The National tribune., 1885-07-30
VETERANS RIGHTS UNION.
The Committee Appointed BY the Portland Eneans,-
ment Calls on the President and Heads or Depart.
ments, and is Well Received.

v 10
The Committee Appointed by the Portland EneaniY-
ment Calls on the President and Heads or Depart
ments, and is Well Received.
1t viii be remembered that at the Portland
Encampment, after a discussion upon the
Veterans Rights Union, the following resoiu.
tions were adopted:
Whereas there is organized in the States of New
York and Pennsylvania Grand Army OF the Re-
public Veterans Rights Union COMPOSED of MEM
bers OF the Order in the Departments named which
has been recognized and Endorsed by the Depart
ments In those States, whose object IL to secur, ,
those who are entitled thereto under the laws
either city State or National preference in the civil
employ Of the Governments thereof; and
Whereas Fraternity is one of the strongest links
in the chain which binds together; and
Whereas such action may be necessary to pro-
tect the rights OF the veterans of the one Of
the highest duties devolving upon comrades;
therefore, be it
Resolved, Tina. the National Encamph1ent Grand
Army of the Republic in annual session aseruIied
urge upon all with power of appointment to or re-
mOva from public office or employment under any
Government, whether the same be National State
or municipal, to give full force and effect to laws
now existing, that hereafter may be enacted hav
ing in view any preference the people of the coun-
try may give to those who III the military or
naval service of the United States during the late
war and were honorably discharged therefrom. BE
1t also
Resolred. That this Encampment recognizes and
fndorses to the fullest extent the object of Vet
erans' Rights Union, and recommends and re-
quests the various Departments of the Grand Army
of the Republic to institute in each Department an
organization similar to those already in existence
in the States named for the protection of the rights
of the veterans under the law.
Resotred, That committee of nine OF which the
COMMANDMENTS Chief and the der-in-C chief
elect shall be members, be appointed by the pre-
siding officer OF this Encampment to proceed to
Washington and present properly -attesed copies of
these resolutions to the President and yice-Presi
dent of the United States and the several members
of the Cabinet the voice OF $4,000 members of
this organization on this question
Official: Commander-fn-f-b;ef
w. w. ALcoRH. Adjutant-Gencral.
John Palmer of Albany. N Y, the tempo
rary Chairman of the Committee issued call
for meeting of the Committee In Washington
last Wednesday. There were present Com
mander-in- Chief Burdett, Past Communicating
Chief Kountz, Past Department Commander
Ira NJ. Hedges and John Palmer, of New York;
Edgar Allan, of Virginia; William Gibson, of
Washington City. Comrades Loring, of Massa-
chusetts; Kumler, of Ohio, and Cohen of Penn
syivania telegraphed that business detained
them at home, and they could not be present.
Comrades Kay, Of New York, and Haskell, of
Maine, who had been very active in veterans
rights matters, met with the Committee and
were invited to take the place of the absent
members. The Committee organized with COM
mander-in-C Chief BurdeEt as Chairman and
John Palmer as Secretary, and the following
address to the President was prepared TO ac-
company the resolutions:
Mr.. President: The Committee appointed by
virtue OF the accompanying resolutions, means
to the end sought to be attained thereby respect-
fully suggests the issuing of Executive Order to
the heads of the several Departments of the Gov
eminent, and requiring them to issue similar
der to those under them, directing that Que atteT-
ton be given to theiaw concerning those honorabiy
discharged from the military and naval service of
the United States during the late war, either In the
matter OF original appointments to position the
to which they are entitled 70 be retain
ed. II equally competent, when reduction in force
IS for any cause made necessary. Tneccommittee
deems 1t unnecessary to enter into any argument
upon the laws referred to, TO w.t. Section 1854, Re-
vised Statutes of the United States and Section g.
Chapter 2S7, of the Laws of 1876 inssmue as they
are advised of the full Endorsement given to the
principle therein involved by the laws the State
OF New York, and which were directed TO be
forced when the present Executive of the Nation
was then Governor of that State
Respectfully submitted.
s. s. BURDErT, wm. GIBSON.
JOHN s. KoUNTz. Jos. ". KAY.
IRA Nj. HEDGES, j. Z. ). GoBEN,
JOHN PALMER, u. J. LORISG
EDGAR ALLAN,
Chairman Palmer had made an appointment
with the President to meet him between I'd
and o'clock. The committee was ushered into
the East Room and was met very cordially by
| the President. Commander-in-Chief BurGe,t
| stated the cause of the visit of the committee
| and presented the papers. He said that there
was the greatest confidence among the Conf
rades everywhere that the President favored
| the preference contained in the statutes relat-
| ing to the employment of soldiers and sailors,
and there was no doubt that as far as he was
concerned, the law would be enforced; but that
some of his subordinates were, perhaps, not so
much in favor of the law as he was, and Ii sl.t
| disregard it, and he asked for such action rs
| the President might deem necessary in the
premises Comrades Palmer Kay, Kountz, aud
Hedges also made brief remarks to the same
| purport. The President in reply said that he
| believed in the law and its enforcement, and
also believed in the further extension of it's
spirit; that the question of mans military
| service was taken into consideration IN every
| appointment to office or removal and the fact
given full weight. This was especially true
with the fourth-class Postmasters. But, of
course, this was governed by the fact of a mans
| competency. 1t could not be expected that
where man was not competent for an Office,
| that he would be appointed. Comrades Bur-
| dett, Hedges, and others fastened to assure
| him that there was no intention TO insist upon
| the appointment of incompetent men. The
| President stated that there were very many
| men whom he should like to appoint who had
served through the war with excellent records,
| but who had by the very fact of their service
| been deprived of the opportunity of preparing
themselves to discharge the duties of the Office.
| These, he regretted to say could not be ap-
pointed, much as he would like to do so. lie
reiterated his desire to make military record
count in all appointments and changes After
| leaving the President the committee called On
| Col. Lamont, the Presidents Secretary the
Vice President, the heads of all the Depart
ments, Gen. Rosecrans, and Judge Thoman, of
| the Civil-Service Commission.
The following resolution of thanks to The
NATIONAL TRIBUNE was adopted before the
committee left the city:
Resotced That the thanks of the committee APP
pointed at the National EneampmeDt, q "A. r.. 10
call upon the President and heads of Departments
in reference to the employment of veterans under
the civ-service laws, are due and hereby t-n-
dered to the Editor of THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE for
valuable assistance and fraternal courtesies ex-
tended the committee while in the discharge of
their duties
s. S. BURDErT, Chairman.
JOHN PALMER, Secretary.
A Thoughtful Matron.
Mrs l.. ] Little of Livingston Snrntar