The Portland daily press., 1865-01-06

~, 70 invite volunteers TO meet the pressing
necessities of the hour. The United States
nave since established a system for enrolling
and calling out the national forces, which h
adequate to the object for which it was Great
ed. Every able-bodied citizen between the
ages oi twenty and forty-fve. Is held subject
10 It's provisions without distinction sFhe
necessity originally existing for the navment
OF bounties has ceased for the govsr1mant
can reach the men 1t needs. The large bonn
ties paid the past year in other States as well
as this, have given rise to great abuses. Men
have been found base enough, and in large
numbers too, to enlist, get their bounty and
desert, go to another place, re-enlist, receive
another bounty and desert again. There is
| reason to believe that this has been practced
| TO great extelt. Others, unfit by reason of
/ years or some covert disability, have been
mustered into service, paid their bounty and
gone directly to the hospital, and ere long
discharged pocketing the fruits OF their frauo.
The consequence is that quotas are filed but
/ soldiers not obtained, and it is soon found
that another call must be made to supply the
lack OF numbers created by these delinquent
proceedings, and the same system of fraud re-
peated. Another evil has likewise arisen, and
that is the creation OF a class OF cheu0liers d.
| tnduStrse, called substitute brokers' who are
believed to have been largely instrumental in
the perpetration OF these frauds, and by whom
many soldier has been swinoled out of the
greater part OF the bounty to which he is en-
titled. recommend in regard to this en-
ployment, that heavy duty for a license
should be imposed upon those practising il,
and that their qualifications be defined by law
Among other abuses is that of enticing bows
under age to enlist, destitute ofmental or bod
lily stamina TO ft them for soldiers, without the
consent OF their parents. Severe penalties
should De prescribed for such practices, as well
as for all the various fraudulent artifices bv
which soldiers are detrauded of the bounty of
the government. Itis within the province of
the Legislature to protect our citizens against
these frauds. iaai 'h4sa4sqSs sitiosglsl ,il31.I
II the government of the IJnited States
would adopt regulation that every broker
who put into the service a.recruit thaf snbse.
quentiy deserted, should BE- surnmarilv se;1ed
and put into the army IA, mako oocd tho nlace
of the deserter. considerahla nortion oi the
evils inflicted by rhis class nnon Sthe commn-
nity and 1overnn,ent would he cured. =
g irespectfully submit. whether from econon-
c considerations and the good Of the cause ii
il not time that this whole matter, sbonld ha
revised. Fmbarrassment- : Of tha. enancas of
our State will inevitablv snsna from. the con.
tinuance of the system as at present exIstings
That a liberal, even generous nrovision shopId
be made for those who NAV be- OBLIGED to enter
the army. unhesitatinply admit and cheer
fullv concur in INF n sho.,d ha T., ,sria
hetiar al. n,od J, - - - so.J ..o-S
AZ s,,s,r -, - !. ~ " "
ths hr,, nv ~ ~. "a ~ VI
addition 10 fha ,,o,,bI" ssiS;s ~
70 he maid while he rsmsi5s n ths ssr.;ce S.'
This viii most. fIsctuaIly mn, sso,, -, ~.
swindlino onerations Which hevs abso,haS ~ sa.S
thousands of dollsrs ~ nav "'so'D'1
: n r. IL Sh;ac,,d .hat ,,,,o.. a.
cv IL nerseysrsd in man from, ,6i Ssa,s I'll;
be- tempted TO 90 to other states which 10
large bounties. and thai Maine will ihna ioss
her own citizens bv whom bar ono.as oursh,
to be filled. tlIe answer Is Al hand TIC 49,
ber of men called for from a State "a bssad
upon heenrolments of persons Of military ace.
resident therein. A State. in emily IL emil
tied to the credit of every person so enrolled
who may enlist in the service of the United
States, while his name is borne on the rolls OF
such State, without regard to the place of his
enlistment Congress can, BIZ amending the
law regulating enrolments provide that each
person duly enrolled shall be held to military
service In the state In which he is so enrolled
for the period Of one year from the date there
OF These lists are public records, easy of ac-
cess, and there would be no difficulty in trac-
ing any case that might arise of an; individual
improperly attempting to transfer his services. |
This would effectually cut off competition be-
tween States and leave to each all its own citi-
zens OF miiitary age 20 meet the calls upon it |
Tor soldiers. Inc extension of this rule to
sup-uistric's IN the same state would save
VAST amount OF trouOle ana expense TO them,
as well as vexatlon to all concerned In an Off
ciat capacity, IN settling questions of quotas
and allowances This proposition 80 fair in
Itself and so just to the States, must commend
itself to the favorable considerations Of Con-
gress. ris 5el IS 3lUssgssia 7raehI IS
With these brief suggestions i commend
this Whole matter to VOur- eariOus cOnsidera-