The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1885-05-14
WASHINGTON GOSSIP.
The Weeks DOingS at the Ma
tional Capital.
VETERANS RTGHTs-AN IMPORTANT ISTEH
VIEW WITH THE PRESIDENT.

VIEW WITH THE PRESIDENT.
A delegation, consisting of Gen. III. w. So
cum. Gen james g. Colt of Connecticut; Maj.
II. L. Crawford, of Washington a committee
from the Society of the Army OF the Potomac
Ira NJ Hedges. Past Department Commander
GAR of New York; Paul Van DerVoort, Past
Commander-in-C Chief of the GAR; Maj. +. w.
Haskell Waterville. Me-, and Comrade Jos. w.
Kay, of Brooklyn, who represented the Grand
Army of the Republic Veterans Rights Union,
called upon the President last Friday.
The President received the delegation very
cordially. and Comrade Kay, who had been Sc
lected Chairman, explained the object OF the
object of the visit as follows: Mr. PRESIDENT,
this is virtually continuation OF an interview
with YOU by a committee OF the Veterans
Rights Union which took place Mt the Fifth
Avenue Hotel last October, and the object IN
view, now rs then, is the rights of Union vet
Grams under the law
Permit us, at the outset in the name Of the
veterans of the Union, to thank you for the
appointment made yesterday, of Comrade
George Donnalley as Postmaster at Waterloo,
n. Y, notwithstanding the opposition which
we believe it met. He was good soldier, a
worthy, capable man. and deserving the con-
sideration shewn him in that appointment"
President Cleveland said: "Yes, We had some
trouble in the case but it was finally deter
mined upon as a fit appointment to be made. "
sarded with much qualification the first Exec
utiye order of Secretary Manning in which he
evidenced his intention that, in the Treasury
Department strict attention should be paid to
Section l754 and Sec. 3, Chap. 2S7 OF the laws
of 1876 that any preference under the law
should be protected, and it demonstrated that
1t was the intention Of the Administration to
do Justice TO the soldiers
He called the attention Of the President to
the fact that while the law (Section 1853 had
been upon the Statute Book for over 10 years,
IL had never been enforced; was constantly
ignored, and the preference contained therein
in regard to Union soldiers received no atten-
ton. He submitted to the President that
il two persons were applicants for place-one
of them soldier and the other citizen their
qualifications for the position being equal, or
nearly sol-thst the preference IN such case
should be given to the soldier.
The President replied: This is always
taken into consideration in such cases."
Gen. Slocum said: You do not expect but
that this Administration will prefer Demo
crats?"
Comrade Kay replied: "Yes; but, as far as
we are concerned, we have nothing of partisan
character In our composition. We are strictly
non-partisan. Our belief is that our comrades
OF the war, without regard to their party, de-
serve from the Government recognition supe-
Nor to that of men who did not enter the army.
nate clerkships in the several Departments In
such matters we think no question of party
should induce the appointing power TO remove
veterans when they are attentive to duty and
competent, but that their services in the war
should secure their retention in the civil en-
ploy of the Nation. We remember that these
men were our comrades in the war, periling
life and limb in defense of the Union.
"We are united now by the same bonds that
drew us together while we were facing death,
that the Nation might live, and in our organi-
zation we know nothing of party. We ask no
man his politics or religion when he seeks to
join the Grand Army, and, if an applicant for
employment under the Government seeks our
help, we only ask that it be shown that he has
served the country faithfully in war, is of fair
character. and has the ability to perform the
duties of the position to which he aspires.
Gen. Hedges said: I'VE do not propose, Mr..
President, to foist upon your consideration
the name of any person who is not fully quail
fed for the place for which he is urged nor
would we give him our official Endorsement v
The President replied "It would be useless
to support a man who did not have the requi-
site qualifications"
Courade Kay explained that the Veterans
Rights Union in the State of New York was
composed of three delegates at-large and one
from each Congressional District in the State.
All applications were referred to the committee
man of the district in which the applicant re-
sides, for his examination and Endorsement and
was then returned to Headquarters and forward
ed 70 the President or to the Department with a
suitable recommendation. All the Union asks
for such applications is that they receive at the
hands of the appointing power EVERYWHERE
in the Governmental service a fair share Of con-
sideration, and particularly when they come
within the provisions of section 1854
Comrade Kay stated that the organization
did not originate applications for Office, but
where application was made by two persons
one of them soldier and the other civilian,
believing that under a fair construction of the
law the soldier was entitled to the preference.
they received the application and endeayored to
assist in having the old soldier preferred.
Comrade Kay mentioned several instances in
which the law had been fagrantly dsregarded
and removals of soldiers made for purely polit-
ical reasons. He claimed for veterans Of the
war the right to liberty of conscience to vote
for whom they pleased, without being therefor
subject TO removal from place which furnished
them subsistence, even though it be under the
Government
This was their privilege as free men, and
they had earned the right to it upon many Z
bloody field.
The President replied in the most earnest
tone: "If you will keep within bounds, and ash
reasonable things / will do nay share.
The delegation then paid their respects ana
withdrew.
CAMP LEE AT WASHINGTON.
The r. Z. Lee Camp of Confederate veterans
stopt in Washington on their way home from
the Reunion at Baltimore. They were met al
the depot by Col. X. /. Fleming who was for
merly in Lees army. He provided carriages
and for several hours the Virginians wert
driven about the Capital and shown the sights
AT 1:30 they sat down to an elegant banquet
at the National Hotel, which was furnished By
Col. Fleming. DIR. d. w. Bliss, and Capt. Carver
Col. Fleming sat at the head of the table
with Col. III. B. de Clay, the Commander of tn,
Department of Virginia GAR, OH his right
and Gen. Cooke, Commander of T. e. LIE,
Camp, on his left Next to Col Cooke sat Hon
Geo. ID. Wise, and next to Gen. Cooke wa
Hon. Eppa Hnnton. Among those present no
belonging to Z. L. Camp were Gen. E. w. Whit
taker, of the Union Cavalry; Gen. r. L. Col
ston Col. Jack Brown, and Past Commander A
B. Hurlbut, Of the Department of Virginia
GAR
Col II. q. dc Clay responded to the frs
toast, "The Blne," very felicitoasly. He re
ferred to his emotion he escorted the Cam
down the aisle TO the stage at the Reunion o
the Army of the Potomac, and closed by read
ing poem " The Blue and the Gray" writes
by Col ]. C. Gum.
The Gray was responded to by State Sen
stor Lovenstein, of Virginia. He said tina
while every man in gray fought for what b
believed TO be right, they all loyalty acquiesce
in the results of the war, and their heart
thr0bbed with JOY at the reception by the Arm
of the Potomac.
"Our Host" was responded to by Hon. Geo
D. Wise, who said that the ex-Confederate
were vieing with the Federals in making thi