The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1863-08-26
Letter from the State Capital.
AUGUSTA, Aug. "a, 1868.


To the Editor Of the Press:
Those towns in the State which have been
attempting to procure reduction in their quo
tas on the draft will be relieved from anxiety
by learning that the Provost Marshal has de-
cided not to make any reductions in this State
and has so written the Governor, under date
of August 10Th. Towns have been claiming
reductions for all sorts of imaginary reasons :;
not one has yet brought valid one. They
seem to keep out Of sight the fact that quotas
this year are based on the enrolment instead
OF population, as last year, and hence, that if
their men have gone TO war, their enrolment
and consequently their draft, is less than it
would have been if all their men been at
at home. Each man stands the draft for him
self; one at home does not stand his own
chance and one for another who is absent nor
would this absent one stand it for any one but
himself were he at home. Another fact which
seems to be kept entirely out of sight, is that
there is no particular number of men obliged
to be furnished by any town on this draft.
The government orders a draft of SO many
persons from town, and runs all the risk of
realizing any from it. If not one oil the whole
number drafted is accepted, the town has dis
charged its duty TO the general government
just as much as though every one had been
taken. This equalizes the proceeding and
does justice everywhere. From those towns
which have already furnished large number,
there are of course less at home to be enrolled
and drafted, and if town has heretofore fur
nished less than its proportion there are the rest
left to be called upon, and to every unpreju-
diced mind the present arrangement must APP
pear just and fair upon each and every COM
munty.
Col. Fry, Provost Marshal General, writes
as follows in his letter to Governor Coburn
above alluded to:
After careful examination of the subject
of granting credits to towns in Maine claim
ing to have furnished an excess of troops
over former calls, and with the aid of state
ments made by you Of the numbers furnished
by each town in the State as well as the rec
ords OF the War Department, l am of the
opinion that it is impractcable nor to corrert
the quotas of the present draft on account of
the excess claimed. 1t would create great
confusion, much dissatisfaction, and not tend
materially to remedy present difficulties.
1t should also be borne in mind that when
the quotas were computed, due allowance was
made for all troops furnished, as shown by the
muster rolls, and although il could not be as
certained exactly what proportion each town
had furnished, proportional allowance was
made to each congressional district
The simple fact is, no town in this State
furnished and paid bounty to more men than
the number assigned to them on their quotas
last year, and these quotas were based on the
idea of leyeling up the surplus and deficiency
of every town in the State. A majority of
towns will claim TO have furnished surplus
if by SO doing they can get more or less dis
charged from their present draft. They do
not consider that the government has right
to demand the services Of any or every able
bodied man it may see fit, no matter what his
business, standing in society, or place of resi-
dence may be.
The Governor has decided to pay 800 boun-
ty to members of the veteran regiments. This
with government and town bounties and
monthly wages makes very liberal sum for
three years service. Yours truly,
HELIos.