, 1864-12-29

objections have been raised to the bounty
system Us mercenary. So long as nimb1e rus
Gals can carry On the practice Of enlistine,
drawing their bountics and deserving as a
business. without prevention or punishment.
making great sums Of money, and doing no
fighting, this objection may eectn plausible:
but this outrage arises from the defective
.naEncr Of securing the services Of those who
arc enlisted by the hounty system, and 1s not
due tn The system itself. To snunose that
such men as compose our armies could be in
duced 10 face the hardships and exposures OF
q soldiers life for the few hundred dollars
paid them as bounties, Is We believe seriously
10 uuderrate their sense and patriotism They
know we'll that no money could par them,
and nothing but patriotism could induce
them, 10 expose their lives to the daugers Of
the camp md dcld, and that were 1t a buss-
ness equully dangerous, but not at all invols-
ing their love Of country, they would all hare
remained at home. TO suppose the soldier
risks lis life for the bounty Is m absurdity,
as no solder holds his life so cheap. But it is
to be remembered that tue currency in which
Government pays the soldier Is deprecated
sixty per cent. and that the rites Of pay in
the army are altogether lower than the oriin-
ary earnings Of mechanics, 1aborcrs, farmers
and professional meu at home To ask me
chanic to enlist at fifteen dollars per month
with board and clothing, when his services are
worth three do1lare day, Is not only 10 ask
him to 20 at his ow1 rsk, but at his own
cost, Hundreds will do tho former, where
one the latter, simply because the former il
necessary and Inevitable, the latter unfair
and wholly needless. Allowing the board and
clothing Of the mechanic to cost him n.50
per day he would lose peenniarily, by enlist.
ing for SIS per month with board and CLOTH
ing, just S5S9. 50 per year. or s863,5o for The
three years. This every MECHANIC earning
three dcl]ars a day well knows. He also
knows md fee1s Tint IF be ls wil)1ns In r;sk
his 1jEc. lie community which sends him forth.
the men whose ucrsauns md nroperty he sayes.
n,rtt 4, hear b,s necnn1arv loss and cna,1e
him t. SUPPORT his family as vel, Us If he re-
muined ut homc. Ir1rgnlarly, yjcjons]y and
often dishonesty as the bounty system NAV
lu., in somc of its practical Workings, there
,nde,lies It this principle Of Substantial JUS
tlce, that those who stay aud rraT lie benefit
should share the burden so far as mar be
with thusc who 70 nnd endure the danxers.
So far from its being :neleenary III the eo,dicr
to receive this nid il would be mean}y mer-
cenary In the community TO Withhold it. It
il not, 1ucrcs,y speal.fnc, "hountr," but re-
imburscmcnt, NOT charity but wages
not the price Of life that can
not be paid for, but of labor
That cau and should and according
10 the great law of supply and
demand must be pafd for r,c,ore II can be had
Nc one ccrtainly.viu complain that any SOL
dicr Of the Republic who cnlists at the rate
Of tou1ties heretofore mid and serves ont
luis time, or is prevented from doing 60 by
honorable wounds, loss Of health or death.
las receircd pecuniarily more than his due.
But It may be said the expense Of the sys-
TEN Is enormous. We believe Cook county
publicly and privately did cxpend nearly a
million Of dollars in supplying 1900 men
under the last call. But is it not falrer that
Cook county aua lcr citizens should sustain
this loss, Or .ra,her nav lonotably this debt Of
about S5555 pcr n1an than that the / 500 men
VIM went into the gar should lose eae1, man
his $50 1hc iust{ce Of the transaction IL
not changed by arcrecat,uc many instances
cach of which is lust. In itself.
Notwithstanding t1,rse consfd crations. manv
object 10 lie merccuar, anpearance which tha
bounty srgtam gives to volunteering and urue
that We should let tue dtaf, come. Il It all
doubtful Hhethe. this would lessen or IN.
crosse the cFile The draft hv no mean. DE-
cides who shall 20, but only who shall 70 or
find substitutc, II under The last ea11 M
bountics had been rafsed md the soo men
had been drafted, 1,750 Of them would hare
becp in the market the next day bidding
ocaiust cach other for substitutes. We feft
tic evil Of having our sixteen wards bidding
asaiast each other. Wonld that cyil have
been lcas,.nea If tbetc Ind been coo infiridn-