Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-06-14
The Oommulation { Iauss.

The President mss LfausmitteO 70 OVH-
.eress for its consideration and action,
Communication to him from the Secretary |
Of War, giving the results Of the draft in
several sub districts, which are siBgularly
barren Of men, and recommending the re-
peal Of the $500 commutation olsufe and
an immediese draft for shorter term Of
service. The suEjeot will probably be
brought before Congress, for definite &C.
tion thereuPon before its adjournment
We but express, We think, the universal
opinion among all classes Of people in
Bsying that We hope that the proposed
amsAdment will not receive the sanction
Of Congress. In spite of the howl raised
against the Communication clause by Copper
head speakers and the COPPerhesd press,
at the time of it's adoption, Is unjust and
oppressive to the poor man, il has never
-GhsIsos kss. FeunS 20 he PpAaiioally most
favorable to the poorer Glasses Ifit be now
Tepesled, and the substitute clause left in
its present shape there will be general
and well. grounded feeling Of discomfort
among the people. The result will Be that
the price Of substitutes will be at once in
creased beyond the means Of the poor
m n, and tFus the effects Of the draft will
be felt severely BY him alone, while the
wealthy can easily find means to escape
its inccnvebienoes. With the commuts-
tion clause in it's present shape, there are
feWWho cannot, in these days when money
Is 80 plenty, command enough to pay their
exemption If necessary. With the conf
mutation clause abolished, and substitutes
"ruIing" from six hundred to thousand
dolIsrs, only the sfiuent could esospe, and
the poor, whatever their circumstances or
Necessities, would have to 60.
We held, too, that nei her the draft or
the oommuiation clause has had fair
trial, Postponement after pOstpOnemsnt
has demorAlized the effect of the former
The latter has not had fair trial, and will
not have one until oOmmutstion money is
appliedto the payment OF bOunties by vol
untser. For after all the very best mode
Of raising voluntee is by the system
Of volunteering. The history OF drafting
has proven that its only use thus far hs
been to stimulate the raising of VOlun
tsers-snd that it has done good service
in that direction the way in which the
various calls Of last fall and win'er were
filed is ample proof With that bit OfhiE-
tory in view we do not understand where
the Secretary finds grounds for his con
demnation Of the system OF bounties 10
volunteers. From the light of experience
We can infer that the best mode to rsife
men is not by draft but by volunteering,
stimulated, if necessary, BY the imminent
prospect OF draft, and by high Govern
ment bSunties-and that the best way TO
obtain money for the payment Of these
bounfies is by the enforcement of the COM
mutation clause in connection with the
draft.
The proposal to shorten the term Of SER
vice seems still more Objectionable. II
the service is made one year, IS is pro-
posed, lhe cost to the Government of At
ting oat new regiments will be ruinOus
By adopting that term of service we shall
either soon be without an army or will be
subject to such frequent ard peremptO-
y drafts thst the people will be as much
hsrassed as if war we're in their very
midst
It to be hoped that Congress will ex-
efcise their utmost caution and wisdom in
Asting upon this subject.