The sun., 1900-12-06
SIZE OF Standing
ARMY DISCUSSED
IN CONGRESS
Mr.. GrosyenOr, of Ohio, Said
That Personally He Favored
an Army of 100000.
DEMOCRATS MAKE OBJECTIONS
Mr.. Richardson Declares He Does
Not Believe in Giving One
Man the Power to E.-
pand Army's Size
at Will.
DEMOCRATS MAKE OBJECTIONS

| " dsHiH2toH, lJtc. D.-N men the mouse
met, the speaker announced that he had
communication from the family of Mr..
Boutelle of Maine. resigning his position
as chairman OF the committee on naval
affairs He also announced the appoint
ment of Mr.. Shaw of New York as q
member OF the committee on invalid pen
sions. Mr. Dalzell Pa.), from the
committee on rules, then presented the
following special order for the considera-
tion of the army bill:
"Resolyed, That Immediately after the
adoption Of this resolution the house shall
resolve itself into committee of the whole
on the state of the Union to consider
senate bill 1900, AN act to increase the
efficiency Of the military establishment Of
the United States This rule is not to
interfere with other special orders"
MIR. Dalzell, explaining the necessity
for the immediate consideration of the
army bill, pointed out the fact that July
!, 1901, under the present law the army
would be reduced to 10000, less than
half the number now in the Philippines.
Legislation of some character was i'm
perative, and the war department urged
the necessity of haste. 1t would take
time to recruit and organize the new ar
my Which, nuSJ TepluCe the OlQ.
Mr.. Richardson (Tenn.) on behalf Of
the minority said those on his side OF
the house recognized the necessity for
some legislation, but they did not agree
that this bill, establishing a permanent
standing army, should become law. Ii
an emergency exists, an emergency
ri-s Nld hn nroYid-l--e4...- hat a largo
standing army Should not be established.
He would not take time, he said, to men
ton all the obnoxious features of the
bill, but one was fundamental 1t was
proposed to provide an army which could
be expanded at the will of one man from
$4,000 to 100000. No matter how good
or able that man might be, he was not
willing to see one man given such pow
or. 1t was, in his opinion, abdicatinG
the functions of congress.
Against Large Army.
Mr.. Richardson said he was ready at
all times to vote to put down rebellion
anywhere and everywhere that it ex sted,
but under the stress of an emergency he
was not willing TO establish permanently
large standing army.
Mr.. Underwood (Ala.) also inveighed
against clothing the president with dis,
cretionary power to expand or contract
the army at will.
MT, 6ToSVSHOT WI, Ill support OF
the resolution, said that personally he
was In favor of a standing army OF 100,.
| 600 men. The people, he said, weresnot
frightened when a demagogue said that
the purpose in increasing the army was
to station large regiments near large cit
les to oppress labor. They were not
alarmed by tho cries that their liberty
was to be subverted. As for the opposi.
ton to the sliding SCALE" the president
| always had beeR practically supreme in
| the use OF the army. Why should he not
| in the use of his discreet n have the power
| in time of necessity to expand the armyi
| 1t was a glorious tribute to our system
that never had the president Of the Unit.
ed States attempted to abuse his power
over the army. One of the most magnifi.
cent acts of Grover Cleveland had been
his assumption of his duty to keep the
peace In great commonwealth by means
| Of the United States army when the gov
ernor of that state did not want him to
| interfere. Mr.. Grosvenor said if there
had been a standing army Of $4,000 loyal
men at the battle of Bull Run the rebel.
lion would have ended in 80 days.
Mr.. Grosvenor and Mr.. Underwood in.
dulged in some sharp cross firing, after
| which the resolution was adopted with
| OUT DIVISION.
Mr.. Hull, who was in charge of the
bill, and Mr.. Sulzer IN. W on behalf OF
the minority then arranged that general
debate should run for four hours, two
hours on side, and that then the bill
should be considered under the five min
ute rule. The agreement was ratified by
the house.
Mr.. HYii suggested that the oleomar
garine Bill, which was special order
be postponed until the army bill was
disposed Of
This request aroused the friends and
opponents of the latter bill, lest postpone
ment of the order would give one side oil
the other tactical parliamentary ad
vantage, and Mr.. Underwood finally OBJ
Jected. The house then went into COM
mittee of the whole, Mr.. Dalzell pa
in the chair, and took up the considera
ton of the army bill. Mr.. Hull made
A the opening statement. He explained
the details of the bill, which, he said,
followed practically the scheme already
twice indorsed by the house of repre-
sentatives.
The Senate.
When the senate convened, Mr.. Berry
(Ark.) presented the credentials of Sam
uel D. McEnery, elected senator from
| the state of Louisiana for a term of six
years from March 4, 1908.
Mr.. McEnery then presented the ere
dentials of Murphy ]. Fester. elected q
senator from Louisiana for term of SIX
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