The Washington weekly post., 1900-12-18
RIGHT TO PUBLIC OFFICES
House Refuses to Extend the PREF.
erence for ex-SOldiers.
measure 10 Allow All HonorabIy Diseherc.
edsoidiers Advantage Over Civilian.
In the Civil service BeGtenby
an Overwhelming Vote.

The House of Representative r.f,g.,
yesterday to extend the preference j1 ff..
CiVn serVic TO all hcnorabIy 5is.b,rs.-4
solaiers. The vote stood q IN ia; fs.
Dill having been brought IN by Frur..
sentative BromweH. of Ohio rrn.tar .,...
pension OF the rules. Il was a a. -
Dill, but the Committee on s'ivu S,r7-,r.
amended II so as To include houorIbl. dis
charged soldiers not only of the ,iyu VAR.
cut after them the houOrablv DISCHARGED
soldiers OF the Spanish war and the war
In the Philippines. The bin would give
them preference in the appointment ID
office and also IN retention therein .t
further provided that loss OF limbs o-
other physical impairment should not .u-
capacitate or disqualify a soldier for Of
fee.
The opposition to the bill was very vlE-
orous. and Mr. BTOmWell was piled with
many questions. 1t was claimed by many
men bers that the effect OF the bill would
be to install in the civil service almost
exclusively for many years 10 come %
class that had followed military No.
and that civilians would have no oppur-
tUnities in that direction whatever.
Mr. Richardson asked why the soldiers
OF the Mexican war We're not included
II this era of good feeling, why not in
clude the soldiers and sailors OF an the
wars? Mr. Bromwell replied that there
was less reason for including the soldiers
of the Mexican war now than when the
original law was passed.
Mr.. Clayton, OF New York. said that
substantially the provisions of the bill
were in effect in New York State, and
that the law mad worked satisfactorily
Mr.. Gillrtt, of Massachusetts. the chair
man of the Civil Service Committee. uro-
tested vigorously against the bill. lie aa-
clared that the bill was improperly before
the House. Speaking directly to t1
merits of the bill, he said that IL Wds
vicious, although drawn, doubtless, vile
| good intentions. IL would. he declared
practically shut civilians out of the gos
ernment service for years TO come. u
would place at the top of tho prefereEtd'
list all the soldiers and sailors OF ms
war with Spain, regular and voluntr';
alike. amounting to 100000, the lw'0" u' /!
in the service, and the $500 who wou.i
soon be enlisted under the army reorsaH-
ization bill II would, therefore gi'e
preference to S50.0O0 men, and for many
years would keep civilians of the rolls.
The regulars, he said. were not entitled
To be in a preferential class
Col. Hepburn. of Iowa, also opposed the
bill on the ground that il made an APP
pointrnent a vested right, and Gen. G--s-
yenor, OF Ohio. took the same position
and asked Mr. BrOmWeIl 10 withdraw th'
bill. Mr.. Mccall, OF Mass chusetts. op-
posed the bill. because, he said, II Wou.i
create a military caste. The soldiers
fought TO maintain a free government
the fundamental principles of which was
equality before the law. IL was s.ui
upon the intelligence of the soldiers 10
give them this preference.
Mr.. SulZer attempted 10 force yea
and nay vote upon the bill, but failed
and on rising vote the bill was defeat
ed-5l 10 i05.