Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-08-04
GRAND ARMY PROTESTS,
The President Told That Veterans Are
Disseminated Against.

The President Told That Veterans Are
Disseminated Against.
The Grand Army of the Republic has suf
fered heavily by the late dismissals from
and reductions in the executive depart.
ments The Department Of the Potomac
has taken official action in the matter, and
Is still at work with efforts to stop wha,
most Of the Grand Army men term the
slaughter Of their comrades. The Depart
ment of the Potomac has sent a formal
protest to the President, charging that vet
eran soldiers are being dismissed from the
government positions on the ground of in
efficiency. whereas they are known by their
fellow-workers and proved by their records
to be worthy and effective employees. The
charge Is also made to the President that
in dismissals and reductions no preference
is shown toward old soldiesr. and this. the
Grand Army maintains. is in direct viola
ton Of law. 1t is claimed that veterans
are being Disseminated against in various
other ways, because they, or many of
them, are republicans, or because the ad-
ministration feels that 1t is under no OBJ
legation to the Grand Army Of the Re-
public.
The protest to President Cleveland COW
cred three typewriter pages and set forth
that the Determinations against the Grand
Army were contrary to the Presidents let
ter Of acceptance. contrary to the state
nIents which he made to the Grand Army.
both before and after election, and contrary
to the promises made by his friends espe-
cially in the state Of New York. Although it
has not been possible to procure copy OF
this protest, it Is understood that it con-
tains reference to the fact that In the last
presidential campaign number Of Grand
Army comrades effected an organization In
the interest of Mr.. Cleveland in New York.
and sent out to their comrades throughout
the land q mass of literature bearing on
the statements made by the President at
various times and places that the Grand
Army was entitled at all times to favorable
discrimination. The receipt Of this protest
was acknowledged by the private secretary
to the President, and 1t Is said that a copy
Of 1t was sent by the President to the heads
Of departments, with instructions to trans
nit copies to the heads Of bureaus, but this
is only a conjecture. or the l5o employees
dropped In the record and pension division
Of the War Department seventy-one were
veterans Of federal armies, and many OF
them were advanced In years.
The G. A. r. officials with whom The Star
man talked this afternoon declared that
Postmaster General Bissell was the most
thorough civil service sympathizer in the
administration. and that no cause for COM
plaint lay against him.
1t was also said that Secretary Smith is
acting with great fairness toward the vet
Grams. One official told the reporter that
Secretary Carlisle was a very broad-minded
man, but that Logan Carlisle practically
hau controi over tnat part OF the Depart
ment referring to its personnel. He, they
claim, is q rash young man, who prides
himself on being a hustler, and who makes
dismissa1s largely on personal motives. 1t
Is also claimed that he Is bitterly antag-
onistic to the Grand Army. and is a violent,
as the G. A. X. men put ii. rebel sympa-
thiZer." The matter of dismissals will also
be brought to the attention Of the national
encampment. which convenes at Pittsburg
on September II. The Department Of the
Potomac has already been in communica-
ton with the commander-in- chief