The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1899-02-25
Delay Means Reform.

1t cannot truthfully be said that a COM
promise Army bill which leaves with the
Administration the power to maintain an
army of the present size. will seriously
imperil the success. of our colonial policy
1t may impose certain hardships on the
troops though even that is doubtful, but it
will not make the Government impotent to
hold its authority anywhere.
On the other hand, it will give time for
the careful consideration of the whole i'm
portant question of army reorganization.
That the measure which has the aggressive
favor of the present incompetent Secretary
of War and his self-seeking associates in
the War Office is dangerous TO necessary
reforms in the military service, is the
judgment OF disinterested military men and
statesmen who have had practical expert
ence in army affairs.
There cannot be an authority better en-
titled to attention than an eminent Re-
publican who has been Secretary of War
and who is. therefore, not without pref
udices from the inevitable conflict of that
official and the army staff. Senator Proc
tor. speaking as a man of specific knowl-
edge and a man who would not lightly
oppose a Republican Administration, has
warned the Senate that the adoption of
the Hull Hawley bill, in its present form,
would prevent army reform for another
quarter of a century although we are
already fifty years behind the times; that
The present evils would be intrenched
stronger than ever" OF these present
evils We have some intimation in the I'M
paralleled scandals that have followed the
Spanish var.
Senator Proctor is specific in his state
ment OF the evils that now aflict and Grip
pie the army He is not alone in his con-
demnation of the worst faults, but every
American officer on the retired list who has
nothing to fear from the enmity of the
War Department supports his criticisms.
Yet in spite of our recent experience OF the
faults of the system which Alger and his
self-interested subordinates would fasten
on the service and in spite of the warnings
of man so well entitled 10 attention, the
Republican members are almost unit for
the mischieyous measure. They are moved
partly by the opportunities for plumber
which the bill itself opens to them, and
partly by the patronage which a support of
the Administration will secure The ad
vocacy of this Army bill is in the highest
degree unpa;riotic and culpable.
II is not often that a minority finds so
just cause for any methods of obstruct-
ing legislation as in this nefarious Age
rian scheme OF partisan p!under The
Democrats are loyal to their country as
far as their opposition is based on the par
ticular provisions of the bill. however
censurable their objection to the size of
the army for which it provides. The Ad-
ministration has every warrant for de-
manding a force sufficient to carry out the
policy that has the enthusiastic endorse
ment of the people. If it were content
with bill that would authorize the pro-
posed army under conditions that would
prevent the introduction of politics to the
destruction of efficiency, the Democrats
would find 1t difficult TO explain or excuse
their obstructive methods. 1t is only be-
cause of the Algerian plot for plumber that
they are right in their opposition.
BY adopting a compromise measure and
postponing permanent reorganization for
time, Congress will afford the country
chance 10 be heard, and there can be
little doubt as to its demands