Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1864-01-14
THE THREE HUNDRED DOLLAR CLAUSE

From the Boston Daily Advertiser
To The Editors: 1t has already been proposed in bott
Houses of Congress to repeal the three hundred dola
clause Of the CONSUMPTION law 1t said that this
peal will be vigorously opposed and the advantages of
Communication foe indeed too great to be given "
under any less pressure than that Of necessity At the
time the law it now stands is clearly too enen
| to be efficient as it should be.
Only one termediats between those Of retain
Ing s present shape the clause in question and Of absG
lutely repeating II seems TO have been suggested This
to double very greatly increase the pre- cent
Of But this would hardly be sufficient
by itself to accomplish the desired end and woud proba
bly, be resisted violently stringent measure.
| There is, however, almost equally obvious expe-
dent which at least to deserve to be stated This
is, to require every nho may wish to obtain exemp
ton from military service by fixed payment TO make
payment before the draft begins 1t would probably
be best TO avoid complaint from Others that the names
| of the who thus obtained exemption should be
tanned upon the enrolment lists ii any Of them
drawn the result would be the in their
under the present law Those who preferred to take
chance of escaping altogether should be required if their
drawn either to person to furnish
substitutes The obvious advantages Of this plan would be
as follows:
1t would probably put end to the vicious system
Of paying Communication fees from the public purse which
hos been employed by some towns and cities. and which
Of the strongest for altering the form
OF the ptOn law the purpose of which has done
much to defeat II is obvious that Communication would
have to be paid for all whose names the enrolment
/ u
| communities would adopt the first alternative. 81
Another would still further increase the number
Of recruits actually obtained. 1t Is probable that some
men would be drawn who would have paid Communication
under the present law but who would not do
Of the draft Every such cass would furnish the army
with another recruit. ~ ff
would be partly obviated. the Government would
have the money for providing substitutes ia hand before
the draft began .a.t as f
The amount OF this money would be much greater
the m pruII
ferred 10 take the chance Of having Themselves to find
substitutes. In either the ranks would be- more
easily filled .gt tes n 81
An objection to which this plan liable is that would
fail to limit the prices paid for substitutes, the present
law limits them But as no would be obliged 70 take
the risk OF having to pay an extravagant price except
those who unable to pay what asked during the
late draft injustice would be dons by the change 1t
may be thought that the fear Of extravagant demands
might general disposition to pay Communication be-
fore the draft In that case however, so large sum
would into the hands Of the Government that il
would seem that recruits might be easily attracted by the
large bountes which could then be offered. ,f.i Il
So much doubt has existed to the time for which
exemption is procured by paying communication that
il is certainly desirable that Congress should make the
law more definite uppl this subject IL this mode Of
empton is to be reinined. Three ye~s Is certainly too
long period OF exemption to be- obtained by payment OF
the present Communication fee. One year, or ess,
would be enough, unless the OF money required Ia
creased The permission to provide substitutes too,
ought to be looked indulgence, not as proposal
for mercantile transaction and 1t should not be deemed
unjust abrdge the tune Of exemption procured in this
manner 4Uat
We should remember that it becomes us TO be ready
10 defend the noble principles for which contend
ing the &C sacrifices at least heavy those IA
which our enemies submit in order to uphold slavery A
conscripon law which shall admit neither of Communication
fees substitutes may be among the possibilities OF the
future for US is fact 81 the present about t. be
made SUCH the South Will the who complain OF
thu privileges granted to the rich by present law be
any better satisfied with the rigorous impartaty which
may be needed