Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-07-05
FAIR RULES: FAIR PLAY

hRESlDENI NlL1SOIN, or VINO
ever is responsible for the
framing of the exemption reg
ulations under the conscription act.
made a good job of it. The rules
leave little to be desired. The petty
politicians. who have hoped in some
way difficult to understand, to make
capital for themselves by charging
that favoritism would be exercised
in the making of exemptions, should
read the following paragraph of the
rules and then publicly apologies:
1t shall be the duty of the pro-
vost marshal general. generally or
specially. to authorize and direct
some person to take appeals from
all decisions of local boards to the
district boards having jurisdiction
in all cases where certificates of
discharge were granted and is
sued because of a claim filed for
discharge under the provisions of
subdivision H of section 20 of
these rules and regulations.
Division H of section 20 is that
dealing with exemption because of
dependents, under which most of the
claims for discharge are expected to
be filed. In the final analysis the To-
cal boards will have nothing to do
with the exemptions. If any of them
should report unfairly its delin-
qucncy would. be discovered before
it was day old.
AS to the charges of the near
reasonable Mitch" Palmer. that
only Republicans have been named
to the exemption boards in this
State. the following letter from Cyrus
T. Fox, a well-known and highly
respected citizen of Reading, gives
the lie direct:
In regard TO the statements of
eX-Congressman Palmer, as men
toned in the enclosed clipping,
the exact reverse is true so far as
this county (Berks) is concerned.
know the county politically from
end to end, having been chairman
of the Republican county commit
tee for ten years, or twice as long
as aLy other man served; there
fore, | am acquainted with politi-
members of the conscription
boards appointed for Berks
county. The ratio is two Demo-
Gratis to one Republican. but In
were selected. In my precinct of
the Fourteenth Ward, this city
tthe strongest Republican district
in Reading), there are two Demo-
Gratis and one Republican of inde-
pendent proclivitles. The Demo-
Gratis are the Sheriff of the county
and the City Solicitor.
Probably a large majority Of the
exemption board members in Penn
sylvania are Republicans, but as Mr..
Palmer discovered ito his own
chagrin some time since. there are
nearly twice as many Republicans
as there are Democrats in this State,
so the proportions are not bad. after
all. One wonders why the righteous
minded Palmer doesn't carry his in
Vestlgations to States below the
Mason and Dixon line.
The truth is, and everybody knows
it. that the exemption rules are fair
and will be fairly administered.
This is - political war in America;
neither is it a rich mans or a poor
mans war, for one of the striking
points of the rules is in favor OF
the poor man against the rich. To
be exempt a husband and father
must show that his income from
which his wife and children receive
such support was mainly the fruit
of his mental or physical labor and
was not mainly derived from income
from property or other sources, in
dependent of his mental or physical
labor"