The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1885-10-22
VETERANS RIGHTS UNION.
Urging the Claims Of the Soldiers Before the Heads
Of Departments.

lions of the organization and waited upon the
President Secretaries of the Navy, Treasury,
Postmaster General and Commissioner of PEN
sions. The reception given these gentlemen, as
the representatives of the consideration which
should be given to the claim of the soldier and
sailor of the late war hOnOrably discharged, by
those with appointing power, when they were
competent and deserving, either in original ap-
pOintment to, or retention in, public employ
ment was very gratifying, and certainly indi-
Gates the intention of the Administration, as
far as the President and his Cabinet are con-
cerned, to see that these claims are conserved.
The President reiterated all that he had said
on this subject on previous occasions; said that
:" war record would always receive attention
in the consideration of such cases as came to his
notice. I" BE careful and reasonable; do not
urge anyone except where competency and
standing justify, and if for reinstatement, be
sure that the case is worthy one"
The Secretary of the Navy, upon being
thanked informally for the kindly letter sent
| to the Union, emphasized his position in the
matter, and assured the committee that there
would be no cause for complaint in the Navy
Department or its branches. by reason of mat
tention to the law and while he was Secretary,
the law, both in letter aud spirit, would be
enforced.
The Secretary of the Treasury made a memo
| randum of three cases presented by the Union
That of Charles b. Dake, late Foreman OF AS
sistant Weighers at Brooklyn n. Y; of Charles
Spencer, late Inspector and Clerk in the Custom
House at Richmond, Va, and Capt Jacob David
late Guager under the Collector of Internal
Revenue at Brooklyn, n. Y, all of whom had
lately been dismissed from the service OF the
Government, promising to give the same his
personal attention
Secretary Manning said that he was neces-
sarily obliged to depend upon the officials I'M
mediately i'll charge, and that his duties in the
matter of recommendation for dismissal were
simply perfunctory-to approve or dlsapprove,
and unless the fact that man was a veteran
honorably discharged was called to his atteu-
tion he would have no means of knowing it,
He expressed himself, however, as DESTROYS that
in the Treasury Department full consideration
| should be given to the law concerning soldiers.
| In the course of conversation the committee
suggested to the Secretary that it was currently
! published, originating with the Albany Eue1,-
| ing Journal, and concerning minor position In
| the post-ottice at Albany, that Dan Manning
| had said, "The Grand Army be ID" etc. ETC.,
| aud that being public man, no such state
| ment should be permitted to go unchalienSed,
| and as matter of justice to him, If untrue, 1t
| should be contradicted, and the retutatlon
| made public as had been the accusation.
| The Secretary said emphatically that he had
| made use of no such language. He stated that
| he remembered the occasion on which it was
claimed he said this, the place being the office
of the ArguS in Albany, the gentlemen present
| being the Postmaster, District-Attorney Her
| rick Alderman German and himself As a
matter of fact, he had no control of any ap-
pointment in the post-otice at Albany, and he
| so stated at the time mentioned He said, fur
| Their, that as with all public men, many state
ments were attributed to him which never en-
tered his mind. The committee informed the
| Secretary that as soldiers they thought it
their duty to set him right ON this matter, and
would endeavor to do sc" for which he thanked
| them.
The next visit was to the Commissioner of
| Pensions, Gen. J. G.. Black the Committee ask
ing at his hands such consideration in the mat
| ter of Comrade W. K. Bliss of Wellsville, NY,
| late Pension Examiner, for reinstatement, as
earnestness in the cause of the soldier gener-
| ally, and in the case of one who had left both
| legs at Gettysburg particularly, would warrant
| The General said he would go over the papers,
having in mind. the spirit in which the matter
was presented, giving the same early consider
| alton
Last, but not least, they called upon the Post
master General, Col. VIM. F. Villas (who, by the
way, is the hardest man in the Cabinet to get
| at because always busy, submitting to him,
among others, the case of Capt James Belger,
late Battery F. LIST L. l. L. A. IA hero OF two
wars and lately an employee in the Railway
Mail Service, who, from rheumatism in his
lower limbs, was confined to his house in Jersey
| City, n. j. asking his reinstatement to the po-
sition of clerk, from which his resignation was
demanded in March last, for the reason that
while he was suffering, as stated, ne was thor
Oughly competent to do the work required of
him, through his knowledge of the several
mail routes and ability to write. The first ques-
ton the Postmaster General asked was: why
was he required to resign at all ?" This the
Committee could not answer. Col. Villas said
he was a soldier himself and his sympathlcs
were with them, as would be demonstrated II
his appointments were gone over. He promised
to give attention to the matter OF Belgcr,
and also the application Tor appointment rs
clerk of Charles +. Davenport, of Lambs Cor
ners, Broome Co., N. Y, directing the Commit
tee to see Col. Jameson, Superintendent. Rail
way Mail Service, and request him to present
| these cases to the POStmasterG General person.
ally. A few moments further conversation on
the general subject of the veteran for retention,
when worthy, qualified and attentive to duty,
was had, when the Committee left. An inter
| view with Mr.. Stephenson, the First Assistant
Postmaster General, was also had, i'll which he
expressed himself as DESTROYS to give full con-
sideration to the claims of the soldier or sailor
honorably discharged in all cases coming within
: his province.
| While the Committee left for home thor.
oughly impressed with the attitude shown on
the soldier question by the President and his
Cabinet they thought that the matter would
receive more consideration, and the rights OF
the men who saved the Union would be better
|
capacity with the power of appointment and
employment, and the law more thoroughly en-
forced if the suggestions made by the Commit
tee of the National Encampment Grand Army
of the Republic, on thoir visit to Washington
in July last, as to the issuance of an executive
order by the President on the subject was
deemed a proper one. In that event, having
due notice thereof they would be MORE apt to
govern themselves accordingly and there would
certainly not be room for much complaint
There would be less discrimination made against
the veteran by those subordinates then than
now, and honorable service on the battlefield
or duty well performed in public employment
J if holding place, would be rewarded i'll original
appointment or by retention of the veteran, as
the case might be.
The President has declared, and we believe he
means it, that public Office is public trust, v
end this principle is one which, faithfully
| carried out, should insure eycnhanded justice
(which is all that they ask at the hands Of the
Government to the claims of those who, 20 odd
years ago, periled their lives TO defend the
! Union Of our fathers.