Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-03-05
EXISTENCE OF THE ARMY.
A Constitutional Grain of Comfort to
the Opposition.

the oppOshtAo"s
an view of the discussion which Is now
prevailing over the country as to the ex-
istence and maintenance of the army. which
seems, however, to be largely confined TO
the expense thereof, a constitutional provi-
sion relating thereto is germane 20 the IS
sue, and though the democratic leaders are
cognizant thereof, they seem to avoid IL
with characteristic silence" said an army
officer today.
1.-THE ignored point is the constitutional
limitation upon Congress in voting funds
for the maintenance of the army, and 1t
reads as follows:
Article 1, section 7. Congress shall nave
mower to raise and support armies, but no
appropriation of money for that use shaii
he for a longer time than two years
Under this provision % the constitution
.militarism,' which has been brought SO
prominently before the peoL'e In the as
cussions in the Senate and House and else
where, is an impoSSibiiity. Inc people tIeH-
selves may peacefully overthrow any Con-
gress they choose every two years ana elect
a new Congress pledged for or against any
measure or policy. A standing army OF
two years life Is very far removed from be-
ing the militarism of Europe, upon which
the democratic opposition has so persistent
ly harped. ;. :.
determines, decline to vote the appropriation
for the army, and the army gees out of ex-
fstence ipso facto, or, in plain Engllsn, Tor
want of support The armies OF Europe are
permanent institutions and are part ana
parcel of the empires they are raised to de-
Fond The comparison so feverishly and re-
peatedly made fails for want of truthful
similaritude
"When, therefore, the people may say
every two years by their votes for repre-
sentatives in Congress whether they WISH
an army maintained or not, and may, II
they choose, sweep every legislative repre-
sentative out Of the Capitol with one sweep
like particles Of dust on a moor, there neeo
be no dread of militarism in this country.
1.-The real facts are that the people are
NOT in accord with the democratic states
men. The army is popular with the people.
1t is realized that the United States of to-
day are not the United States OF before the
civil war. Policies and principles adhered
to then have by virtue Of our national met
amorphosis ceased to exist as controlling
factors of our destinies. Precisely Is 1t true
also that the men Of the democratic party
who then ruled and the portion thereof who
still preserve political power desire to rule
now have been pushed aside and out OF the
path of the country's triumphal progress.
1.-THE people have declared that they shall
have the army, and their united Will settles
1t. An average voluntary enlistment OF 1,OOO
and over men a month, most of them young
Americans of native birth. attests most en-
phatically it's popularity. The Steady stream
of senators and representatives marching
into the White House soliciting commissions
for their constituents speaks louder than
words And among the foremost OF these
statesmen are those whose voices are still
echofng in the halls of Congress against the
terrors. of militarism, while their footsteps
resound in the halls of the Executive Man
sion as they eagerly seek an opportunity TO
throw some Of their own young men into
the tentacles of the dreaded military octo-
ms which but few moments previous they
had described so eloquently at the Capitol