Democratic Sentinel, Volume 4, Number 42, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 November 1880 — No Need for a Draft. [ARTICLE]

No Need for a Draft.

Just at present these is no pressing need for a draft in this, country, for there were 23,767 applications to enter the regular army last year, when only 5,000 were wanted. Of the 5,000 who were accepted, 3,441 were born in America. New York furnished the most, 727, and next in order were Pennsylvania 474, Ohio 307, Maryland 255, Virginia 205, Indiana 140, and Kentucky 140. No other State furnished as many as 90. Connecticut contributed 58. These figures are as regards nativity, not residence. Massachusetts did not have a third as many as Tennessee. Of the 1,565 foreign-born enlistments, Ireland furnished 575, Germany 447, England 185, Canada 155, and no other country so many as 50. New York State, it may be mentioned, gave more than any foreign country, and more than all the Southern States together. Farmers are more numerous than any other class in the new recruits, numbering 1,483, against 1,405 “laborers.” 564 soldiers, 248 clerks, and so on, including 30 school teachers, 32 druggists, 13 architects, 4 photographers, who no doubt can “take” the enemy when he keeps sufficiently quiet, one stenographer, and others of classes not suggestive of regular-army tendencies. Runaway boys show up well among the rejected, for 2,568 were turned away as “minors.” Tall men are proved to be far less plenty than short ones, for, while 114 were rejected for “overheight,” there were 1,477 rejected as “ under-height.” On the other hand fat men are plentier than lean, for 207 were rejected for “over-weight” and only 186 for “under-weight.” The chief of ail causes for rejection was intemperance, which caused 2,758 to be turned away from the recruiting station. About 600 applicants were rejected because they were rendered worthless for service through diseases due to their own immorality. It is a rather tough picture. While about 2,500 were rejected as minors, 1,000 were turned away as over age; and thirty-two branded deserters applied for readmission.