Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1863-04-30

most fortunate and favored OF the people
the members of Congress. the Custom
House officers and clerks, the postmasters
and clerks. professors aud students Of col
leges and ministers of the Gospel. the judi
cial officers and other officials.
This "act for enrolling and calling out
the national forces" denounced by your
Mozart He'll followers for making distinc-
tions between the rich and the poor. ex-
cepts and exempts not members of Con-
gress, not Custom House officers, not post
masters, not Government clerks. not the
State jHdiciaries, not ministers of the Cos
pei, and professors and students in collie
ges-no! not these fortunate and favored
classes OF men, for it enrolls them and re-
quires them either to fight, furnish substi.
tutes. or pay for substitutes. Who. then.
does this law, so flippantly denounced by
Mozart Hall Democracy, excep: and ex-
empt?
This law. branded by you, sir. and your
clansmen. exccpts and cxempts. first. the
President and Vice President Of the Uni
ted States, the judges of the various Courts
of the United States. the heads Of the va
rious executive departments of the Gov
ernment, and the Governors of the several
States. Second. the only son liable TO
military duty OF widow dependent upon
his labor for support. The only son OF
aged or infrm parent or parents dependents
on his labor for support. Fourth. where
there are two or moro sons of aged or in.
firm parents subject to draft, the father. or
if he be dead, the mother. may elect which
son shall be exempt. Fifth. the only
brother of children not twelve years old.
having neither father nor mother, depeR-
dent upon his labor for support. Sixth.
the father of motherless children under
twelve years of age, dependent upon his
labor for support. Seventh, where there
are father and sons in. the same family
and household, and two of them are in the
military service of the United States as
on-commssioned officers, musicians or
privates. the residue of such family and
household. not exceeding two. shall be ex-
empt. Eighth, young men between the
ages Of eighteen and twenty are exempt,
for the reason that experience proves that
soldiers under twenty years of age cannot
sustain the burdens of camp life as we'll a.
men between the ages of twenty and thir-
ty-fve.
These, sir, ore the exemptions Of the
Conscription act so called), in favor of
the poor, upon whose daily toll the aged,
the infirm and the helpless rely. Is it ma
king Infamous distinctions between the
rich and the poor" to exempt the only
sons of poor widows, and to compel mem
ters of Congress to fight, procure substi-
tutes or pay for substitutes? Is it ina
king odious distinctions between rich and
poor" to exempt the only sons Of aged or
in6rm parents dependent on them for bread.
and compel Custom House officials to-
fight. procure substitutes. or pay for sub
sttutes? Is it making infamous dis
tinctions between the rich and the poor"
to exempt tho only brothers of fatherless
and motherless little brothers and sisters
dependent upon their daily toll for snp-
port, and compel postmasters and Gov
ernment clerks to fight. procure substi-
tutes, or pay for substitutes. Is it ma
king infamous distinctions between
the rich ana the poor" to exempt
the fathers of motherless infant children,
dependent upon their daily toll for susteu-
ance and to compel State judges. justices
Of the peace. clergymen and college profes-
sors to fight. procure substitutes or pay
for substitutes? This law which thus dis
eliminates in favor of OF the poor. is de-
nounced and accursed by Mozart Hail.
Shame on Mozart Hall! Shame on the
men who misrepresent the benefcent pro-
visions of an act passed to uphold the cause
of our imperiled country.
The 18th Section of this Conscripticn
act provides. That any person drafted and
notified to appear as aforesaid may on OF
before the day fixed for his appearance, fur
nish an acceptable substitute to take his
place in the draft; or be may pay to such
person as the Secretary Of War may au-
thorize to receive it, such sum not exceed
ing three hundred dollars, os the Secretary
may determine. for the procuration Of such
substitute, which sum shall be fixed st .
uniform rate by general order made at
the time of ordering draft for any State
or Territory. Any person may furnish an
acceptable substitute to take his place in
the draft at any price for which be con
procure one. Every drafted man is at lib
erty to furnish substitute at such rate ~
be may agree to pay the substitute; or any
drafted man may pay such sum, not ex-
ceeding three hundred dollars. as the Sec
retary of War may determine, to procure
a substitute.
The sum determined upon by the Sscrs-
tary cannot exceed three hundred dollsN. !.
it may be ten, fifty, one hundred. two.
hundred dollars. or any sum within the linn
its Of three hundred dollars. This provis-
ion of allowing sum not to exceed three
hundred dollars to be paidto the Govern
ment to procure substitutes was put into
the law, for the single purpose Of keeping
down the price of substitutes, so-that men
OF very moderate means and poor men
could more readily obtain substisutss.-
This provision enables the Secretary TO fix
the sum which will be the price Of substi-
tutes. Without this provision il wss be-
lieved that the prices for substitutes would
60 up At once to one thosand or two thou
sand dollars, so that none but rich men
could obtain them. II any drafted man
can obtain q substitute for sum less than
determined by the Secretary. he is at kbsr-
ty to do so. This authority conferred up
en- the Secretary to fix sum from oas