The National tribune., 1883-10-04
The Fnforoe,nent of Section 1854.

The Civil Service Commission having
transmitted to the Treasury Department, on
the 18th ult., the names of four persons as
possessing the proper qualifications to fill
vacancies in a certain grade of clerkships,
Secretary Folger addressed letter TO the
Commission inquiring whether any of the
four came under section 1854 Of the Revised
Statutes requiring preference to be given, in
appointments to the civil service, to persons
honorably discharged from the military or
naval service by reason of wounds or ether
disability incurred in the line of duty. To
the Secretary's inquiry the Commission re-
piled that one of the four persons named
did claim preference on account Of honor
able discharge from the military service, but
could not say whether under the section Of
the statute he was entitled to preference.
We are glad to note this agitation of the
question Of the operation of section 1854 in
connection with the civil service act for the
reason that the action of Secretary Folger will
have the effect of reminding the public, as
well as political place-hunters, that the sec
ton has not only never been repealed, but
its binding character reafirmed in the very
act constituting the Civil Service Commits
sion. Section of that act provides:
| That after the expiration of six months from the
passage of this act no officer or clerk shall be APP
! pointed and no person shall be employed to enter
or be promoted to either of said classes now exist
| ing or that may be arranged hereunder pursuant
to said rules, until he has passed examination
| or is shown to be specially exempted from an ex-
animation in conformity herewith. But nothing
herein contained shall be construed to take from hose
tonoTably discharged from tie military or 'aaoa SER
vice any preference conferred by section 175i Of tt
Revised Statutes, dc.
One Of the effects Of this exemption O.
our ex-soldiers and sailors who were wound
ed or otherwise disabled in the service, is tt
render the age-limit imperative against
them, and this fact is distinctly recognized
in the new civil service rules, as viii be seer
by reference to section 2, of Rule XII, whicl
is as follows:
No one shall be entitled to be examined for nd
mission to the classified postal service, if unde
sixteen or over thirty-fye years of age; or To th
classified customs service or TO the classified De
partInental service if under eighteen or over forty
five years of age; bnt no one shall be examined 70
appointment to any place in the classified custom
service except that of clerk messenger who i
under twenty-one years of age; bat these tinsita
ions Of age Shau not apply to honornbIy discharge
soldiers end sailors Of the last aear, aoo oter0ts
duly qualified
It is clear that the civil service act practi
cally reafirms the provisions 81 section 1854
and that the civil service rules really faeilitat
It's enforcement, since the name of ever,
applicant for appointment, who qualities b.
passing the required examination, is dul.
/ certified to the Departments when a vacanc
occurs, and it is impossible for the appoint
ing power TO ignore the Obligation impose,
E by section 1854, without the fact gainin
publicity and rendering him liable to b
t overruled by the commission on an appeal b
f the person wronged.
f We see no reason, therefore, why in o.
{ cases of appointment to any Office, the mod
? of fling which is prescribed by the civ
0 service act, our comrades should not be abl
e to secure the rigid enforcement of sectio
E 1754. All they have got to do, whenever
: violation of the section occurs is to repol
8 tho fact to the Civil Service Commission