The times., 1899-02-16
DEFEAT FOR THE HULL BILL.
\ substitute Agreeable to Democrats
H.

Likely to BE Accepted.
The HUH army reorganization bill, which
has been pending before the Senate Com
mittee on Military Affairs will be reported
TO the Senate today without recommended
tion. It's defeat in that body is practically
assured. A substitute or an amendment,
which will be offered by Senator Cockrell,
representing the views of the Democrats.
viii be agreed to in the Senate, or there
VIII be no reorganization legislation at
this session. This. from the best juds-
ment obtainable, appears to be the sitIa-
tion in the Senate. 1t is also believed that
the Administration will accept the com
promise that will thus be offered and that
thereby an extra session OF COn.icess will
be averted. From the moment the Hull bill,
representing the views of the AdminiStra-
tion, was introduced in the House the
Democrats in the Senate have antagoniLed
it and expressed their intention OF le!eat-
ing the measure even if it forced an EXTRA
session.
1t has been impossible for the Commit
tee on Military Affairs to agree upon bill
for the reason that the Democrats have
postponed action on one preteXt and an
other The Republicans have been pa
tient, however. believing that when they
desired they could report the measure by
party vote, the committee consisting of
six Republicans and five Democrats. Yes
terday the Republicans tired Of further de-
lays and notified the opposition that they
intended to report the bill whether the
minority was willing or not. Senator
COckrell asked the chairman of the COM
mittee upon what votes he counted 10 re-
port the Hull bill favorably and was told
that it would be done by the aid of the
six Republican votes.
Mr.. Cockrel denied that all OF the Re
publicans were in favor of the proposed
measure and disputed the authority of the
chairman to vote the committee in that
manner After some further discussion
Mr.. Cockrell read a letter from Senator
Proctor of Vermont. who is now in Cuba
on pleasure trip, in which that Senator
stated that not only was he against the
Hull bill increasing the size of the regular
army, but requesting the Senator from
Missouri to see to 1t that he was paired
against it. This letter was an unpleasant
surprise TO the Republicans. The existence
of -he letter did not become generally
known until yesterday, and the comments
upon the attitude assumed by the Sena-
tor from Vermont were anything but COM
plimentary.
The committee met again yesterday
morning, but reached no conclusion ad-
journing TO meet at O'Clock in the after
noon, when the opposition was TO give the
committee its final terms of agreement.
For some reason this meeting was not
held and the whole subject went over until
this morning, when final action will be
taken.
The Hull bill will be reported to the
Senate without recommendation. When
the bill is called up in the Senate Mr..
Cockrell will offer his bill as an amend
ment. This amendment is shrewdiy
drawn substitute, and places upon the
President of the United States the respOn-
sibility for any increase that may be made
in the size of the army. II gives the Pres
ident full authority TO maintain the regu-
lar army at the present basis of 81 eco and
permits him to still further increase 1t up
to 100000 by the enlistment of natives 10
form regiments sufficient to aggregate the
maximum number allowed. These natives
are to be officered by Americans and are
TO serve only on the islands on which they
are enlisted. The essence OF this bill lies
in the fact that the President is to be the
judge of when the time has arrived TO les
sen the army and decrease the expense
that is incurred on this account The
whole burden OF the responsibility is there
by shifted from the shoulders of Congress
TO the Executive.
Senator German is said to be the man
who arranged this shrewd political plan
NHetHei II VIII meet the dpllo'di VI all
the Democrats remains still to be seen.
There are quite number of Democrats
who. while they oppose the Hull bill and
will not vote for il, still believe that Con-
gress has no authority to grant TO the
President such extraordinary discretion
ary power. These men may not favor the
German compromise which the Democrats
seek to force on the President. One Of
the Republican Senators who is very close
to the President said last evening that
the President would willingly assume the
responsibility if Congress put il upon him.
IT, however, the Administration insists
upon the Hull bill pure and simple there
will be no legislation. Senators Cockrell.
Jones, and German still declare that that
bill shall not become a law at this session
of Congress.