The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-01-28
NO NECESSITY FOR AN I'M
MENsE STANDING ARMY.
But Is Willing to Give the President
Power to Increase It to 100000
Mr.. johnson of Indiana Says the
Present Danger Is McKinley's
Mistaken Judgment.

II
| been slow to catch the war fever last
spring. He had foreseen some of the
| future trouble as the outgrowth of the
difficulties which beset US at our i'm
mediate doors, but he had not antici-
pated that he would be carried to an
other hemisphere, 1000 miles from our
| shores. He looked with aversion upon
any proposition to increase the regular
army, and he hoped it would not be
necessary to establish a standing army
of 100000 He was, however, in view
of the conditions, willing to cheerfully
support a proposition to increase the
army to $4,000 or $4,000 men. Beyond
that he hoped he would not be called
upon to go. But, if congress must go
beyond that, he trusted that no provi-
sion for ,000 men would be made,
1 but that discretion belonged with the
president. The president could be
| trusted. There was nothing in this
! country to call for a standing army of
100000 men. The people were peaceful
and there was absolutely nothing in the
| United States to draw the fire of the
guns Of any other country on the globe.
Mr.. Henderson spoke of the demon
stration of the "kiclers' which the
country and the house had witnessed.
The kicking had begun before the war
was fairly under way. Some kicked
DIT Tie pt6SlueHl, some at the secretary
OF war, some at the staff, some at the
| adjutant general. There was kicking
at everything and anything. 1t was
easy to kick. 1t was the cheapest kind
of craftsmanship and the applause that
greeted it was the cheapest sort of ap-
plause. 1t had been charged, he said,
that the commission appointed TO in
vestigate the war was stacked" He
eulogized all the members of the COM
a il-r11 ~ nv
paying high tribute to his incorrupt-
ible and fearless character
Adverting to Mr.. Johnson's speech on
| Wednesday, he said that never in six
teen years experience had he heard a
speech so deserving of the condemna-
ton of patriotic hearts. What crime
had the president committed? The
president had done everything possible
! to prevent the war. Was that a crime
There was not enough powder in the
country to last our guns tWenty-fOur
hours, there were neither arms, am
balances, surgical instruments or other
equipment. When war come he quick
~ set factories and arsenals in motion.
Then he forced the fighting in two
hemispheres and in 119 days he had
whipped the enemy on land and sea
and had wound up the war before the
people of the country had fully real
lied that it had begun. Was that a
crime? He had driven the enemy from
Cuba, he had seized Puerto Rico and
the richest island of the Ladrones. Was
| that crime? BY the guns Of his coun-
try and by the treaty he had termi-
mated the war. Was that crime? The
treaty Invested Spain OF her sover-
eighty over the Philippines. After it
was ratified new problems would come.
Until it was ratified the war was legal
| ly still in progress. During the war it
had been the duty of the pres. dent, as
the commander-in-chief Ct the army,
to strike the enemy where the blow
would hurt. He had struck him IN the
Philippines and the ecEo of that blow
would ring through coming ages. Until
! the treaty was ratified the president
| must hold what he had taken.
OPPOSED TO ANNEXATION.
But" said he, with deiberation, Il
say frankly that l entertain grave
| doubts as To the wisdom of holding the
Philippines against their Will" Demo
cratic applausc.) While this was his
present opinion, however, he added that
when the time came 20 determine this
question he must known what his duty
TO his country was.
Mr. Hull, in charge Of the bill, closed
for his side. The numberSof enlisted
men provided in the bill, he said was
I based, not upon the personal views of
the members of the committee, but the
authoritative expressions Of those Who
We're on the ground.
In Cuba the evacuation commission
had declared that $4,000 soldiers We're
necessary, not necessary to enforce or
DER but to insure peace and tranquil
ity, without bloodshed. In Manila the
commanding general, thirty days ago,
had cabled that 10000 men would be
~, l.
has increased that estimate to 80, 600.
The knowledge there that public opin-
ion was divided in this country and
the impression that prevailed there
that the administration might be turned
down, had multiplied the dangers
there. The committee believed the max
imum should be placed at 100000, but
We're willing to agree, in view OF the
opposition, that absolute provision
should only be made fer 90, 1000, giving
the president the discretion to increase
the army up to 100000. In his hands
should be placed the power to main
tain the sovereignty of the United
States wherever our flag had been car
ried. until congress should finally de-
termine what should be done.
This ended the general debate, and
the bill was read for amendment under
the five minute rule.
Mr.. Shafroth (Colo) argued that there
could be no justification for authorizing
a large permanent increase OF the army
fer what was admitted, certainly so far
as Cuba was concerned, to be a tenn
porary condition.
Mr.. Cannon (Rep., Ills.) spoke for the
/ bill. The war with Spain brought re-
sponsibilities which had to be met and
could not be avoided. AS to the peace
. ~ in Il irpsef
/ intimation of an extra session by say
! ing the treaty would be ratified either
! on FEB. 6 or elsewhere by March 10.
And after the treaty is ratified. u
exclaimed Mr.. Cannon, we'll hold the
! Philippines until the congress of the
United States has knowledge enough
and wisdom enough and patriotism
enough to say what We'll do with
them"
! Mr.. Lacey moved to strike out the
provision for a lieutenant general, and
after a short debate the motion pre-
vailed.
Mr.. Hull explained. in answer tc
questions. that the reduction he would
propose to the bill would come from
! the enlisted force by reduction of the
size of companies. If the president
should deem it proper to swell the army
to the maximum, 100000, the size of the
/ companies would be increased. Very
few additional officers would be re-
CURED.
Mr.. Dockery Oem.. MOI charged
that the fixing of a minimum was q
palpable trick to stay the mutterings
! of the opponents of the bill on the
other side. He would be as willing tC
trust President Mckinley as any eX-
ecutive, but he would not trust Thomas
Jefferson, if that statesman could re-
visit the earth, with discretion to in
crease the standing army in time OF
peace from $4,000 to 100000.
| Mr.. Cannon (Rep., Ills.) said he hao