The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-08-29
DANGER OF MIIITARISM.
Representative Hny Points Ont the
PeriIs of a Grent Standing Army.

PeriIs of n Great Standing Army.
Representative Hay, of Virginia, who
| is prominent member of the Committee
| on Military Affairs. in statement issued
from his home at Madison, Va. directs
the attention of Americans to the dangers
OF militarism. He saws:
The relations OF this country to the
other nations of the world have become so
changed in the last two years that the
subject OF national defence has become
most important. if not VIZ Il question. 1t
is problem which must he solved by Con-
gress at no distant day. The present mil
itary establishment will cease on the first
day OF July. 1901 The standing army
must be kept down to the lowest possible
number Of men. and future emergencies
must be provided fer by equipping, educat-
ing. and organizing a citizen soldiery.
The, objections to any increase in the
| Regular Army are fundamental and well
understood. During the entire history of
our country our wars have been fought
by volunteers. and it is to the volunteer
army this country must always look for
national defence. The only way to avoid
| the maintenance of a large standing army
is to have an effective National Guard.
THE Republican party advocates large
and permanent standing army and it Will
| insist upon a large increase in the stand
| ing army, should it continue in power.
Apart from the immense cost which such
| a military establishment would entail per-
| manently upon the Government the effect
| of its maintenance would be to discourage
| the formation Of National Guard organiza-
| tions. and to sap the military spirit of our
| people. This large standing army Is rec
essarily part of the imperial and mill
| tary system which the present Administra-
| tion is seeking to force upon the country.
1t 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 it denounces
in its national platform the maintenance
of a large standing army.
I'm order to maintain this large stand
ing army proposed by the Republican
party. it will be necessary to conscript the
citizens of the country, because II -ough-
cut its entire history the Regular Army of
the United States, small as 1t 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.
Not being able to recruit the army by vol
unteer enlistments, an act of conscription
will be necessary and the people OF this
country will soon be subject to all the
military requirements and exactions which
have made European powers SO odiOus to
freemen.
"The 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 re-
quired abroad. it proposes the. creation Of
a well organized and thoroughly equipped
National Guard. Every war fought by
this country has been fought with her
citizen soldiery. and no good reason can
be given for departing from that policy.
II have introduced bill providing for
g volunteer army in time Of war and for
the organization and equipment Of the
National Guard in time OF peace. More
generous than the Republican party to
the National Guard. this bill provides that
100000 shall be annually appropriated
for its maintenance and equ. lment and
its provisions throughout are intended to
strengthen in every possible way the Or
ganization of the National Guard and to
make it the bulwark of national defence
I and national honor. The Republican
| Congress appropriated only $1,000000 for
! the National Guard.
mo worse evil can befall any cOu=try
| than that its people should become depen-
dent for their rights and liberties upon
| paid military establishment, controlled
| and governed by q constantly growing CEN
1 tral power. For these reasons, and many
others, our forefathers and ourselves have
ever steered clear of the danger involved
! in maintaining a large standing arBay. We
| have been firmly convinced that the citi-
zen soldiery of the country is its strongest
safeguard. We have felt, and justly so,
! that the great body of the people are the
best caretakers of our liberties. We. judg-
| ing from the experience of other Republics.
have concluded that it 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
a free State, and that standing armies in
time of peace should be avoided as dam
| gerous TO liberty.
This policy has been pursued with sing
ular consistence and with the most bene-
| fetal results. There is nothing which
should at this time induce US 10 depart
! from it."