Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-12-02
WHAT ALARGE STANDING ARMY
IS WANTED FOR.

On the whole the by-pIay OF the Re
publicans on the question of Army in
crease is rather amusing. 1t does not
deceive anybody, not even those who
are engaged in it, and so is quite harm
less. All this talk about q minimum of
$4,000 and n maximum of 100000 is the
veriest twaddle that demagogues and
slaves OF expcdiency ever INDUCED in.
The standing army will be increased to
100000 men, of course; maybe more.
certainly not less. That is one of the
things that Republican Congressman
were sent to Washington to do, and
that was one of the things that big
checks were drawn in Hanna's favor
for during the campaign.
or course the Philippines serve as a
pretext. That is what the Philippines
We're bought for, because the thing
couldn't be begun just dry so without
any preteXt at all. They will serve as
a preteXt when the army is still further
increased, as 1t will be If the present
influences continue to dominate at
Washington, from 100000 to 10000 or
tually be needed to hold the Philip
pines; they are wanted for purposes of
moral suasion" by the group of inter-
ests. less than a dozen in number,
which can jam any measure through
Congress they want, and defeat any
measure they don't like-the interests
in short which own official Republican
come pretty near to owning the country
in the next ten years.
The men who control these interests
are seeing persons. 1hcy are likcmisc
rcry much afraid of the American people,
whom they regard as mostly anar-
chists and foes of law and order" be-
cause they do not take kindly TO the
admonition TO get off the earth. These
men understand perfectly we'll that If
present tendencies are maintalned-if
the concentration of wealth goes on; ii
the consolidation in all the branches
of industry, production. transportation
and distribution be carried to it's logi-
cal conclusion. then the American peo-
pie will be reduced to Il condition OF
industrial dependence from which
nothing short of an actual revolution
can free them. They know, further
more, that the present fcverish condi-
ton, mscallcd prosperity. will not last,
and they fear that when another era
of falling prices. stagnation in com
merce and fugitive money and great
scarcity comes about through the oper-
ation OF the gold standard, the Ameri-
can people may decline to stand FOR
amy further tightening of the screws
That IS why Standing Army is
wanted. ana that is why the incYease
is aot going to stop al 100, O00 men. 1T
will be increased beyond that point
Just rs easily and plauslbly and
smoothly as ii VIII he increased to that
point And when the time comes to
use 1t for the coercion or our own citi-
@ens. ii will all he done in the name
OF law and order" and the Trust
Newspapers viii sing hosanas that the
stability OF oul institutions is preserv-
ed" 60 just rs they are still praisins
Grover Cleveland for violating the
Constitution 10y sending Federal troops
to Chcago--an act for which he should
have been impeachcd, and would have
been in tho early days of the Republic.
In the end. the people may triumph
and they may not. In the struggle
thus far they lave not done any tri-
umphing worth mentioning. In not one
single instance. in thirty years, have
.
large fiscal interests OF the country.