The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1884-08-28

When the war for the preservation
OF the Union began, Mr.. Cleveland
was twenty-five years old. At the
time Of the second draft i'm Buffalo
he was among the conscripts. Mr..
Cleveland did not enter the army.
He procured substitute. and that
fact Is not in the lenss degree dis.
creditable to him.
a correspondent OF the Nec York
Tribune has been Investigating Mr..
Cleveland's early career, with view
apparently, To the effect OF his dis.
coveries upon the soldiers vote. He
reports that Mr.. Clevcland's was not
hired In the usual manner, that is to
say. at the cost of the person thus
relieved OF his obligation to do mill
tary duty. The story told by the
TrtJstne's correspondent; Is. i'm effect.
that Mr.. Cleveland was then Assist
ant District Attorney for Erie coun.
ty, and that he used his official in
tluence over the fortunes OF crimi-
mails to get substitute from among
the prisoners in the Workhouse with
little or no expense to himself. To
sustain this charge, or rather insin-
uation. no evidence Is offered
There is no proof that Mr.. Cleveland
did not pay the full price VI a SUBJ
stitute, and out OF his own pocket.
yet in commenting upon the subject
In an editorial article, the Tribune
remarks that the Democratic cantli-
date "nevcr did Il thing to show his
sympathy with the Union cause, I'M
less it he that OF sending criminal
as u substitute when he was drafted
II strikes us that ii il not a iudic-
ieus thing for the organs OF Mr..
Blaine to make Grover Clevelanu's
substitute Il prominent figure in the
canvass, or to scrutinize very close
~ either the moral character Of the
substitute or the means 10y which he
was procured.
At the beginning OF the war Mr..
Blaine was thirty-on years old. He
belonged TO IN association i'm Au-
gnsta known rs the Loyal Mutual
Alliance, which had raised by SUBJ
scription n fund to pr ocurc substitu-
ties for such members as might be
drafted. Mr.. Blaine and the other
subscribers afterward obtained a
vote OF the City Government for the
repayment to them Of the amounts
subscribed, and this was done In the
shape Of city bonds bearing five per.
cent interest, with twenty years 70
run. That is to say, the members Of
the Alliance formed pool for mu.
tual protection against the draft,
and then got back the money thus
invested. dollar for dollar.
in city bonds. They lent to the city
money to pay for their substitutes.
The draft caught Mr.. Blaine. In
spite OF the enthusiastic patriotism
which. rs he tells the soldiers, In.
famed his blood during the days OF
1861 and lS62-days so dark and
dubious" that he cannot now recall
them without a chill OF horror
the pressure a business engage.
ments at the North made it incon.
venient for him to 60 to the front
He fell back easily upon the Loyal
Mutual Alliance. The name OF his
substitute was Bradford, il we re.
member correctly. Bradford be.
came Mr.. Blaines proxy in the strict.
ly military branch of operations
against the seceeding States. There
Is on page . or the financial report ol
the city OF Augusta for the year lsst
this item among the contingent ex,
penses.
JAMES @. BLAINE, for substitute, ........ .tsla.
Who paid for Mr.. Blaine's substi.
tute? How much did he cost Mr..
Blaine, and how much did he cos
the taxpayers OF Augusta? Thu
question as to the exact amount O
money invested In this proxy warri
or is more complicated than his mil
itary record, which is simple an,
easily told. Bradford like Blaine
never went to the front, lie VIA
provided with pos, in the Proves
Marshall's office mt Augusta, wa
soon detected i'm the enterprise O
forging draft exemption papers ant
selling them at $3.50 apiece, and wa,
locked up in the county jail. MI
Blaine's substitute watched the ri
gantic struggle from behind irol
bars. He never even got SO near til,
scene OF actual hostiiities as Wash
ington, "A point To which Mr.. Blaine
business frequently took him dnrini
the dark and dubious days OF 1862.
When the war broke out, Genera
Benjamin i. Butler was forty-thre
. years old lie never hired substi
tate, either with his own money o
other peoples. because he neve
was drafted. He was never drafte'
because he did not wait for the pro
cess vi CONSUMPTION. When MI