The National tribune., 1883-08-16
Section YEA Test Case.
Section 1854 of the Revised Statutes


tionaI Encampment of the Grand Army,
Past COMMANDMENT Chief Van Dervoort,
referring to the failure of the Government
officials to respect the provisions of this
section of the statute, said
take it that we who never asked the passage of
this law, and without whose services the statutes
would have been q nulity, have right to demand
the rigid enforcement of statute 1854. We have
right to know the standing of each Department of
the Government upon this question and hold TO a
strict account every gross and open vioator of this
chartered right given by the Nation to the crippled
and diseased Union soldier l regret to say that
many of our comrades holding positions whose
proper administration demand large force, en-
ploy very few of our comrades and i'll some, cases
have turned them out to make places for civilians
OF course l understand that this has been done
upon the request of some politician, who desired
to reward some for political work, but if
comrades in such positions would firmly refuse to
submit TO such dctation and plant themselves
firmly on this law of the land they could hold the
fort and no one would dare modest them. l urge
the appointment again of strong committee
backed 10y stirring resolutions of this body take
vigorous and decisive action upon this question at
once We are in favor of the absolute reign of the
law and will demand earnest adherence to all
the laws of the land, as well as this recognition of
our comrades services.
AT the second days session of the Encamp-
ment the committee on the Commanders
address reported, among others, the follew-
ing resolution:
ResotCed, That being pledged to obey the laws of
the land. claim the right to insist that all others
CHI
section 1854 of the Revised Statutes of the United
States provides that disabled soldiers and sailors
shall be preferred for appointments to the civil
offices, we demand its full and unqualified enforce
ment in all departments of the civil service. The
law was the outgrowth of the honest gratitude of
the American people for the soldiers and sailors
who served the Union, and the honor and dignity
OF the Nation are involved in its full and ample
enforcement
The resolutions, of which this is one, were
unanimously adopted by the Encampment.
We are thus particular in directing the
attention of our comrades to the action taken
by the Encampment inregard to the enforce
ment of Section 1854, that there may be no
misrepresentation as to the position which
the Order occupies in regard TO this question.
It is clearly pledged to exercise whatever
influence it may possess to secure the en-
forcement Of the statute That being the
fact, we desire to present for action case
which seems to us to reveal the most
fragrant and inexcusable disregard for the
law as laid down in the statute It is the
case of General Henry Harnden, collector
of customs in the second internal revenue
district of Wisconsin. The facts are these
Upon the recent decision of the President
to consolidate the second and sixth internal
revenue districts of Wisconsin, an order was
issued removing Collector Harnden and APP
pointing as collector of the consolidated dis
trict Mr.. Leonard Lotridge, the collector of
the sixth district. This action on the part
of the administration was, in the first place,
contrary to the public interest as a matter
of expediency. since the second was by far
the most important district of the two, en-
bracing, as it did, the business of the capital
of the State (BIadison), where the Office of
thecol1ector was located, and Collector Harm
den moreover had proved by far the more
efficient las the reports of the revenue agents
viii show, and certainly was the more ex-
perienced of the two. On grounds ofpublic
policy alone it seems to us that General
Harnden should have been preferred as col
lector of the consolidated district.
In the second place, this action, as we
have said, was in direct violation of Section
1854 of the Revised Statutes, and for the
following reasons: General Harnden is one
of those persons honorably discharged from
the military or naval service by reason o.
disability resulting from wounds or sickness
incurred In the line of duty" who, the stat
ute says, " shall be preferred for appoint
ment to civil Offices, while his long service
in public affairs is evidence that he possesses
the business capacity necessary for tn,
proper discharge of the duties of such Offices
In the case of Mr.. Lotridge, on the Other
hand, no such reasons for preferment exist
During the war, and up to the year 1871, h,
was postmaster at La Crosse, Wis, and tool
no part in the war for the suppression of tn,
rebellion. At the close of his term as post
master, he became United States SUPERVISE
of the census, and was afterwards appointed
to his present position as collector of Thu
sixth district. He has held that Office ,
little less than two years. Whether he ha
proved an efficient officer or not is ques
tion into the discussion of which we do no
care to enter. The vital fact is that he re
manned at home during the war while Gen
eral Harnden was fighting the battles of hi
country.
The Generals military career, as on
readers are already aware, is among the mos
brilliant on record. lie enlisted as a private
served four years, rose TO the rank of lieu
tenant colonel and brigadier general b,
brevet, and attained to the command of
brigade. He was several ti.aes wounded
and at the close of the war was appointet