The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-01-25
ARMY REORGANIZATION.
Debate on the Hull Blll Hes Been Com
mcnced IN the House.
FINAL VOTE TO Be TAKEN NEXT rufSDA,
Amons Those Who spoke IN Orpcsi-
ton 10 thc NH Mere HAY. Cox ami
Lauhnn. All Democrats.

| Washington, January 2t.-The debate on
tho army reorganization. bill opened in
the house today under an agreement ny
which the general debate Is to run fifteen
hours, exclusive of three night sessions,
the anal vote to be taken not later than
3 o'clock next Tuesday Among the sup
! portcrs of the bill, There are those who,
like Mr.. Mcclellan tpein. N. ". .
son Of General George u, Mcclellan, who
favor provision for a general stan
made up OF officers of tho line so rs TO
make the army organization responsible
to II single head. Tho fate OF the measure
| lis still considered doubtful. though Chair
man Hull and his friends profess great
confidence In Its passage,
Tho debate today was not exciting. Mr..
| HUH aud Mr.. Mcclellan, in support OF
the measure, and Mr.. Hay tval In oppcsi-
! ton, divided the honors Among tho other
speakers against the measure were Mcssrs,3
Cox lDcm., Tcnn.) and Mr.. Lanham tDem,,.
TcXas)s
The opening OF tho debate on the army
Reorganization bill attracted il large au-s
dicnce In the galleries of the house to-
day.
Mr. Mercer Cscp., NcbD attempted to
secure unanimous consent to the sotting
aside OF February for the consideration
of public building bills, but Mr.. Mahon
tRep,, PAD objected
Mr.. Hull, chairman OF tho military At
| fairs committee, In charge Of the army
bill. then asked the house 10 ratify au.
agreement made In committee that he
should control the time In favor OF the bill
and Mr.. Sulger tDcm.. N, VI. the senior
minority member OF tho committee. spoke
| in opposition to the bill.
| Al Nit Sulycr's suggestion Il was agreed
the vote should be taken not later than )
| O'Clock ON Tuesday next.
| The house then went into committee and
| took up the bill FOR fifteen hours general
debate with night sessions tonight. tomor-
row and Thursday nights,
MI Hull opened the debate In advocacy
OF the bill In brief speech, For years he
had been n supporter of n reorganization
and an increase In the regular army, Now
with the territory gained from Spnin, FOR
which we were responsible and the respon-
sibility for which We could not shirk. the
Increase became necessity. The bill flXcn
no maximum strcngth,sfor the entire army
bill under the organizations would permit
1
be amended II desirable 50 as to provide q
minimum in the discretion OF the president
| Of 10000 men. He explained briefly the or
| ganizatioT OF the various branches of the
| Heryicc Mr.; Hun declared that the present
| situation was a dangerous one. We wore
taeonfronted with grave responsibilities even
though we held the Philippines tenn.
porariIy. No one could tell what would
happen IN thirty days. Wercould not afford
TO sacrifice efficiency to economy.
He declared that the proposal to con
tinue the present strength Of the regular
army t62000) until 1900 was n miserable
makeshift and piece OF folly. He thought
"a spirit OF patriotism demanded that this
congress- should legislate to meet the pres
eDt conditions as II found them
Mr.. Cox Dem. Tenn member of The
committee replied 10 Mr.. Hull He di-
rected his argument against the main
proposition to increase the army to 100000.
II we needed such standing army IN
time OF peace something must hnvo gone
radically wrong with our institutions. No
power on earth wanted war with ns. There
could be no motive unless we Invited II.
He concluded with a quotation from AN
drew Jackson which soiemnly warned the
country against the danger OF standing |
armies In time of peace.
Mr. Mcclellan dem, N. W followed |
in support OF the bill He did not speak |
in spirit OF partsanshp, he said, but |
he considered the crying need OF the hour |
the reorganization Of tho army The hor-
rors and the scandals Of the war, he de- |
cIared, were due TO the system. not the |
men. Tho system permitted the appoint
meDt OF men to staff positions who would |
never have been heard of under proper
system. Every breakdown could be traced |
TO enc Of two causes-iack Of trained Of
ficers and properly organized staff.
TIE victories won on land we're due to I
the splendid courage Of the men and not
10 the obsolete system under which the
were conducted. Politics had
crept into the army An army could not
be run as primary was The Paris COM
mune tried that and failed, Mr., Mcclel-
Ian paid beautiful tribute to the regi-
lar soldier you are doubtless familiar