Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-01-23
The ARMY increase BILL
Will Cause a Warm Debate in the
House. This Week.

BUT ARE WILLING TO COMPRO-
MISELTHE FATE OF THE MEAS
URE IN GRAVE DOUBT-OTHER
CONGRESSIONAL TOPICS.
Washington, D. c.. January 22.-The
time of the House this week, except
ing tomorrow. which has been set
aside for the consideration of District
of Columbia business, will be devoted
to the army reorganization bill. The
consideration of this bill, which is re-
garded as pre-eminently the most i'm
portant general measure to come before
Congress at this session. has been de-
layed by the illness of Chairman Hull,
of the Military Affairs Committee. He
has recovered sufficiently to pilot the
measure, however, and the House has
alton on Tuesday. The general debate,
not including three night ses-
sions. is to continue fifteen
hours. This is as far as the agree
ment goes. 1t includes no provision
for a final vote. The debate promises
to be both interesting and important,
as it will raise all the questions in
volved in increasing our standing army
to 100000 men as proposed by the bill,
together with our whole future policy
relative to the territory acquired in
the recent war with Spain. There ex-
lists a wide variety of opinions upon
the proposition to increase the stand
ing army. 1t has a strong majority
of the Republicans behind it, and it
comes into the House with the en-
dorsement of the Presidents message
practically as an administration meas
ure. The Democrats and Populists
ARE INTENSELY HOSTILE
to the whole proposition, and intend to
fight it to the last ditch. They will
have some support from the Republic
can side. The opposition, however,
do not desire to embarrass the govern
ment, and are willing to provide for a
temporary increase in the army of 50,-
600 men, in accordance with the provis-
ions of the substitute bill offered by the
minority of the committee. Or they
are willing to authorize the continu-
ance temporarily of the present war
strength of the regular army (62,000);
anything, in fact, to prevent the crea-
ton of a permanent increase. In this
they have the sympathy of many of
the Republicans. The fate of the bill
is in grave doubt. The statements made
On the floor of the Senate to the effect
that it was not the intention of the
government to hold the Philippines per-
manently, although their authoritative
character was denied. have placed a
of the measure who will use the state
ment that there is doubt as to the fut-
ure of the Philippines as a strong ar
gument against a permanent increase
of the regular army. The bill may not
be completed this week as the order
permits it's consideration to be inter-
rupted by appropriation bits and con-
ference reports. One of these, the mil
itary academy, is on the calendar. The
river and harbor bill will be reported
tomorrow and the naval bill probably
before the end of the week.
IN THE SENATE.
The fact that the a~nti-scalping bill
was made the unfinished business of the
Senate by Saturdays vote does not
necessarily insure immediate consid-
Grafton. The general understanding is
that this bill will wait upon the peace
treaty and the appropriation bills, and
that the Indian appropriation bill will
be the first measure to receive the at
tention of the Senate during the
week. The diplomatic and pension ap-
preparation bills also may be considered
during the week.
Several speeches OF the general sub
ject Of expansion are expected to be
LldQC. OuS VI luSA ny OSndCoI NuilCt
in opposition to the governments pol
icy will be made tomorrow, and Sen
ator Lodge will follow Tuesday with
a brief talk in support of the policy
and in advocacy of
THE EARLY RATIFICATION
of the peace treaty.
How much time will be given to the
treaty in executive session will depend
upon whether the Committee on For
eign relations considers it in the in
terest of the treaty to press ~considera-
ton. There is an effort to arrange a
compromise which would would permit
speedy action Upon the treaty, but if
this is not successful, the indications
are for considerable delay. Two COM
promises are suggested. One of these
is for a modification of the treaty or
the adoption of a resolution declara-
tory against the permanent holding Of
the Philippine archipelago, and the
other is for a modification of the army
reorganization bill on lines decided by
the treaty opponents. 1t is not yet
possible to sdse whether either course