The National tribune., 1886-04-22

strong letter from DIR. Pancoast of Philadelphia,
wherein he says that these men are suffering
from debility or impaired activity of the
nervous system produced by their wounds and
subsequent amputatons, all of which disabili-
ties increase as age advances. The Members OF
| Congress frankly said that up to this time they
had not understood these inevitable effects OF
| the cutting of large nerves, and therefore have
| been slow to grant sufficient amount of in
crease at once to keep these veterans for the
remainder of their days. The league says that
this should have been done several years ago,
| and thus spare the men from being compelled
| to continually knock at the doors of Congress
| for sufficient means of support.
VETERANS RIGHTS IN WASHINGTON.
Jerome B. Burke, Commander of the Depart
ment of the Potomac, was asked the other day
| if the Veterans Rights Union intended to make
war on the Administration for violation of
Section 1854, U. S. Revised Statutes, for the
| protection of ex soldiers employed in the civil
| service:
THAT is my impression" he replied. ~
| find upon inquiry that many dismissals in the
| Government Departments have been made of
ex- Union soldiers on the demand of Southern
Senators and Representatives, and that it is
| seldom dismissal is made for inefliciency or
| neglect of duty on the part of the empoye.
| In many instances it has been discovered that
the dismissals were made to crafty the spite OF
personal or political opponents. Professional
1 iTleuuS Oh Inc eX-SOlGleTS nave ueeh louhu w
| indorse and press the appointments of political
friends, while they simply indOrse the applica-
ton of the old soldier and leave the Grand
| Army the work of helping the candidates out.
If it were not for the constant efforts Of the
Grand Army in behalf of its comrades few II
| any appointments would be made of Grand
| Army men or ex-Uuion soldiers, nor would any
attention be paid to the statutes. This state Of
| affairs has caused the organization of the Vet
| eran Rights Union and its members to roll up
| their sleeves, and they mean to go the bottom
| of the matter"
| One day last week Commander Burke, Chas.
| P Lincoln, w. S. Odell and J. F. Vinal of the
| National Veterans Rights Union, called on
| Col. Wilson, United States Marshal for the Dis
trict of Columbia, and asked his reasons for
removing six ex-Union soldiers. They said to
/ him:
"Col Wilson, the committee of the Veterans
Rights Union understand that you have dis
| charged five ex-Union soldiers who were capa-
| BILE and efficient, and for no cause except that
they were Republicans. and the sixth ex-Union
soldier discharged was for cause"
THAT is true; and have put Democrats,
who are efficient men, in their places" he
replied.
| "Did you know that Sections 1854 and 1885,
! Revised Statutes and the act of 1876 required
| you to retain ex- Union soldiers when reducing
| the force, and to give preference to ex- Union
| soldiers when making appointments"
| Col. Wilson replied that he did not know
| anything about that; his Office did not come
under the civil service law. He had always
| been Democrat; he had worked for the party
25 years. He filled the vacancies with Demo-
Gratis, and did not know whether the men that
he had discharged were soldiers not, nor
| whether the men he appointed were soldiers.
The committee informed Col. Wilson that it
was not there to represent Republicans or Demo
Gratis, but the Veterans Rights Union, in the
interest of ext Union soldiers and sailors honor
ably discharged from the service. The commit
tee requested and urged Col. Wilson to consider
| the matter of reappointment OF the five worthy
ex-soldiers from the standpoint of the commit
tee, as representatives of the Veterans Rights
Union, and the requirements Of the law. This
Col. Wilson did not agree to do. The gentle
men then informed the Marshal that it would
be their duty to report the facts to the Presi
dent of the United States
The committee also stated to Marshal Wilson
that he had appeared to discriminate against
the ex-Union soldier in making appointments
on his force, in this, that he had discharged
therefrom every ex-Union soldier and filled
their places with those who had no record of mill
itary or naval service under the United States.
THE LABOR TROUBLES.
Last Thursday, pursuant to a resolution
adopted by the House, Speaker Carlisle appoint
ed the following special committee to investi-
gate the causes of the recent strikes and other
labor troubles A. G. Curtin. of Pennsylvania;
J. N. Burnes, Missouri w. II. Grain, Texas; J.
II. Cultivate, Ohio; J. w. Stewart, Vermont;
A. x. Parker, New York, and James Buchanan,
New jersey. Chairman Curtin called the COM
mittee together the following day There was
general interchange of views as to the proper
method of conducting the inquiry, but no con-
clusion was reached.
Mr.. Burnes, who is probably more directly
interested in the investigation than any other
mar ,harn f tfapQ nff ttn tfar
=" / should think the committee wonld want to
consume all of next week in consultation and
defining the scope of its work before entering
upon the taking Of testimony. We will want
to consult persons well versed in the law and
methods of the work before US and understand
just how far we can and will go. / should
think the whole committee would go West,
then subdivide and cover the field as rapidly as
possible. The testimony ought to be taken
where the trouble exists, and then all members
of the committee could see the situation and
understand it perfectly. 1t is my opinion that
no testimony will be taken before week after
next and that it will all or nearly all be secured
where the riots WERE"
Subsequently the committee decided to sub
pena to appear before it in Washington, Messrs
Powderly and Mcdowell, representing the
Knights of Labor, and Jay Gould and A. L.
Hopkins, in behalf of the railroad companies
1t is expected that the committee will leave
that point such testimony as may be desirable
it is probable that sub committees will be sent
as far as Atchisoi, Kan, and Fort Worth, Tex
to CLEAN information along the lines and at
those places relative to the strike. The COM
mittee desires to report at an early day, but is
determined to make the investigation thorough
and impartial.
MUcH-TALKED-AB0UT PICTURE.
Mr.. w. II. Hiiliard, the artist who has been
| at work for some time on a painting of the
| tomb Of John Howard Payne in Tunis, deliv-
cred the picture to the owner, Senator Palmer
of Michigan, last Saturday. A great deal of
| interest has been excited in Washington by this
painting, and good deal of heartburning
withal The bringing to Washington for final
interment of the remains of the author of
Home, Sweet Home" with great display by
Mr.. w. w. Corcoran some three years ago will
be remembered. Mr.. billiard went to Tunis
from Paris, where he was residing and made
an elaborate study of the scene just before the
tomb was disturbed by the removal of Payne's
remains. 1t was the intention of the artist to
bring the.study to Washington and here paint
the picture for the Corcoran Gallery as an his
| torical souvenir of Payne and his removal from
Tunis to the National Capital 80 years after his
death.
Mr.. Corcoran, however, lost the prize for his
gallery through circumstances not very clear
The gossips have given various explanations.
Some say that his agent, thinking no one else
would want the picture higgled about the
price. Others say that Mr.. Corcoran offended