The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1865-03-31
JULIUS o. CONVERSE, Editor.
CnARDON, ,OnIO, FRIDAY, MARCH 81, 1866.
Gen. Garfield and the Enrolment Law.

ShhhDVN,Vhiu, rhlDhl MAhlH 81, lS0)
Gen. Garfield and the Enrolment Law
Weregret to notice leugtby article p the
the Warren Chronicle, devoted to uppenerous
structures upon the action of Gen. Garfield
IN relation TO the Enrolment Law. Although
1t contains much that is plausible, it seems to
us TO present a superficial view of tho cues :
tion, and to do great injustice to the motives
and Judgment Of our distinguished Repro
sentative. The law, as it now Glands, pro
vdes that
thereafter all persons mustered into tho
military or uaval service, whether as volun-
<eers, eubstitutos. representatives, or other
visa, shall be credited to tho State. and to
the ward. township, precinct, or other en-
rollmont sub district whore such pers ons be.
long by actual residence, (if such persons
have an actual residence within the United
States.) and where such persons wero or
shall be enrolled, (ifliabIe to enrolIment;" -
and thus. at blow, strikes down the entire
system of substitute brokerage and bounty
jumping, which, as is well known, had be-
come an enormous and growing evil Gen.
Ga, fold, not alone, but with q majority Of
the abest and best men in Congress, and in
opposition to the Woods, Brooks, Voorhees,
Long, and other Cppporhoad bors, nd.
yocated and voted for the law. In somo
sub-distrcis, whose arms. bearing popula.
tion, uudor tho old "credit system" bas
boon reduced to fll tho quotas of others, or
which bave boon negligent in filling their
quotas, it works temporary hardship, and
hence the action Of Gen. Garfield becomes
subject of criticism. Let Us see how justly.
Admitting that Representative 10 not
exalted by bis character or Office 50 far above
his constituents as to be exempt from criti.
cism, We yet hold that It should always be
impartial and just, and, whom, as in the
case of Gen. Garfield, hls whole course is
governed by consistent and fearless re.
gard for tho welfare of the country, even
megnanimous. The people should be slow TO
distrust public servant in whom tbcy have
implicitly confided He should not be ex.
pected TO provo himself infallible ru judg.
mont. Nor should he DO held responsible
for unforeseen local and temporary hard.
chips which may be developed in the prac.
tical working Of law TO which ho has civ.
en- bis support, unless that law can DO shown
passing Judgment upon Gen. GarfieId's ac-
ton in this matter, we should inquire, not
how it is regarded in certain sub. districts
that may or may not have done their whole
duty, but whotber 1t is intrinscalIy right or
wrong. The reasons for his action, as sot
forth in his brief speech published last
week, we believe will have great weight
with every unbiased reader. They at least
evinco tho same patriotic zeal and honest
purpose that have hitherto distinguished
him. ....
The main if not the only. objection raised
against the existing Enrolment Law, lie.
that II compeIs every sub district to fill
its quotas within its own limits, and not
unjust, wherein? Is 1t not tho object of an
Enrolment Law to make every locality
contribute it's numerical proportion Of men
10 tho army: And does not tho law apply
equally to all? 1t would seem that the Pc
culiar hardships which this feature of tho
Law is said to occasion, result from the fact
that it was not adopted at an earlier period
of tho war, before tho brokerage system
had attained such Dimensions, and when Il
would have been universally popular; and
nro, therefore, arguments in it's favor. To
illustrate: Our friends of tho Chronicle
claim that the burden of sustaining the war
will now fall most heavily upon those sub
districts whose arms bearing population has
been greatly reduced by previous calls
This. surely, cannot be the fault OF the law
itself, for, had it been in force iu it's present
form, from tho first, such state of affairs
would have been impossible. In every cub
district whose enrolment is just. and wboso
quotas have boon oquitably assigned, as oil
are presumed to be,such grievance must DO
doe solely to the fact that largo proportion
of it's enrolled men have gone to all tho quo.
tas OF other sub'districts, which could not
have been the case. had the Law always con.
tanned this alleged Objectionable provision. II
should not be forgotten that there were iDe-
qualities and hardships under the law be.
fore its amendment, and that no at
least. no law providing for compulsory mill
tary sersico,-&eyId be enacted, that would
not produce many such in its operation
Besides, the same feature that makes law
unpopular in one locality, may be regarded
as it's greatest merit in another.
n