The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-10-31
Vast Navy Proposed by
Republicans.
RIVAL ENGLAND'S FLEET.
lmperialists Demand Preposter-
Gus Outlays.
WOULD RAISE A MIGHTY ARMY.

0spablicans Contend THAT We should
HAVE . Military Force In Pro-
psstien te Our Population - that
Means Eighteen Hundred Thousa nd
mea-Cost wosld he stupe.dous.
uew Features Of the Philippine
ouessioa-Menace to Old Soldiers.
vDesaxi~g 60 Bryan.
Especial wsshington Lette,.]
IL = amasing with what rapld!ty this
Philippine war has changed the opin-
\ 1ons Of Republican, statesmen. Until
THE year nobody OF any reputation
ever openly advocated the theory that
/, - Should keep up q military and na.
va1 establishment Of vast proportions
leow 10 u asserted by Republican lead
60, both in congress and upon tho
okump. that we should have a navy
equal to the largest In the world. which
means equal to Engiand's. That would
tAke $4,000 900 In cash to build bat
tleships Of the first class. to shy moth.
1ne Of torpedo boats, armored cruisers.
protected cruisers. monitors, commerce
oestroyers and other smaller craft, for
ungiand has c. more battleships, and
ooe Of that class costs at least $5.0OO.-
600 To make navy really equal to
Dagland's would probably cost 81. .OOO.-
100000. believe as firmly as do the
Republicans In the wisdom Of Sancho
RDnza's dIctum that ''in peace is the
time to prepare for war" Consequent.
" I am In favor Of nayy adequate to
M Of our wants. but I am teetotaliy
opposed 20 any such monstrous folly
md preposterous extravaganza as to
undertake to riral England In the size
end strength Of our naval equipment,
6rr We have no use for It. A man does
not have to be an idiot In order to be
= patriot.
Immense Standing Array.
" ID now vigorously contended both
N and out Of congress and for the first
time that we should have n standing
army N large In proportion to our pop
ulation as any other nation on earth
has. and men who have never given one
moments consideration to what this
proposltion means throw high their
sweaty caps In air and yell for II as
though IL meant great blessing for
the republic. What does this PROPOSE
tion mean? France. with population
OF 330C0.O00. has standing army of
100000 men; Italy. with about the
same population. has about the same
sized army. Germany. with a popula.
tion OF over 40y0OO.OOO. has an army of
over SOOO0O men. and SO ON to the
end OF the chapter. The truth Is that
evcry nation Of Europe Is groaning un-
Ger the great load Of tax to keep up
its standing army. TO such an ex.
tent has this been carried that II Is
0id In Europe that every laborer car.
RES a soldier upon his back. and while
the census figures have not all been
published for this years census the
general estimate is that we have pop
plation Of about 70.0O0,OOO not count.
eing Porto Rico and the Philippines.
On the theory that we should have nm
army equal In proportion to the stand
Ing armies Of other countries We would
have an army Of about 100000 men,
, Tor which We have no earthly use and
which would cost an annual sum at
the thought Of which the overburden-
q taxpayers must shudder.
When the bill to reorganIze the ar.
my was before the house, I catechlsed
my Republican friend. Colonel Il. f..
Marsh Of the Quincy district. who was
. brave Union soldier and who Is a
leading member Of the committee ON
military affairs. as to the cost OF main
tanning soldier In the regular army.
His rcply TO my inquiry was that the
average cost OF maintaining q regular
soldier while doing service I'm the Unit.
ed States Is about $1,000 per year. On
the basis Of 100000 regulars. ut ST.
600 apiece, the cost Of the standing ar.
my would be sl.S0O.OOO 900 per year.
and there isn't man living who Gun
give any valid reason or plausible ex.
cuse for Withdrawing 100000 young
men from the ranks OF the producers
and loading them upon the peoples
~'s~ -" ~ ~ NOot tut
ai powers OF the human mind are mad
eQuate to comprehend. The only way
to prevent this stupendous folly Is to
elect Bryan and Democratic con.
gress. FOR there Is no earthly sense In
electing Democratic president with
out a Democratic congress to aid him
In his patriotic endeavors for the pub
lie veal. ! repeat 1t that we have nc
use for such standing army or any
thing approxlmating II.
Strength Of the Repsblic.
We have never depended on the regu
lnr army or great navy for our de
tense; we have never waged war IN
which the volunteers did not do tn,
major part OF the fighting. and TN,
Unitcd States never did carry on
war without success. The real strength
OF tie republic lies In the patriotism