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Show I OUR WORRIMENTS ARE SMALL ONES. We should be content. To aid In That mental attitude, we direct attention at-tention to a comparison of our troubles trou-bles of today with the turbulence of fifty years, as reproduced from an exchange: What with high prices and business . J problems and strikes and isms and Mexico and Industrial unrest and politics pol-itics and suffrage and legislathe novelties, we, the people of the United Unit-ed States, feel that we have much to vex and worry us. Of things of that sort we do, indeed, have our share. Yet these should be estimated in a relative way. At this moment a little pamphlet, brings to notice the fact that fifty years ago the people of the loyal North were reading in dlsmayLln-coln's dlsmayLln-coln's proclamation announcing a "draft" of five hundred thousand more men for the war. That meant real trouble in those days "draft" was a hateful word. It means that the volunteers were not responding In sufficient numbers; under the president's call citizens must heed the order that they go to the fronL It was a distressing situation. There had been nearly three years of war things had reached a desperate desper-ate pass. Present-day citizenship can believe that it distressed Lincoln to exercise the drastic authority vested vest-ed In him to compel men to serv? in the army. There was a "draft" but, at the same time, there was a generous response, early in 1864 in the way of volunteers. Indeed, In a few notable instances governors of states renewed the contention, raised earlier in the war, that the president lacked authority to order compulsory service. It all turned out right. The armies were recruited in numbers; Sherman marched to the sea; Grant patiently besieged Richmond and, about a year later, the war was over But the first days of February, fifty years ago, were a dismal period in our country's experience. oo |