The Washington weekly post., 1900-12-11

I Mr.. SEafroth took his seat Mr.. Hull, III
charge of the time on the Republican
side. stated that no one on his side de-
sired to speak further. Thereupor Mr..
! Sulzer, who had charge of the time on the
| Democratic side, yielded an hour 10 Mr..
/ Mccall. This was the hrst intimation
/ the House had that the Massachusetts
member was 10 oppose the bill. The an
| nOuncement created a great stir. Mr.
/ Mccall on several occasions during the
/ last session antagoniZed his party, nota-
bly, on the Porto Rican tariff bill, and a
! great desire to hear him yesterday was
manifested. Members who had retired to
/ the eloakrooms fiocked back into their
/ seats and listened attentively to his
words.
Mr. MeCnlrs Criticism.
! Mr.. Mccall declared that he did not be-
! lieve in the principle of giving the Execu-
| tive discretion to multiply almost by two
| the regular army, although President Nc
| Kinley would doubtless exercise that dis
| cretion patriotically and wisely The OBJ
| lection was one of principle. Such a
| grant OF power could not be paralleled
| in the constitutional monarchies. II was
! not conferred with any limitation as to
time. The bill proposed a standing army
q practically hundred thousand men.
such a number, he said, was not needed.
a
for the Philippines, and the character or
the bill made Il important 10 discuss what
the ultimate policy of the country with
reference 10 the army should be. The
government should have declared at the
outset a policy In the Philippines similar
I TO that declared in Cuba.
/ Our system of government was mani
festly unfit for colonial policy. and tnat
proposition had been so frequently ais
cussed that he would consider the praC-
tical question whether II was Tor our IN
tCreSt TO remain in the Philippines, Ihere
was no community of interest between
the people OF those islands and the Unit
ed States, and they were almost as lar
as the poles asunder. No advocate or re-
tanning the Philippines had peeh i5I uaTih5 n
enough to maintain that they should DC
a part of our political system: In 1hct'
the great argument In favor or the pfln-
cjrle of the Porto Rico tarln was tnat II
we could not apply that principle 70 Porto
Rico. we could not retain the Philippines.
Cost Of Philippine Policy.
| ITnon what theory, ne asked. are we 10
remain in tkat country? FThe motive tnat
had been most widely put forth was that
IL was for our advantage ana especially
our pecuniary advantage. AS a part OF
the cost OF this policy we are TO include
the greater expense under this bill, which
is the first-born and legitimate offspring
OF the policy. Those who compare our
standing army with the standing armies
of Europe usually are careful not TO COM
pare the relative costs. The French army
costs si25 100000 a year: the German. l3O.
o00O0 the British, 500 900, 90, and the
Russian. Sl53. $4,000 These figures include
pensions and fortifcations IL this bill
passes. the War Department will need
s1l3,e00,0O0 There Is another cost not In
cluded in these igures. which is neces-
sary incident 10 an army and as much q
part OF it's cost as the pay Of the soldiers.
That IL the pension system We are ap-
propriating for that purpose No1S,0D
year Our total charges, therefore. iof
military purposes are Soo,Vo;Vyo PEI ysaI, l.,
an amount greater than the joint military
expenses OF those TWO armed rVdIs'
France and Germany"
In conclusion. SIR. Mccall pleaded that In
dealing with the Philippines We pursue
the American preeedents, and said;
THE time has come when We can frank
II declare our purposes. Let Us give those
people those assurances wnIcn our history
Inspires. Let ug tell them mat We Will all
them for one year or Ior nVe y ,hsr hssn oe; IN
symbolized by their own flag, and we will
leave with them all that IL most glorious
II the meaning Of another flag. liberty. IN
dependence. and sslt-goysrnnenL -.
out Nr. Mccalrs speech, but when be
finished the Democrats gave him q rous-
Ing round OF applause.
seaesasI cities Overlooked.
Mr. Cummings. OF New York, criticised
the blu on the score that the cities OF
the seaeoast States had been overlooked.
IL provided an inoFdinate increase OF the
cavalry branch Of the service, but he
thought IL did not Adequately provide for
manning the seacoast defenses Of the
country. Mr.. Cox. OF Tennessee, a mem
ber OF the military committee, concluded
the general debate on behalf Of the MI
nority with twenty-minute speech
against the general principle Of increasing
the size Of the permanent army.
II you are 10 create an army 70 shoot
down the Ftiipinos who are fighting for
what We fought for" said he, II viii not
vote nickel for such an army
Read UHaer Five-asisute Rsie.
General debate then closed. and the bin
wss read fo- amendment under the FIVE
minute Faie. The paragraphs authorizing
the Secretary Of War 10 prescribe regula-
tons as TO fitness of volunteers or civilians
appointed 20 The regular army under the
terms OF the bill were stricken out
Col Hepburn offered the following
amendment:
PFsyiesd: That saI vaeaney IN sae QssrtsrIzas-
tss's p>ssssasas sy - silsd ~ sypoiasnasni from
eiYti life.
Col Hepburn made this amendment tbs
basis Of some ksvere criticism Of the
Shaftsr expedition before Santiago. The
scandals which existed In the quartermas.
ter's branch OF the service on that oeca-
SIGN. ne said. might have been obyfa Ied
IL competent men from civil life had been
IN charge.
Mr. Hull defended the ouartermaster's