity had united upon a substitute bill,
which would be offered at the proper
time.
Mr.. Hull opened the debate in adj
voeacy of the bill in a brief speech. The
bill fixed no maximum strength for the
entire army, but under the organlZa-
ton would permit a strength of 0 10000
men. The bill could be amended, If de-
sirable, so as to provide a minimum, / n
the discretion Of the president, of $1,000.
Mr.. Hull declared that h present sit
uation was a dangerous one. We were
confronted with grave responsibilities,
even though we held the Philippines
temporarily. No one could tell what
would happen in thirty days. We could
not afford to sacrifice efficiency to econ
omy. He declared that the proposal to
continue the present strength of the
regular army CO., OGO) until 1900 was a
miserable makeshift and a piece OF
folly.
BIG ARMY UNNECESSARY.
Mr.. Cox Dem, TENN, a member of
the committee, replied to Mr.. u he
directed his argument against the main
proposition to increase the army TO
100. 600. If we needed such a standing
army in time of peace, something must
have gone radically wrong with u IN
situations. No power on earth wanted
war with US. There could be no motives
unless we invited it.
Mr.. Mcclellan CDem. n. V, followed
in support Of the bill. lie did not speak
in a spirit of craftsmanship, he SAID, put
he considered the crying need of the
hour the reorganization of the army.
He had no desire TO reflect on any OIL
cial in the war establishment, but we
ought to take to heart the lessons OF
the late war. If the congressional cleo
tons a resulted differently 1t might
have been possible to have honestly IN
v~estigated the war, to have separated
the goats from the sheep and to have
punished the guilty. But no gc6d could
come now of washing our dirty linen
in public. Congress would not permit
US to investigate, much less prove the
facts.
Mr.. Mcclellan paid a beautiful trib-
ute to the regular soldier.
OPPOSED BY HAY.
Mr.. Hay Oem. Va.), a member of
the comnittee, then took the floor in
opposition to the bill. He said this
country had depended in every crisis
upon the volunteers n he considered
such an army the peer of raw recruits,
with the advantage that when their
services were not needed they could be
mustered out and millions in taxes
saved the people by making it unneces-
sary to maintain a large standing army.
He did not believe such a large army
or such a vast expenditure Of money
justified.
In conclusion he said: "Our situation
is such with reference to other coun-
tries that a large standing army never
has been nor is now necessary. Our bat
ties of the future, If there are to be
my. which God forbid, must be fought
upon the high seas. We must look to
our navy to bring us victories. 1 would
not disparage for one moment the bril-
liant achievements of u soldiers in
the late war with Spain; they are mon
uments to American manhood n en-
durance; but impartial history must
record that those achievements pale
into insignifcance in comparison with
those great triumphs Of our navy,
which have marked an epoch in naval
warfare.
THE victories of Dewey at Manila
and Schley at Santiago, crushed the
Spanish power. Let us then build a
strong navy and avoid the dangerous
experiment of a great standing army.
The liberty of the citizens will not be
suppressed, the ballot box cannot be
desecrated, the people of the country
will not be unduly taxed. u commerce
will flourish and our merchant marine
will grow continually; the produce of
our farmers will find a market; Jul
workingmen will be employed and our
beloved flag, the emblem OF liberty and
fraternity, will float triumphantly over
every sea-"
Mr.. Parker Rep. N. j., advocated
the passage of the bill.
MI. Bell CPop. Colo.), opposed the bill
in toto as a measure designed to pre-
pare the way for imperialism.
Mr.. Brown (Rep. o., supported the
bill. In the course of his remarks he
quoted from the presidents message,
and utterances to show that there was
an official or unofficial word which
stood in the way of the ultimate free
and independence of the Philip
pines. As the military commander the
president had taken temporary possess
sion of the islands.
Mr.. Landau (Dem. Tex.), who closed
the debate at the afternoon session
against the bill, devoted his time prin-
to an argument against inn
perialism.
At $50 p. m. the house recessed I'M
s o'clock, the evening session to be
devoted to debate on the army bill.
Real Estate Transfers.