Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1863-03-12
The New CONSUMPTION Law.


ao The New CONSUMPTION Law. '"o
The only serious objection offered to the
new CONSUMPTION law is to the $500 com
mutation clause in the 18th section. But
we think there is a great misapprehension
in the mind Of the German people, who
most object in respect to the real meaning
of the section. They seem to misconstruc
it-at least they interpret it differently
from what we do. 81 s-oD
The section reads as follows: s.i.q
SEC. l3. -dnd be Il further enacted. that
any person drafted and notified to appear
as aforesaid. may on or before the day fix.
ed for his appearance furnish an aecepta-
bic substitute to take his place in The draft.
or may pay to such persons as the Secre.
tary of War may authorize to receive it.
such sums as the Secretary of War may
determine. MOTTO exceed three hundred dol
lars, for the procurement Of snch substitute.
and thereupon the said person furnishing
a sustitute or paying the money shall be
discharged from any further liability un-
der tho draft. =
THE portion we omit refers to desertivn
and the penalty there Of. oaf' nn
Let us carefully examine the meaning
and bearing of this section.
Ist. The drafted man may on or before
the day fixed for his appearance, furnish
an acceptable substitute to take his place
in the draft. Thus far the language is so
plain that there can be but one construc-
tion of it.
I'd. The drafted man may pay to such
persons as the Secretary of War m1y-
not must--authorize to receive il, such
sum not exceeding $500. as the Secretary
may determine for the procurement of
such substitute.
81. And thereupon the drafted man fur
nishing the substitute or paying the money.
shall be discharged from further liability
under that draft. ,..l q, ,--.. -, f..-..
1t will be perceived that it is not made
obligatory on the Secretary Of War to
"anthorize' any person to receive the
money. He may do SO, or he may not
Neither is the conscript obliged to offer it.
He may or may not, aud the former may
or may not accept it; but if he should,
then tie drafted man is discharged from
liability under that draft. The Secretary
is not obliged to iix the sum at any par
ticular amount. 1t may be $500. or 500
or $40.
Again: 1t will bo perceiv that the
language of the law is, that the $500 is
'Jor The procurement of such substitute. -
The communication money is not paid into
the Treasury Of the United States at all;
but goes directly to "such substitute" as
will agree to serve in the place ofthc draft
ed man. The main meaning of the law is
that every man who is drafted must serve
three years or during the war unless some
other acceptable man volunteers to take his
place. The only exception to the rule is
found in the five exemption clauses in be-
half Of laboring men having poor or help
less relatives to support.
Suppose draft is made on Illinois, and
the quota for Chicagois is 1000 men; we
contend that 1000 men hove got to be
furnished. either by principals or substi-
tutes. The Government don't care whe,h
er it be A, d and G. or their substitutes,
X, Y and u, but it must have the exact
number called for anyhow. II the Secre-
tary OF War authorizes person to receive
$500 from drafted man, it is for the pur-
pose Of paying it to some man who steps
forward and volunteers as q substitute
Ii the Government. can not find the substi-
tute. it is not bound to receive the money;
and the drafted man must 60 or find sub
stitnte. Obviously if the substitute shark
fails to furnish his principal with q SUBJ
substitute, the principal must go. The
Government substitute officer takes pre-
cisely the same position and responsibility
as the substitute broker except, that he
keeps down the price to $500 for the ben
eft Of those who cannot afford to pay the
exhorbitant,rates fixed by the 'sharks."
The object Congress had in view in fix
ing the maximum sum at $500. was ten
fold; first, to prevent, as far as possible,
substitute sharks" from, raising up Z no
price so high that none but the wealthy
could afford to pay it; secondly. to induce
as many of the soldiers whose terms of
service arc expiring. to rs-onter the army.
As possible. Between now and July next
not less than 70. 900 nine months and two
year men win have served their time and
DO discharged There are now at home
many thousand discharged soldiers fit for
service. who might be induced toreturn
to the service during the, remsindsr
OF the war for q bounty. Of three or; four
hundred doilass.r Tbese old veterans are
seasoned. toushenei and disciplincd.-l
They have learned their trade. They
know the business By heart. The Gov
ernment would rather hays one of them
than two green ,eonscripts. and so would
the Generals. .,~.f ,.,,.si -, :, i
rSection 2Hof the Conscript Act provides
thst mea who are drafted shall receive the
same pay aud bounty as is paid to volun-
tecrs. which is 900 and 813 per month,
of course the substitute who takes the place
of the drafted man viii get this bounty Is
we'll As The pay. Now when the Secrsta-
~ Of War receives $500, Communication
money. he will be able to pay. the old sol !
disr who re-enters the, service ss : substi-
tute, The snug sum Of 8400. besides rations.
and S13 A'month. Looking st
the law in this light, and constituting its
meaning. - we have done--snd il can
f.l-I --.- r.. = u " <lxt - ~ II