The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1886-01-14

which the law provided, and it held that the phrase
equal standing applied not to all persons who pass
the minimum, but to those at the head of the list
who are certified for appointment. That is to say,
the preference given to the soldier is, first, his
relief from the requirement of age; second, from
that of physical ability; and third. that if, with
these advantages, he appears among the three GER
tilted as the highest. he shall be selected.
This degree of preference is not acceptable to the
Veteran Association, and it will present bill pro-
vidng in substance that il ex-soldiers and sail
ors pass the minimum at the examination, they
shall be certified before all others. The advantage
secured to them will thus be freedom from the re-
quirements Of age and disability. and precedence
of ali other persons upon the eligible list. That Is
to say the bill substitutes for exsoders and sail
ors, against other applicants, pass examination
for n competitive examination. With the utmost
desire to do all just honor to the veterans, and TO
favor them in every fair way, but holding in view
the principle and the purpose of reform. this prop
osition seems to us to be open to two serious OBJ
jections. First, the method of ascertaining equal
standing under the act is competition and 1t Is con-
ceded that to require merely pass examination is
really TO annul competition, because the principle
of competitive examination is strictly to find the
most proficient, and that principle Is modified IN
the State law far as to apply to the three most
proficient. A pass examination differs from a COM
pettive examination in this that it requires candi
dates to pass a certain line minimum, and makes
all who pass eligible. The objection to it is that
when passing minimum and not approaching the
maximum is the essential requirement. there is a
constant and resistlesss tendency to lower the MINI
imum until it becomes merely form and really
excludes nobody. 1t Is true that 1t is proposed to
certify the ex-soldiers and sailors in the order OF
their standing, beginning with the highest; but If
there should be SO persons who pass minimum OF
IS, and one of them should be soldier who stands
at the foot of the list say at 65 he would take pre-
cedence of all the 40 whose standing ranges from
65 to 100.
In point of fact the proportion of applicants who
are ex-solders and sailors is large, and their
standing class is higher than that Of others.
This fact, shown from the official records dsposes
of the assertion that the law at present disormi-
mates against them. The modification of the law
in the manner proposed, therefore, would tend to
exclude Others, however admirably qualified from
the public service. The second consequence and
objection is that the relaxation of the principle to
favor a particular class would greatly facilitate
its relaxation to favor other classes. The argument
that there is no other such class is sound, but it
does not meet the objection, because the claim of
each class is different. But establish the pre-
cedent that there claims not arising from the
technical or other character of the service which
may properly set aside the competitive principle,
taken toward the overthrow of the law This is the
obvious and fair view of the proposition from the
principle of reform 1t is exceedingly unjust to say
that it shows hostility TO the veterans. When law
has been passed in plain obedience to strong and
wholly bipartisan public conviction to reform
great abuses in the public service and a PROPOSE
ton is made to abandon its essential safeguard In
gratitude to most honorable and meritorious class
of citizens. the complete reply is that their
questionable deserts ought certainly to be reward.
ed, but in some other way than by weakening
necessary and useful laws to aid them.
This differs from most of the anti-soldier
articles that appear in New York and Boston
papers in being dignifed, fair and logical.
It is not TRADE, as most of them are, but
an argument in which the writer supports
his views with ability.
| But there is sufficient answer to his plea
against any greater preference being given
to ex-soldier applicants for office. In the
first place, the right of the soldier to prefer
ence is not derived from any recent enact
ment. 1t is something that was promised
him when he enlisted, and was earned by
him when he served his country faithfully
until discharged. The passage of Civil serv-
ice laws or any other form of legislation
cannot justly and honorably abridge now
rights which were acquired then by paying
in full the price of those rights.
The people said then-and have since
repeated it an innumerable number of times
in political conventions, in Congress, and in
State Legislatures, by direct enactment, and
by the utterances of high oficials-that the
soldier should be given this preference.
Therefore, instead of the rights now claimed
for the soldiers being an invasion of the
Civil Service law, the reverse is the truth
the passage of the law was reputation of
those rights.
The editors arguments that any conces-
sion to soldiers would make precedent that
would secure similar concessions for "other
classes" is not at all sound. There is no
"other class" having the same rights to
preference, nor can there be until, unhap-
PLY, another great war shall come, which
shall require similar extraordinary sacrifices
on the part of our people. There is no
method of acquiring the right to such a
preference. We ask the editor to name any
possible way by which any class" of men
can gain a claim to be considered before
their fellow citizens in appointment or cleo
ton to Office than by military service in
war time. Birth will not give it, nor yet
wealth, any more than having red hair or
being married to seventh daughter.
Every civilized Nation recognizes service
in the Army or Navy as being sufficient to
establish preference in other departments
of public employment. The ex-soldier and
sailor in France, England, and Germany are
always, and as matter of Government pol
icy, given preference over civilians in
places for which they are suited. That they
can do this with the great number of men
who are yearly discharged from their i'm
mense armies, effectually disposes of the