The San Francisco call., 1897-04-22
has SO long feebly struggled for existence. d

has so long bly, struggled for existence. Il
Is an order that deserves the sympathy and the
encouragement of every veteran. 1t is 10 take
up the work we are so soon to lay down, and
70 N anage the destinieS of the country we
nave saved as its inheritance. do not tnInk
Its members should ever become members OF
our order because our bond is one that can.
not be shared with those whose ties with us
were not welded in the furnace OF war, but we
tlon and aid in its upbuilding, and it should
De the duty OF each OF US TO do what We can
ior its success.
Tie management of the Veterans Home
at 1ountvilie was commended, and the
efficiency of the board of directors
praised. Seven hundred veterans are cared
fer at the home.
The services of the com mmittee appointed
10 secure legislation came in for recognl-
tioa. The address commends the laws
passed by the last Legislature.
On the subject of civil service the COM
mander spoke as follows:
No matter, unless it be the subject OF PEN
sion legislation, IS OF more vital interest to
the mem bers OF the Grand Army OF the Re-
publc-to all ex-Union soldiers, sailors and
marlnes-than Is the at present all absorbing
one OF ''civii service REFORM" This eucsmp-
ment should, in my opinion, appeal by reso-
luton 10 the Senator'S and Represent tatIves in
Congress from the States included within our
territorial limits for a redress of the wrongs
perpetrattd upon the Union veteran under
ana demand oil them the full measure of JUS
lice, and the President should be asked
70 sus pend or modify the rules until
Congress acts If il be within his power to do
so: Thousands of one-armed and otherwise
cripp led veterans, perfectly com petent TO per-
form the duties OF the positions they held, and
eaua.iy incompetent by reason of their infimi-
ties to meet with success in competition with
the young and physically sound who jostle
against them everywhere, have been trans
terred to places where physical strength and
m h fy.o dor Nv
excuse for demanding their designations, and
Wnen resignation was not forthcoming they
nave oeen charged on the record with incom-
potency and summarily dismissed to make
room for others whose only qualification was
record OF faithful work along strictly party
lines Civil service ru.es now cover the posi-
uons Oh watchmen, messengers, sweepers and
almost everything else on the list, and m any
armless. legess and otherwise crippled
terans are not able to pass a
civil service examination although well
adapted Tor positions OF this nature. Under
the present system OF examination boys fresh
from the high schools. or college graduates,
ge. the plumS; veterans are barred by age and
By the struggle for existence which began i'm
mediately upon their discharge from the SER
vice and which prevented them from scQuir-
Ing the technical knowledge necessary to
properly answer the many irrelevant and i'm
material questions submitted by the Civil Ser
vice Commission 10 bewilder them. 1t would
In my judgment, be the proper thing for the
present Congress to so modify the civil service
rules as to permit the appointment of honor
ably discharged soldiers, sailors and marines,
and their widows, without regard to party
affiiiation, to any branch OF the civil service
not requiring technical skill or knowledge,
without civil service examination, and be.
lieve proper agita tion by the Grand Army win
secure such result.
Commander Masteiler's reference to
civil service changes evoked prolonged ap-
piause.
The report Of the adiutant-generaI
shows the numb ber of comrades In good
standing to be 5405, loss of 1856 during the
year. The total number of posts in good
standing is l13. loss of two during the
year.
An interesting report is that of J. ].
Lyon, mortuary registrar. 1t contains
this calculation:
Recent official calculations have been made
at Washington, based upon there having been
1.154,S $40 surviving Union veterans In 1895,
from which an estimate is made, based upon
morality tables, indicating that the number
of deaths Will be about as noted during the
peri/d indicated: