The National tribune., 1885-10-29
The GubernatOrial Candidates.
FROM GOV. DAVID d. HILL.
STATE OF New YORK,
EXECUTIVE CHAMBER,
AIRANy Oct II 1882

STATE OF NEW 1ORR,
EXECUTIVE CHAMBER,
ALBANY, Oct. IL, 1885. }
IRA NJ. HEDGES, Esq, Chairman, etc, Haver-
straw, \. Y.
have received from your Committee Through
the hands of Col. b. F. Gottt a communication
containing a series of questions to which an
answer is desired. / cheerfully comply with
your request, and will endeavor, frankly, to
state my sentiments. Pardon me for stating
that some of the questions would seem to be
more properly addressed to candidates for the
Legislature than to Gubernatorial candidate;
but approaching your worthy motives and the
good object sought to be obtained, / shall not
hesitate to crafty your wishes. Without an
swering, categorically, each separate question,
may say that in the main answer your ques-
tions Automatically. Possibly | ought to state
that j am not very familiar with the details of
the system of Civil Service examinations, and
the marking and certifcation referred to in
one of your questions, and hence am unable,
very accurately, to express an opinion upon
those points. Nevertheless / can state gen
orally that if the present laws of the State or the
Civil Service rules are not sufficiently explicit
TO give hOnorably discharged soldiers or sailors
the preference over civilians, then / think
they should be so amended as clearly to de-
clare such preference. In plain words, | be-
lieve in the spirit which dictated the enact
ment of the laws giving preference to sol
dicrs and sailors over civilians i'll the Civil
Service of the State and | believe that such
laws should be honestly and in good faith en-
forced and that no evasion Of the same on the
part of public officials should be tolerated. /
think that when such veterans are shown to
possess the qualifications essential to a satifac-
tory and creditable discharge of the duties of
position they should identified to and receive
substantial preference, even though there may
be civilians who posses superior qualifications;
and if the present law the rules of any
department Of the State do not permit such
preference to be clearly given are SO defective
that it cannot be enforced, they should be
amended accordingly. / believe | may safely
refer you to my recent official utterances upon
this same subject, as fully expressing my views
Very respectfully,
(SignedJ DAVID B. HILL.
FROM IRA DAVENPORT.
The telegram given below is from the Repub-
lican candidate for Governor:
New YORK, Oct 81
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: Answering
inquiries Of the Veterans Rights Association
Appreciation of the veterans services to the
State and Nation has never been absent from
my mind. The men who saved the Union
have, in my opinion, first claim to positions
OF honor and emolumeut which they may
be competent to fill. Our platform declares
that III CIVll service examinations the veteran
who proves his competency should have the
preference over all others. He went to the
front during the war, and for one am heartily
in favor Of giving him the same position now
when he seeks honorable preferment in the
Civil Service. IRA DAVENPORT.
FROM GEN. EDWARD F. JONES.
"HOnorably discharged soldiers eligible by
competency should be recognized as having the
first claim to places of cmolument in the Civil
Service" letter of acceptance.) Answers
questions atiirmatively, and regrets that opin-
ions publicly expressed were not sufficiently
known to render answers to specific questions
necessary" EDWARD T. JONES.
Up to nearly the hour Of going to press we
had not received answers from Messrs. Daven-
port and Carr, but we received the following
telegram from Corporal Tanner: