The National tribune., 1897-01-21
VETERANS PREFERENCE.

A Letter to Senator Mitchell, Of Oregon.
Hon. JOHN II. MITCHELL, q. s. Senate.
DEAR SIR: Referring to communications
had with you and your colleague in the o.
S. Senate III. G. w. McBride) few weeks
ago on the subject of the opportunities avail
able for surviving soldiers and sailors of the
civil war, / have to say that much has been
said in laudation Of the preference given to
ex-Uni0n soldiers and sailors of the civil
war. by section 1854, Revised Statutes of the
United States, and people generally, includ-
ing many, If not most, officers in the Govern
ment service, believe that all honorably dis
charged soldiers and sailors in the United
States service during the civil war are en-
titled to preference rights under the Civil
Service rules.
Section 1854, Revised Statutes, act March
3. 1865, provides that persons honorably
discharged from the military or naval serv-
ice by reason Of disability resulting from
wounds or sickness incurred in the line Of
duty, shall be preferred for appointments to
civil Offices, provided they are found to
possess the business capacity necessary for
the proper discharge of the duties of such
Offices" And the Civil Service rules Sec 2,
Rule Z, provides that the names Of all com
petitors whose claims to preference under
the provisions of section 1854 of the Revised
Statutes have been allowed by the Commits
sion, and who attain an average of IS or
over, shall be placed in the order of their
average percentages at the head of the proper
register of the eligibles;" and section 8 Of
said rule provides that I" for filing vacan-
cies in positions for which competitive tests
are not practicable, persons who served in
the military or naval service Of the United
States in the late war of the rebellion, and
were honorably discharged therefrom, shall
be placed at the head Of the proper register
in the order of their fulfillment of said
requirements.
This sounds well but means very little.
How many of the soldiers or sailors of the
civil war who were honorably discharged
thirty odd years ago from the service of the
United States by reason of disability result
ing from wounds or sickness incurred in the
line Of duty, are now living to take advant-
age of this act9
How many of those who were honorabIy
discharged at the close Of the war by expira-
ton of term of service, and have since be-
come disabled by reason Of wounds or sick
ness incurred in the line of duty, and who
are capable to perform the duties of any
one of thousands of Offices in the Civil Serv-
Ice, Dut are not capable OF performing man.
ual labor, and are not able to wrangle in
competitive examinations with men o gen.
Grafton later from the schools?
These latter comprise the surviving old
soldiers and sailors of the civil war, and for
these we ask that all MISUNDERSTANDING
officers, soldiers and sailors of the civil war
who served 90 days or more during the re-
bellion against the United States Govern
k0 hn kal IT,,
privileges conferred by Sec. 1854 r. s., and
also any privileges conferred on the class
embraced in said Sec. 1854 by Secs 2 and 8,
Rule Z. of the Civil Service Rules, and that
you and your associates use all honorable
means to have an amendment passed by the
Congress to that effect during the present
session.
am very respectfully yours,
JOHN w. LEWIS,
Captain, Co. I, 4th KY. Cav, The Dalles,
Ore.