The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-10-25
troops and the transports and material were
ready 10 move on the instant
Our Army Is Small.

Our Army Is Small.
The authorized number OF the regular army
today Is 6jOW, but ON the 10Th OF June next It
! will, unless there he further legislation in the
| meantime. he reduced 60 2i,5W. substantially
the number at which II has stood for the past
| iwenty.scven years; but as the country has grown
in its population and its multitude Of interests,
as our aeacoast fortfcations have been increased,
under the leadership of samuel \. ridden. and
| upon plans prepared by the first administration
| ot Cleveland. as the art of war has become more
| scientific and complicated more men are nee.
essary to perform the same duties than were able
| to perform them years ago. The army of 2I,lWD
| is only about oncthird as large in proportion
to onr population as Our army was thirty years yea,
| ago. The question how large the army should
| he IS simple business question as to how many
men are necessary TO perform certain specific
duties. The last congress fixed upon 100000 in
view of the conditions then existing. The next
session of congress will probably determine how
many requisite under the conditions then cX.
isting. Specially bclligerent people will prob,
| congressman will probably insist upon too few. I
| think we can assume that about the right con.
| cusion will be reached.
Now does any sane American honestly beeye
| that this threatens the liberties or the nstit'l.
| tions of our country? Why. President Mckinley
| had 2T2,OOO men in arms at the close OF the
Spanish, war. Grant had an army Of i.o'sooo on
| the SOth Of April, 1865. and they melted away
| into the pcacrablc body Of people like snow.
flakes in May. But these are volunteers, 1t will
be said. Well. all the soldiers Of the regular
army has there been a man drafted or forced
into It against his will Their term OF enlist
mcnt is but three years. and at the end of that
time they go back to the OCCUPATIONS OF cihii
life. They are all Americans. They are intclli.
gent Americans. None are admitted who cannot
read and write They are sound. wholesome
Americans. of good habits and regular lives, for
none are admitted who are not in perfect health.
Nineteen thousand tive hundred and forty.ni
men enlisted in the year ending the 3Oh oi
last June TO take the place Of those whose terms
had ,t,,i thN-n tcnrn Iptt nI
Of S0,2i3 applicants--lo,5i0 accepted and w.
Go+ rejected as not up to the standard intellec.
tually or physically. They all swear allegiance,
not to monarch or a president. but to the
e sa,es ,n oa american hEss % aar Of
their country hoats always over t"e M riy ars
s.'iounucn ny t"s leo.es ,: a.' M nn,,. hrnatno
OF comrades VINO nave aieu lor ~. imeS nt."' ,or
,he m'mosph,e VI p.oot! .t uuu , 4, iii ali
ca! YOU ~! % W. M,.meSs ,, .,'i ," ,sann ,hnthor
.' ns'otN .ne a,Ie'. @ ..r, 's "ss hethar w Mox
N the sta,es OF .ns 't1i'r,ss' p Ley NV p,rros NJ
ico or omna, or ror.o ne" o, LITE ame hoi roI;cd
NINA, tneIe .hc N.,.lea. ,., psoi. .',. nav ,r o,r;n
WIN coihuenre anu VIII reason upo" ,od ~, h.,
,,a,''' .,. n oo' @ r, ' 40 ,rsn;nnn,s IN
!neh..'! :''!u l'o'', ny i, " w ,, an, nr,.,
.ne arts o peace where ,mss 'oatio !" ,M % ard ,s
Maho M justice any cIl'ias anu ,r;,,. % ,,rdsr
,isi1n io'loW lhes !'e os o'''S H., 'h tha, s ,ro M,
tis", npdor "r' nra"oc,tion IL amJ marnanous after
M.i.'olE W Dml'ns 'meSr ,,S, ,;,tr;r, Wy ti,o Xvii
ISL ISL 's,anhs a :.ey nave oee,. iora,;nr ,,o hav.
law, law W,.n J"st.ee M anu 'uu os a,oth;, t,c naked
oet" ieeu,mE .ht n"s.H anu ., o,onn;Sr w t,e fo,
ana pro'rc'lnS ;ns Meah a'u G""e ' ,rn,;,;n.
clt;es anu estannshs nIsp.us anu ,s nmd on
ana opening SCHOOLS @ nma n,in noone how 70
take thc hrst steps IN sGhSoxer,n,em', t'o,r "n de
cheeftnl ,hu'is'ry ana zeni. enniemsr wv, n,o
tractors TO sa! wnetheI ~ an. con.,','' III ~, Ill, m
'hcF nave been, IN an inc years OF .' Ics".'. ,u
army, me cthcets ana men nave ho' u."aHs ~ ,
themselves as simple: nhhSSuhins. unP' n;ut
american citizens. ! challenge 'hem TO po'ne
10 singIe act OF oppression III a' t.est Wv
hundred and eleven years to single act o, t',s no
io!altN on inc part OF thr regular army. ; ~. ,. .
supremacy OF civii law ana the prlhc'p'es Oh o''
'ree e'"''''"''o'a' government
~ believe" says Mr.. Bryan. at New York,
''that one of the reasons that they want large
army is to build fort in this city and the
army to suppress by force that discomfort that
ought to be cured by legislation" What war.
rant has he for that belief? When or by whom
has such thing been attempted? Does he not
know that it is expressly forbidden by the
statutes Of the United States? Does he not know
that there is constant effort on the part OF
army arm "uo POSTS pnd Constant pressure by the
pie OF our cities to secure their establishment?
Let him undertake the removal OF Fort Crook
from the city of Omaha and see what response
ne would receive from lts people. lie, nm ask ASK
passage OF bill by congress at the last session
for the establishment Of post at Dcs Molnes.
Let him inquire why Tacoma and Seattle are
ccntending as to which city shall have the cs-
tnblis,ment OF new post now; why the people
OF Prescott, Arizona, are protesting against thc
removal OF Fort Whpple; why the representa-
tiVes OF lcSas are urging the increase OF the gar
rlson at Fort sam Houston; why the people OF
Atlanta are sending delegations to secure head
quarters there; and he Will learn that the people
OF the United States, instead OF tearing, desire,
the establishment OF army posts IN their ne'gi.
horhoods because they know that TINS pretended
apprehension is but the idle vaporing OF a cam
paign orator.
The growing practice OF using the army to
repress labor, says Mr.. Bryan. When ana
where has the army been used to rcprcss labor?
Never anywhere. Twice only in the past twenty
years 1t has ben used in any domestic ahair
once IN ls96 when Democratic president, lr
Cleveland, sent troops to Chicago to protect the