The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1893-07-13
NATIONAL CAPITOL.
ARE THI OLD CONFEDERATE WIT
RAMS IGNORED AT sGIOS>


Ford. Catawba county. y. c.. signed
'-Confed." contains the following in
qulry and request:
1T IS common talk all through this
section that the old one-armed and
one-legged confederate veterans are
barred out of the departments In
Washington. That MIR. Cleveland
has issued rule preventing their
appointment to the minor places in
the department in favor of the ex-
union soldiers. | read your letters
every week in The CAUCASIAN and |
feel like ! can rely upon and state
ment you may make in regard to this
or any other NATTER
ANSWER.
Many years ago congress passed a
law directing that preference be
given To ex-union soldiers In the ap-
pointment of watchmen in the diff
ferent departments The law is
practically obsolete. It has never
been observed particularly by Re-
publican administration where the
ex-nnion soldier applicant was dem
ocrat. | am advised of some in
stances where the law has been flag
rantly ignored by Republican off
Gals. The law is regarded as II
Legislative usurpation of executive
functions. 1t is understood to be
species of cheap demagoguery in
tended only for campaign purposes.
Mr.. Carlisle, who was in the United
States Army, has expressed the in
tention of enforcing the law so far
as the Treasury Department is con
cerned. Up to this time it has been
vigorously enforced so far as it ap-
plies to applicants from North Caro-
lima.
Major John Kerr, of Caswell
county, who left a leg at Gettys-
burgh, Captain Exline, Of Chatham,
who left an arm at the Wilderness,
and Captain McMatheson, of Alex
ander county, who left an arm at
Antietam, were applicants for watch
mems places in the Treasury Depart
ments. They were severally, jointly
and collectively turned down. each
one Of them having the eX-union law
showed into their faces. No attempt
is made to enforce the law in the
other departments. Mr.. Carlisle's
son is chief clerk in the Treasury
Department, and in dealing with this
class of appointments he has been
irritatingly insOlent towards some of
the old confederate veterans. He
told a VIrginian, who lost leg in
thirty-second battle, and, who, had
he fought on the winning side,
would stagger under load of decor
ations and medals which mark the
hero, ''that his own State ought to
take care of such people that the
United States had its hands more
than full when it undertook to care
for its own soldiers" There may be
some exaggeration in the matter.
but this statement is sustained by
the -confederates who speak their
mind very freely about young Mr..
Carlisle.
But the matter of the watchmen
roll is a small affair. There are one
thousand places, such as messengers,
where the duties are light, and now
performed by Republicans and Dis
trict of Columbia negroes, that
ought to be given to such heroes as
Carr, Matheson and Exllne. There
is no law to prevent and the neglect
of these men is shameful. They
have been here since Inauguration
day waiting for their turn, and have
helped to swell the crowd that at
times gave the Metropolitan Hotel
the appearance of a confederate
soldiers home. 1t is NORWOOD and
gall to them to have to hang on here,
and they have several times been
chagrined and Inundated III seeing
sleeping car conductors and cigar
cite, smoking, bar-roOm chumpS APP
pointed over their heads. | know of
at least three appointments of this
kind from North Carolina, and |
shall find others in the investigation
that | am making, with a view to
future reference and publication. |
expect to show that the grossest
favoritism and nepotism pervades
the whole department service.
But the dear cold boys" are not in
it any more. | remember net many
years ago when the proudest man
would lift his hat to one-armed
confederate soldier as he passed him
by. They followed Jackson, Lee,
Fender, Pettigrew, Scales, with he
role devotion and brilliant courage.
These God-inspired leaders have
long since passed over the river"
and the boys who followed them
through shell and shot are still fol-
lowing close in their footsteps. A
few years hence and the old confed-
crate vet. hobbling on his wooden
stump will be only hallewed
memory.
| do not attempt to attach any
particular blame to any individual
member of Congress or senator from
North Carolina in this matter. |
don't know what effort has been
made to provide them with places,
but | do know, and | do not hesitate
to say so. that they have not had
the treatment Or consideration that
their records and sacrifices as soldiers
and Democrats entitle them to. It
is no particular concern of mine
that their political efforts are re-
warded, but it does concern me, and
every other man who has any soul in
his body, that they are neglected
when others, whose only claim upon
the party Or the country is kinship
to some congressman, is taken care
of. JONATHAN EDWARDS.
NoTE.-I receive daily inquiries
from all parts of North Carolina, and
| wish to say that in future | shall
answer them through THE CAUCA-
SIAN. And | would prefer that the
inquiries be addressed through THE
CAUCASIAN. J. E.
PRESIDENT BUFFERS APPOINT
MENTS.
Marion Butler, President n. c..
Farmers State Alliance, will speak
at the following times and places:
or;o+o, (Rarf;a oo,,otul TuIv