New-York tribune., 1901-01-13
THE PREFERENCE BILL.
AN EXPOSITION OF THE VIEWS OF
ITS ADVOCATES.

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: In The New-York Tribune. a paper founded
by Horace Greeley, of santed memory. the Union
soldier and sailor expects always to find friend.
And this without regard to the individual person
ality of any who may be advocate OF the
claims of such for justice. Principles are greater
than any number of men. The latter die.
the former live on forever. The of those
who fought in the Civil War is that of the people,
II ought to be fully understood and fairly treated.
An editorial article in your Issue of the 18th inst,
with the heading Defeat of the Preference Bill,
is very strong in the of language AS an argu-
ment, however, it is without force. because based
mainly on false premise. which does great IN
Justice to what is the truth concerning the status
OF veterans of the Civil War under the United
States law affecting Civil Service 1t is. there
fore, unfair. The Tribune will not care. ween.
even unwittingly. to do them their cause great
wrong. Hence this letter for which / bespeak
consideration and space
The bill referred to n your editorial (H- R. 5'I9
not. either in its purpose or origin, deSidnfd
TO ertend the present preference in fGT0r OF me
reterdRS of the CirI War to all veterans. regular
and volunteer of the war with Spain ana the CAM
ragn n the Philippines" The quotation Is yours,
Ne italics mine Those honorably discharged
from the service by reason of the expiration Of
their terms OF enlistment upon the close OF the
war. in the sixties. even though wounded a dozen
times, have legal preference whatever In the
public service of the National Government. There
is not. therefore. any law of present preference
to be extended. And IT is evident that neither Mr.
Hepburn nor Mr.. Grosvenor Mr.. Richardson
is posted existing law on this subject Nor do
1 know that they TO be
Under existing law (Section 1854 Revised Statutes
OF the United States. is the only providing
preference) the same preference IS given all reg
uIar and volunteer soldiers and sailors, including
the Of the later wars. who come within its
provisions.
AS matter of fact statistics show that 45 per
cent Of those preferred under that Iaw-passed for
the benefit of the Union solCer and saiIor-are men
who enlisted since the Civil War ended Such is
the testimony OF the United States Civil Service
Commission
THE BILL AS AMENDED.
A bill intended do veterans OF the Civil War
Justice passed the Senate in the LVth Congress,
but failed in the House. II reintroduced in the
LvIth Congress. and amended by the Senate
committee passed the Senate last May The change
OF this bill from the original text. which affected
only veterans OF the Civil War was due to other
causes. which United States Senator's Joseph b
Foraker OF Ohio. and George F. Hoar. of Massa-
chusetts. can best explain They insisted IT in
the first instance The amendment placed the
younger soldiers and sailors the same plane OF
preference the original bill intended giving to
those Of the Civil War alone even the modification
asked for by the Grand Army committee. that the
younger men should come first after the veterans
OF the Civil War" provided in House Resolution
S71s (the Bromwell bD by its amendment In Com
mittee on Reform in the Civil Service being denied
The fact that all veterans of the Civil War are
now placed upon eligible list when they attain
rating of s5 is due not to law. but is simply
a mark or favor-conceSSion, II you please-without
any authority OF law for it-nothing except rule
the ipse dixit OF the United States Civil Service
Commission Except they were discharged from the
military or naval service by reason of disability
resulting from wounds sickness incurred in the
line OF duty Che discharge showing that fact vet
erans of the Civil War generally receive no prefer
ence in appointment whatever. They do get II they
pass at So, place the list the bottom there
Of For this there is legal warrant anywhere
Whatever force the editorial referred TO NAV
have as an argument against the principle involved
in II. r. 577s. viz. That service In war in this
Republic should entitle those who serve and sur
Vive and are honOrably discharged at the end OF
the period or enlistment when the war is over
10 a preference in the public service in times of
peace-and as To the expedency OF this the minds
Of men differ, though they should not in nv opin-
ion-it ought to be based on logic and a premise
that is correct
All this talk of $4,000 in a preferred class IS
worthy only the demagogue the charlatan and
those enthusiasts who are impractical Not TO ex-
ceed per of the soldiers and sailors Of the
recent wars tS,50o) will now for many years to
come. IN any one year seek public employment
and not 20 per cent of those who OO will In any
such year attain place the eligible list or ~
they do and are preferred. receive an appointment
Less than two in a Congress district They can
never become menace the rights of others
Certainly not IL they pubIfc office through
establishing that they are qualified And this is
a prerequisite
VETERANS PUSHED ASIDE
1t is somewhat severe the younger soldiers and
sailors of the Nation to attribute them any less
patriotism than that which Gctuated those of the
Civil War The latter as a rule when houorablv
discharged. had 500 In their pockets youth
on their side. the whole world in front of them
and an ambition and pride to succeed In life While
them hen pha
ployment from door to door and finding il not that
they were crowded out (and such was my personal
experience), they did then, or for many wears
afterward only TO a very limited extent seek
either al pension employment in the public SER
vice But as the time rolled their necessities
became greater. and then under compulson. many
or them sought both, only to find in the matter OF
employment that owing the failure of the law
making power to carry the promises of the
government during eighteen years now thirty
hve since the matter called to the attention of
Congress. they were pushed aside as too old
or worse than this found that the gratitude which
the people OF the Nation had expressed had resolved
Itself, as far as employments went, in the hands
OF manCeuvring politicians. into "spOils" merely
compensa tory rewards of political service The vet
Grams OF the Civil War and what they wrought
Tor free government were forgotten or told You
were paid for your service In the Army or the
Navy which saved the Union and made the Nation
free. permitting me and others like me who saw
no such service, In your absence. to come TO the
surface as boss and the dispenser of public
patronage, The offices are mine-a private snap
to be disposed of at sweet will. a public