The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-01-28
WILL HAVE NO Big ARMY
Advocates Of q Standing Force Of 100000
Men Admit Their Defeat.
ARE WILLING 10 CUT IT 10 $4,000 NOW
Put want the President Empowered
10 Rails ~ to 100000. which
VIII Not be Accepted

Washington, January 2'.--Thc opposition
TO the army reorganization bill on the re-
publican side of the house has become so
strong that today Chairman Hull after
Mr.. Henderson tIowa), one of the floor
leaders OF the majority, had threatened to
vote to recomnllt tho bill, decided 1t would
be wise In order to insure its passage
TO abandon the idea OF providing directly
| for regular army of 100000 men He
announced on the floor that the committee
would offer amendments to reduce the
| number of enlisted men TO about $4,000,
| but lodge In the presidents discretion the
authority to increase the army to the
maximum of 100000.
These amendments have been prepared.
| They provide that the president may, IN
! his discretion. enlist only 80 men IN the
| infantry companies and so In the cavalry
4 troops. BY the terms of the bill there are
| to be thirty infantry regiments OF ten
| companies each with strength OF lao
! men nud twelve regiments of cavalry of
! ten troops each, with II strength OF lu6
| men, This discretion, If the president
! would exercise It, would reduce the number
| of enlisted men about 81 900 and practic,
1 ally leave intact the organization PROVIDED
| in the bill so far as officers are concerned
| How far this proposition OF modification
win allay the opposition remains to be
| seen The whole debate today was SPIT
tied and so Intense was the struggle when
the bill was taken up for amendment unaer
the five minute rule that the first section
had not been completed when the mouse
recessed at ) O'Clock.
When the house met today but little
more than an hour Remained of the time
for general debate on the army reorgani-
cation bill.
NJ. Henderson tRcp., Iowa. was the first
speaker He had he said, 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 immediate doors, but he had
not anticipated that we would be carried
TO another hemisphere 1000 miles from our
shores. He looked with aversion upon
any proposition to increase the regular
army and he hoped IL would not be neces-
sary to establish a standing army OF lOV.-
900 men.
Adyerting to Mr.. Johnsons speech on
Wednesday, he said that never In sixteen
years experience had he heard speech SO
deserving of the condemnation oil patripuc
hearts. What crime had the president com
| mitted? The president had done every
thing possible TO prevent the war. Was
that a crime? There was not enough pc W.
der in the country to last our guns twenty
four hours; there were neither arms, am
balances, surgical instruments. nor oI,er
equipment When war came he Quickly
set factories and arsenals in motion Then
he forced fighting in two henispnerss erd
in 1I3 days he had whipped the enemy on
land and on sea and had wound up me
war before the people of tho country had
fully realized that it had begun. Was
that a crime? Until the treaty was rati-
fed the people must hold what they had
but saati he. with deliberation, II
say frankly, that entertain grave doubts
as to tho wisdom of holding Lhe Phllip-
pines against their will" Democratic
applause.)
Mr. Cousins (Rep.. Iowa) made strong
speech fol the army bill and eloduently
upheld the regulars of the army.
Mr. Fitzgerald dDem, Mass) closed a., inc
% general debate in opposition to the bill.
CT MIR. HUI, in Charge of tha bill, closed
= for his side The number of enlisted iaer
y provided for in the BILL he said, was taseo
not upon the personal views OF the mem
beers of the committee, but the authorita
j. tive expression 3f those who were on the
id ground In Cuba the evacuation commits
, sion had declared that $4,000 soldiers were
W necessary not necessary to enforce ofuer
10 but to insure peace and tranquility VEIN
> out bloodshed. In Manila the command
le ing general thirty days ago had cableo
n that 10000 men would be enough. hut
re within the last month he had Increased
IN that estipnate to 10000. The knowledg'
at there that public opinion was DIVIDED IL
l. this country, and the impression that pre-
IN vailed there that the administration ihieh
= be turned down, had multiplied the dan
OF geTs there The committee believed IN
u maximum should be placed at 100000. hu
te were willing TO agree. In view OF me Up
position that absolute provision sEouie
only be made for 10000. giving the pres,
Law IN m
nm TO 100 900. In his hands shonld h'
a. niaced the power to maintain the sover
eighty OF the United States wherever on
ct nag had been carried until congress shoui'
"a finally determine what shall be done.
'" This ended the general debate and IN
no hill was read for amendment under tn
is Ave- minute rule.
Id tee amendment to increase the number Q
Il chaplains from thirty to, forty, ana " wa
he carrled--6S TO 49,
s. Mr. HAY Dem, Va offered the follow
he ing amendment: Provided that the IN
at crease OF the regular army peyonu whai
ed WAS before the war with Spain shall onl
be used in Porto Rico CUBA, the rnilil
to pines. che Hawaii islands and the l.adrone
ms and provided further that said increas'
To- both officers and men. shall be mustere
OF out of the service within two. years
or sooner, II the exigencies permit
to Mr.. williams Dem, Miss) criticised IN
mt and authority and of characterizing tn
&C. PHILIPPINES as rebels. !,
Mr.. Cannon (Rep., Ill > spoke for u
he hill. AS TO the peace treaty Mr., Cahno
en- made an indirect intimation OF an exit
o. session by aayine the treaty would be rat
he fed either on February orselse by Marc
10.
"And after the treaty Is ratified ,s q
claimed Mr. Cannon. well hold the fhi
,npines until the congress OF the Unite
90 states has knowledge enough and patiio
sc lam enough TO say what we WIN 90 VII
Il The Hay amendment was voted down
- 90 to n. \,
~ us Mr. Lacey (Rep., Iowa. moved 20 strli
10 out the provision for lieutenant genef
and the motion prevailed.
y Mr.. Hull explained in answer 70 que
d lions that the reduction he would propo'
pn would come from the enlisted force by
es reduction OF the size Of the companies.
10. the president should deem II proper
swell the army TO maximum. 100, oO0--tl
sire OF the companies would be increased
Very few army officers would be REQUIRES
n \