The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1863-07-31
UNION NOMINATION..
Hard to be Satisfied.

The editor of the Argus seems as difficult 10
please as the man who, on going home late
at night in a "balrhy" mood, began to conjure
up excuses for fiogging his wife. If he found
her In bed he would fog her for being so
thoughtless of him in his absence; if she was
not in bed he would fog her sure for sitting
ZIP and burning out the candles. Our contem-
porary seems to be equally well disposed
toward the city in its late action relating to
she drafted men.
On the 10th Of July petition was present
cd to the citylgovernment, signed by "citizens
and tax payers Of Portland" requesting the
City Council to appropriate and raise "an
amount sufficient to pay to each and every
man who may be drafted in the U. S. service
under the present draft, aud who shall be mus
tered into said service eithcrby himself or sub
stitute, the sum Of $780, and the Council, in
both boards, on the same evening, promptly
complied with the request thus made. At the
same meeting petition came in in aid of the
other petitions, respectfully requesting that a
Town Meeting might be called TO secure the
object prayed for by @our conscript fellow cit
izens." This petition was headed by Hon
Joseph Howard, and contained the signatures
OF seventy Others, citizens of Portland. all
democrats, many of them the most prominent
men of the party; old war horses, and If not
most thoroughly copper-fastened. In the list
we find such names as c. Q. Clapp, Ezra Car
ter, ]. B. Carroll, David Keazer, S. r. Lyman,
Jonas III. Perley, A. K. Shurtleff, A. w. Ii
Clapp, JOHN NJ. ADAMS, leditor of the Argus)
and others Of equal note
Well, the town meeting has been held, the
very thing prayed for has been done, and
now our negihbor of the Argus, after his o,cn
petition has been so promptly granted, comes
out with complaining article, and more than
intimates that justice has not been done the
poor men Of our city! He says, referring to
the petition of the city government:
After considerable wriggling and maneuvering for
drafted citizen who should enter the service or pro-
vide substitute, and made the necessary provision
therefor.
Is this truthful, or was it inspired by spir-
1t from the pit? There was no "wrigging," no
"maneuvering." no Several days" delay, no
such procrastination and reluctance as that
word finally" suggests, but the action was
prompt, generous and effective, the whole
having been completed before the petitioners
had time to inquire what was the result of
their prayer.
After admitting that the action of the town
meeting was "all that was asked for In the pc
titions presented'-the petition OF his own
signing-he says:
II this shall be the case chat substitutes will cost
more than $500 the action thus far taken by the city
authorities will afford no relief TO the poor man who
Is 80 situated that he cannot 20. Tfbe go he
will get the $500 for his family. If not and subst
tutss cost 500 be can NO more pay the excess above
three hundred dollars than his communication fee.
The action Of the city places him on no equality
with his better-of nefghbor. Should this prove to
ties win yet be induced to consider the poor conscrpt
and take such action as will enable him to comply
with the law by paying his Communication the same
As MS neighoors. IL Will only bejast 50 to do.
4J"! Here are three important ifs, all in
tended to breed discomfort on the part of
drafted men-discontent with the most ample
response to his own petition. Are we to un-
derstand that the Copperheads, having failed
to make capital out OF the draft, are now to
engage in the execrabIe work of specializing
Asubstitutes? Who but Copperheads have
limited at 5000 as the price of substitute?
And is not this hint designed to stimulate
those who would 60 as substitutes to make
their demands large, and to refuse the $500?
Iii lucky for some people that they are
not to settle for their iniquity with their fel-
low-rebels at Richmond. There, through
speculation and combination, the price of SUBJ
stitutes was run up from $40 to $1,000. The
Confederate government took the matter in
hand, and to head on such speculation in
white men, the rebel Secretary of War issued
decree, proclaiming the punishment of death
as the penalty Of those who dealt In this nefa-
tious traffic.