Evening star., 1893-12-16
QUESTION OF PREFERENCn.
The Law I'm Regard to Honorably Dh
charged Soldiers and Sailors,

charged Soldiers and Sailors.
Grand Army men are somewhat perplexed
at the published statment that the Navy
Department has raised the question Of
what constitutes veteran" for purposes
of preference in the matter Of appointments
in the civil service. This perplexity is due
to the fact that the law regulating such ap-
pointments makes no reference to ''veter-
ans" Section 1854 r. s., the only statute
having a probable application TO this Ques-
ton, provides as follows:
Persons honorably discharged from the
military or naval service by reason Of dis
ability resulting from wounds or sickness
incurred in the line Of duty shall be pre-
ferred for appointments to civil offices, pro-
vided they are found to possess the business
capacity necessary for the proper discharge
OF the duties of such Offices"
Rule y OF departmental rules governing
appointments in the civil service provides
as follows:
Upon requisition OF the head Of a depart
ment. the commission shall certify for rein
statement in said department In a grade
requiring no higher examination than the
one IN which he was formerly employed,
any person who, within one year next pre-
Ieealng ,eg .he date of the reQuisition. has.
tnrough no delinquency or misconduct been
separated from the classified service OF thar
department.: Provided. That certtfcation
may De made. subject to the other condi-
a,. IONS OF this rule, for the reinstatement of
any person who served in the military or
naval service Of the United States in the
iate war of the rebellion and was honor, ~,
olscharged therefrom. or the widow ~ any
81 tir person, without regard to the length
the service. Afoin
The Error.
Inc published error probably arose fro,,
'he Iact that the regulations governing m.
employment OF labor at navy yards. place
'e'efahs as nrst on the list of prefer
ehce In the matter OF appointments as
mechanics and laborers. places outside or the
regular CLASSIFIED service. The question or
what constitutes q veteran" Within W..
meaning OF these regulations was raised NV
All appheant for employment In n navy
yard. navy
Refused Preference.
ne SAID he had been refused ..preference"
py naval officer on the sround the, h,.
service In Maine regiment from early IN
1860 70 the end OF the war did not entttIe
MN 10 classification as a veteran.
Inc question has never been de6nitslv
oeGded, although many opinions have heen
rendered by various government of,icsrs
ana the Navy Department has secured ali
Oh tnese and also informal opinions of other
persons In authority. The War Department.
Mebsters Dictionary and the second an.
oitor or the treasury practically agree as
70 the dehnition, and If these three authort-
ties nave weight in determining the oues-
ton submitted to Secretary Herbert many
Will De affected. 'o1ue
webster says that in the United States a
veteran Is one who has served one en-
nsnneht t curing the civil war and had re-
sHIstsd IN an order issued in 1853 the
war department says men who have serv-
ed for not less than nine months can he
re-enhsted as veteran volunteers The
present second auditor of the treasury gives
an informal opinion that to be enrolled as
veteran requires two enlistments The
soldier must have served at least nine
months OF the first enlistment and then
re-enlisted for three years or d1rin. a.
war. The chief clerk Of the pension Office
also holds that two enlistments are re-
quired.
On March .. 1893. the War Department
decided that enlisted men who have served
Twelve years or more continuously or other
wise shall be classified as veterans. The
Union Veteran Legion makes active service
at the front indispensable to membership.