The evening times., 1898-08-16
ARE THEY IffERANat
The Standing Of the New Soldiers
Unaer the Law.

= =
The Stanaing Of the New S0satefs
UnAer the Law.
Already the question has been raised as
to the standing Of the men VINO are serv-
ing in the present war, under the United
States Civil Service law. The question
that is asked il this: Are men dis
charged from the present volunteer army
Of the United States veterans under the
law and entitled to the privileges accord
ed the soldiers OF 1876?
This question:" says the Brooklyn Ea-
gle. was brought to the attention Of
Secretary Charles Miiligan OF the iocai
board several days. ago by man VINO is
on the eligible list for appointment as
letter carrier. He was injured at Camp
Black while In the performance Of duty
there and was dicharged from the United
States service. As he had passed the CIV
II service examination with better per-
centage than 6 he had claimed the right
to be placed at the head of the list. Sec
ton 1854 of the Revised Statutes OF the
United States reads:
persons honorably discharged from the
military and naval service by reason OF
disability resulting from wounds or sick
| ness incurred in the line of duty shall De
preferred for appointments to civil Of
| fees, provided they are found to possess
| the business capacity necessary for the
| proper discharge of the duties OF such
| office
"As all the previous applicants had in
! CURED their injuries in the War of the
| Rebellion, Mr. Milligan advised the man
| to write to the United States Civil Ser
| vice Commission at Washington. This ne
| did. but the reply showed that the people
| there thought he was a veteran OF the
| rebellion. So he wrote again explaining
his case more fully. No reply has been
! received to the second communication.
"T am in doubt said Mr.. Milligan,
| as to what is the standing Of men en-
| gagged in the Spanish American war. 1
should like to have 1t settled, for until IT
! is, 1 cannot give men the information
1 wanted
| The State civil service law Is very
clear. 1t will have TO be changed before
any Of the men now in the volunteer ar
my can claim preference on account OF
| their service in 1t. The constitution, sec
| tion .. article V. reads:
Appointments and promotions in the
civil service of the State, and of all the
civil divisions thereof, including cities and
| villages, shall be made according to merit
i
| practicable. by examinations. which, so
! far as practicable, shall be competitive;
| provided, however, that honorably dis
charged soldiers and sailors from the ar
my and navy of the United States in the
late Civil War, who are citizens and resi-
| dents of this State, shall be entitled to
preference in appointment and promotion,
! without regard to their standing on any
| list from which such appointment or pro-
motion may be made. Laws snail De
| made to provide for the enforcement OF
| this section
There is no doubt that very many OF
/ the men now at the front expect on their
return to be classed as veterans and CIV
en- all the privileges accorded the soldiers
who fought in the Civil War. The dis
| covery that they are no nearer preference
| for places in the State service than be-
fore they went away will undoubtedly
be a disappointment to them. The clerk
| in charge Of the local branch Of the mu-
nicipal bureau in Borough Hall said this
morning:
| We have as yet had no application
from Spanish-American war veterans,
but for years men injured in the service
since the war have been coming 20 us for
| positions. We could only tell them that
| the only men preferred under State law
were those who served during the Re
bellion.