The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1865-04-07
The New Enrolment Law.

quarters, against that sectlon OF the new
Enrolment Act which requires oil recruits
10 be credited to the sub.district in which
they reside. We learn from the Cincinnati
papers that public meeting has been held
in tha: city. and committee appointed 10
visit the Provost Marshal General and
procure different construction Of the law.
II is stated that, In many districts, the
effect OF the new order has been to stop re-
crniting. and that many recruits are being
refused because they canno. be credited |
except 10 their place OF residence.
II has been common oflate 10 denounce
the orders OF the Provost Marshal Gener-
al, and The War Department, as unrea-
sonable. oppressive and absurd. whenever
any loca! hardship or Inconvenience re-
suits.
We call attention to the accused sec.
tion Of the new law, which we publish in
another column. and The evils II was de.
signed 10 prevent.
With view 10 stimulate recruiting, the
law OF 1864 provided that volunteers
might be credited 10 any sub ds,rict they
should select. From this provision sew
ersl serious evils resulted:
/. The wealthier sub districts, by Of.
fering large bounties, were enabled to
fill their quotas withou. putting their own
citizens into the army. but this was done
at the expense Of the poorer townships;
which were compelled 10 gil their own
quotas, based on their full number OF en-
rolled men, and in hundreds OF instances
their number OF able.bodied men bad
been SO reduced, before the draft, by en-
listments 10 the credit of other townships,
that every remaining enrolled man was
drafted before the quota was filed. In
some instances there were not enough
able.bo men 70 fiIl the quota. Not
only were the weaker townships thus
robbed Of tLeir laborirg men TO Tighten
the burdens Of their richer neighbors, but,
by the late laws, they were taxed TO sup.
port the families of all soldiers residing
within their limits. For example. Town.
shin having one hundred enrolled men.
with an assigned quota Of twenty, might
have forty Of its able. bodied men enlisted
to the credit Of other townships. and from
the remaining sixty its quota Of twenty
must be obtained. Thus. sixty Of its
productive laborers enter the army. and
its property is taxed 70 support sixty
families, and thus the heaviest drain, bolh
of men and money. is made upon those
who are least able TO bear it.
u 2. The hsbit Of crediling men to town.
ships in which they did not reside and
were not known. gave rise to the infamous
practice Of bounty jumping. which has
become SO alarmingly prevalent during
the last six months. Men who had en-.
listed 10 the credit Of one district, desert.
ed before they reached the field, and en-
listed to the credi. OF another district, and
repeated the process again and again
Co.. Baker has now under arrest, in New
York, more than two hundred bounty
Jumpers. some Of whom have deserted
and enlisted twenty times, saving large
bounty by each enlistment In many in.
stances. officers and employees at the Of.
fees Of the Provost Marshals have been
in collusion with these swindlers, and
shared the proceeds.
8. Another result of the system has
been the establishment of substitute brok-
erage-and in s;l our principal cities tie
scoundrels engaged ir this business have
opened Offices and put out their signs, an.
nouncing, With shameless effrontery, that
at their shops men were bought and sold.
Minors. idiots. deserters, insane and in.
toxicated persons have been bought for
trifle, and sold to the credit Of different 10.
calities at exorbitant rates. Bya refine
men. Of villainy they have forged certi6.
Gates Of enlistments, and helped 10 fill
quotas by paper credits, without adding
a man to the army. A large proportion
7 Of the men obtained for the army under
, the present and former calls proved worth
> less, and it is notorious that more deser-
tions have occurred among substitutes
. than from all the res: OF the army. 4
: Colonel in the Army Of the Cumberland
lately reported that, out OF sixty.fve sub.
stitules sent to his regiment last summer,
over City deserted within four months
from the date Of their enlistment.
To strike down all these evils at one
blow, section IA of the act Of March 8,
1865, provides that all recruits shail.be
credited to the township or ware in which
they reside, and are enrolled or liable to
enrolment. Ofcourse this would not in
clude aliens, who have no legal residence.
1 1t is difficult to understand how any
one can deny the justice OF requiring each
township to bear its own burdens. both
! Of men and money, for the support Of the
army.
Men enlisted to the credit of their own
township. receiving bounties from their
. neighbors, will honorably and bravely
sustain the honor Of their township in the
field