Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1901-02-28
MENACE OF
Dangerous Power Is Placed An tia
Hands Of the Presi-
dent.

During the last campaign the DINO
Gratis pointed out that republican sue
cess would encourage the party in
power to increase the standing army.
The republicans evaded the question
for the most part and, when they were
challenged to meet it, resorted to sub
terfuge and deception. They claimed
that the army then in service was made
necessary by the war in the Philippines
and called attention to the fact that the
increase expired by limitation in 1901.
They pretended to believe hat the
army could be reduced before that
time if the republicans won the cleo
ton and the Filipinos were as
sured that there would be no change in
the administration. These arguments
ought not to have misled anyone be-
cause the president, two months be-
fore hostilities broke out at Manila,
asked for authority to raise the army
to 100, 900.
A republican house of representa-
tives PASSED a bill giving him the au-
thority and the democrats and their
populist and silver republican allies in
the senate secured the limitation which
the republicans were afterwards so
anxious to hide behind. The
election resulted in a republic
an victory even more pronounced
than the leaders of hat party
had expected, but the war in the Phil
ippines did not terminate, and then
the imperialists came out from under
cover and boldly demanded an increase
in the military establishment. A bill
was introduced, hurried through the
house and senate and is now a law.
The title is a confession of cowardice.
1t is not a bill to increase the size of the
standing army, but a bill ITO increase
the efficiency of the permanent mill
tary establishment of the United
States" 1t provides that the army of
the United States shall consist of Is
regiments of cavalry, a corps of artil-
lery, 80 regiments OF infantry, n
lieutenant general, six major generals,
is brigadier generals, ETC., etc. etc.
Each regiment of cavalry and infantry
has one colonel, one lieutenant colonel.
three majors, Is captains, Is first lieu
tenants and Is second l~ieutenants, be-
sides sergeants, sergeant majors, cor
porals, etc.-the etc. including, among
other persons. privates ranging from
43 to 76 in each cavalry troop, and from
4s to 1877 in each infantry company.
The president is given the dangerous
power to increase the army to the
maximum. The number of enlisted
men is limited to 100000. The maxi
mum of enlisted men may include H.
600 natives to be enlisted in the Philip
islands if the president sees At to
them.
If anyone will read the bill complete
and count the number of generals,
colonies, lieutenant colonies, majors,
captains. first ~lieutenants, second lieu
adjutants, inspectors, quar-.
and other officers with life
he can understand something
Of the force which militarism can com
mand in any legislative contest with
the taxpayers.
1t is easier to increase an army, espe-
the official part, than reduce it,
and the people have before them a diff
fcult task, but the burdens and menace
IF militarism can be relied upon to
rouse the people. When the awaken
comes it will be found that the peo-
pie who profit by a large military estab-
Iishment, however powerful its present
influence, are insignificant in numbers
compared with those who are injured.
Commoner