Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1863-11-27
"What shall Burlington do 80


Communication with the above title |
appeared in the FREE Pass of last week on |
the subject Of offering bOunties by the Town
of Burlington, to volunteers to make up its |
quota under the present call from the Presi- |
dent. The Times of the 10th contains a I
communication from +" In which the |
writer makes objections to the position taken
in the article first mentioned; summing them |
up in his concluding paragraph as follows:
object to vote of Town Bounties for this |
reason: II is unjust to men who have paid $500 |
communication, or for substitute, and 10 men who
have served already in tire Amy, to tax them to
shield others from the draft. Let the Govern
NETT adopt some system, either of drafting or
recruiting, and not dodge from one to the other
every quarter. If the men are in existence they
can be had because all can be called for No doubt
1t would hit some who would prefer paying taxes
10 being drafted; but adopt some Dernanrn,
system and put it through. Let thi. be Zone,
and have no fears but that this Town will con-
tribute her share 70 Vie seaport of the Nation.
y.
We find in the Times OF Monday morning
tne IOnOWlnS sensible reply
The communication in the Times Of the 10Th
inst, signed " y, fails, as it seems 10 me, to
develop any practical plan Of meeting the re-
sponslbilites Of burlington under the recent call
Of the President for troops Indeed, it is some
/ what difficult to determine from the eommunica-
4 ton whether :" X - desires TO raise our quota by
volunteering or by draft. He objects to the
/ payment of town bounties to volunteers, aud
states as one reason for such objection, that eve
| have done well under all calls ior men 50 far
and have no doubt brt that We shall do as well
| under the preeent or any future call" This in
dicares that he expects We shall supply our quo
| IA by volunteering. He forgets that the three
4 years volunteers raised in this town in the sum-
mer OF 1862 were paid cash bounty varying
from s25 TO 500, and that this bounty was vir.
tually town bounty. being raised by IN sssess-
ment upon the grand let, in conformity with the
vote of a very large and harmonious public meet
ing. Is there any probability that volunteers
I VIII now be secured for a less sum in cash than
then
But IN the very next paragraph - Y - seem.
| 10 abandon all hope or desire ofeh,srinc voiun-
teers, and to favor draft fcr l2g men as more
patriotic. He i obliged to admit, however, that
| the dram may not furnish that number of
men" Now 1t Is men that the government want
and to adopt system Of raising men, the very
advocates ofwhch doubt its efficiency to accom-
plish its purpose, can hardly be called very pa
triotic or practical
The criticism the multitudnOus Gauss If
exemption recognized by the government under
the drait, in which - indulges. contains
much truth and s0rr humor, but will fail to
| convince the citizens Of Burlington that a. n
practical measure We had better omit the en-
I couragement Of volunteering for two months
] u
10 defeat the purpose Of the government IN their
demand for men.
" Y - further advises the General Govern
ment to make a radical change in the conscrip-
ton law, and 10 adopt permanent system either
Of drafting or recruiting, aud promises that II
this is done, Burlington "sill contribute her
share to the support Of the nation"
submit that Burlington had better do her
duty without any rs, and TO furnish her quota
OF men under the call OF the State authorities
and the laws as they now are, and not delay our
work trusting to the future alteration Of the con-
scuptiou law by the slow and uncertain action
OF Congress Prominent members Of Congress
among them Senators Wilson Of Massachusetts,
and Collamer o: this State-have expressed them
selves decidedly against any alteration q the
SOU Communication clause, upon the ground that
without this provision the law would he oppress-
i've upon the poor man. II the law remains I'M
altered IN this respect, all hope of ia sing any
considerable number Of men in Vermont by the
draft must be abandoned. The experience Of the
f-st draft IS conclusive upon this point.
All the surrounding States are now offering
increased bOunties 10 volunteers, having found
such a course necessary to secure the men. Isit
70 be expected that Vermont can raise men At
cheaper rate than her sister States Atthe out
set Of the war she paid higher wages 10 her SOL
diers than any other State Shall she now change
her policy and become more niggardiy than the
rest Of New England
When the bountes offered become larger than
the soldiers long service Of toll and danger de
serves, It will be time to refuse 10 pay them, but
it i'll becomes any one who remains at home in
inglorious ease to grumble at the extravaganza
of any bounties that have any where yet been
paid, or promised, to the soldiers who are risking
their lives to preserve for Us all the only comforts
and security We possess.
The objection Of " Il that the offer Of town
bounues " Is unjust 10 those who have paid
$500 Communication, or for substitute or who
have served already in the army" applies with
equal force to the former action Of the citizens Of
this town in paying bounties, and 10 the course
OF the Government in respect TO volunteers
The first three years volunteers from Burlington
received no town bounties whatever, and yet no
one complained Of unfarness in the offer Of
bounty made III 1862 by Burlington to her vol
unteers, when that course was necessary 10 OBJ
tain the men The government paid only 500
bounty for the first two years Of the war, and
now it pays $500 and 500. Who has ever
complained that the present offer by the govern
ment IS unjust to those already in the field -
And yet the people Of Burlington, as part Of the
United States, contribute IN the way Of taxation
TO the payment Of these increased bouniies al
most as directly as they would by town tax
The fact Is simply this the number Of avail
able men diminishes, and price Of labor increases
and the demand Of the government for soldiers
becomes more urgent, the price Of a soldiers
labor will advance. The great law Of demand
and supply viii inevitably regulate this, as well
as ali other matters Of political economy.
W.