The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-08-14
MILITARISM A MENACE
Conscription Necessary to Recruit
"a Big Regular Army.
Reuresentatiye Hav, of Virginia,
Discusses the Paramount Issue OF
the Pending Campnign-. oiunteers
Have Always Fought the Wars of
the RepubIic-The National Guard.

Representative Hay of Virginia, who Is
/ member of the Committee on Military
Affairs Of the House, and one of the best
Informed men on military subjects in Con-
Iress. is one Of the most ardent opponents
If militarism. Mr.. Hay is one of the most
influential members of the minority of the
Military Committee and one of the most
Effective members OF the whole commit
ZEE. having treated questions as they have
risen in broad and liberal spirit.
Mr.. Hay, in an interview on the para
mount issue Of the pending campaign,
aid:
THE relations of this country to the
sther nations of the world have become
10 changed in the last two years that the
subject of national defence has become a
most important, if not vital question. II
is a problem which must be solved by
Congress at no distant day. The present
military establishment will cease on the 1st
day of Illy, 1901. The standing army must
be kept down to the lowest possible num-
ber of men, and future emergencies must
be provided for by equippins, educating,
and organizing a citizen soldiery. The OBJ
jections to any increase in the Regular
Army are fundamental and well under
stood During the entire history o. our
country our wars have been fought by
volunteers. and ii is to the volunteer army
this country must always look for national
defence. The only way to avoid the main
tenance of a large standing army is to
have an effective National Guard.
The Republican party advocates large
and permanent standing army, and VIII IN
sist upon a large increase in the standing
army should it continue in power. Apart
from the immense cost which such mill
tary establishment would entail perma-
nently upon the Government. the effect OF
its maintenance would be to discourage the
formation of National Guard organizations.
and to sap the military spirit OF our peo-
ple This large standing army is neces-
sarily a part OF the imperial and military
system which the present Administration
is seeking TO force upon the country II
is an open secret that the people who are
advocating this system desire to use these
troops at home as well as abroad, for the
suppression Of the liberties OF the people.
The policy OF the Democratic party Is TO
oppose militarism. and il denounces IN ITS
national platform the maintenance OF
large standing army.
In order to maintain this large stand
ing army proposed by the Republican par
ty It Will be necessary TO ccnscript the
citizens Of the country. because through
out its entire history the Regular Army
OF the United States. small as it has here
tofore been. has never been kept to its full
capacity by volunteer enlistments. And
this large standing army once provided
for, and relied upon. must be kept full.
Net being able to recruit the army by
volunteer enlistments. an act Of conserlp-
tion Will be necessary. and the people OF
this country will soon be subject 10 all the
military requirements and exactions which
have made European powers SO odious TO
freemen.
-sThe Democratic party proposes that the
standing army shall continue small. And
in order that there shall be military force
sufficient for national defence. as well as
for any service which may be required
abroad. ii proposes the creation Of we'll
organized and thoroughly equipped Ma
tional Guard. Every war fought by this
country has been fought with her citizen
soldiery and no good reason can be given
for departing frcm that policy.
Il have introduced a bill providing for a
volunteer army in time CT war and for
the organization and equipment of the Ma
tional Guard in time OF peace More gen.
erous than the Republican party to the
National Guard, this bill provides that
$4,000 600 shall be annually appropriated
for its maintenance and equipment, and
its provisions throughout are intended to
strengthen in every possible way the or
ganiZation Of the National Guard and to
make Il the bulwark of national defence
and national honor. The Republican Con-
gress only appropriated 81 coo, coo for the
National Guard.
''No worse evil can befalI any country
than that its people should become depen-
dant for their rights and liberties upon
a paid military establishment. controlled
and governed by a constantly growing
central power. For these reasons and
many others. our forefathers and our
selves have ever steered clear of the dan
ger involved in maintaining a large
standing army. We have been firmly con-
WINGED that the citizen soldiery Of the
country is its strongest safeguard. We
have felt, and justly so, tina. the great
body of the people are the best caretakers
OF our liberties. We judging from the
experience OF other Republics, have CON
Guided that 1t is unsafe TO create a class
TO whom alone the people can look in
time of danger for the preservation OF
their liberties. Experience has taught us
that a well regulated militia, composed
of the body of the people trained to arms,
is the proper. natural. and safe defence
Of free State. and that standing armies
in time OF peace should be avoided as dan
gerous to liberty.
This policy has been pursued with sin
gular consistence and with the most BEN
eficial results There is nothing which
should at this time. induce us to depart
from it,