The age-herald., 1902-05-03
Washington Day by Day

bly the country is at the meeting of the ways in respect to United States govern ment recognition of former Confederate soldiers in the particular of public em- ployment.
 Certainly the first serious and practi- cal attempt to obtain executive recogni- l ton of the noble old Confederates has just been made. and while nothing may come of 1t, the proposition will assuredly be thoughtfuliy and honestly considered by the President. for he has himself said so and he is a man whose promises are never doubted.
 1 There is history great history, in the l simple request which Congressman Clay ton of Alabama has preferred of the l President, that four Confederate Veter- l ans-one of Alabama, one of Mississippi, 1 one of Louisiana, and one of Tennessee who are now in the census office, be ,cer- tified to for permanent civil service em- ployment in Washington.
 It is the first request of this tenor ever 1 yet made of the President of the United States. and in the nature of things it be- comes historic. regardless of President Roosevelt's ultimate decision.
 The four Southern Veterans who fought l for the Southern cause in the war be- l tween the states are past the age limit 1 for admission to the classified civil service, and being former Confederate soldiers they are denied the common priv ileges accorded to their sons, to say noth- l ing of the special and extraordinary favor conferred by law upon Union Veterans who desire employment in the civil serv- l ice, favor which thousands of the for mer Federal soldiers are now enjoying In the way of lucrative places, without l any qualification of law save that they were honestly discharged from the mili 1 tary service of the United States. Be- cause these Southern men are beyond the specified age, they will be deprived of their places unless the President inter- venes In their behalf
 The act of Congress which provided for 1 the taking of the last, or twelfth, census. l specifically exempted all clerks that might be employed in the Census Bureau from l the operation of the civil service law, l leaving the director of the census to judge of their qualifications. Under this census act the four former Confederates, one l from each of the states of Alabama, Mis- sissppi, Louisiana and Tennessee, were named by their respective Congressmen l for cerkships, and the Veterans having satisfied the examiners Of the Census 1 Bureau of their ability to do good and skilful work. they were placed upon the rolls, where they remain under the re- | cent act of Congress transferring to the permanent civil service all clerks who should have been retained by the direc- tor of the census up to stipulated date, July 1, 1902, to-wit:
 This last act of Congress, however, was transfer to the permanent service of any person. Union Veterans excepted by law. who were beyond the age stipulated in the civil service law. Thus the four Confederate Veterans were and are listed to be removed from the public service on account of age.
 The President being in fact and in practice the supreme head of the civil | service, as he is virtually of the military services. he is vested with the power to construe. modify. or increase the force 1 of the civil service law. each individual succeeding to the Presidency having the right to act in the premises as he may 1 deem proper or advisable.
 Having all these facts in view, Con- gressman Clayton of Alabama. the son of distinguished major-general of the l Confederate army, the late Gen. Henry l D. Clayton, Sr, determined to make a bold and outspoken effort to prevent the dismissal of the fonr Confederate veteran 1 census clerks. MT. Clayton was a little boy when the war between the states was fought; but love of the Confeder- ate veterans was his inestimabie heri- tage: and in his present laudable under taking he was heartily joined by all his Alabama colleagues, three of whom are Confederate veterans, who were danger ously wounded in battle. namely, MT. G. l w. Taylor, who enlisted at fifteen; Judge l Richardson, who enlisted at sixteen, and Colonel Bankhead. who responded at the age of nineteen to the first call for vol unteers, and who served throughout the entire war.
 MT. Clayton drew up an appeal to the President, and all the Alabama mem- bers having signed it, he personally de- livered 1t to President Roosevelt. MT. Clayton was cordially received by the President. inasmuch as the two men are on cordial persona terms. At once the President assured MT. Clayton that he had issued no peremptory order to Direc- tor Merriam as to the retention of Union veterans of the civil war, who are also beyond the age limit set by MT. Mer- riam The President said he had merely requested the director to show what l preference he could to Federal veterans l Outside of this he was naturally com pelled to leave the construction of the l permanent census force to the director. Representative Clayton hoped that the President would be able to do for the four ex-Confederates what he had done for the Union veterans, and the Presi- dent said he would thoughtfully and conscientiously consider the appeal for the four old Confederates.
 You know how 1t is with me-" the President said to MT. Clayton 'I am eager to do everything can for the good of all the people, but the daily claims upon me in behalf of Union veterans is very great, and I would rejoice to help Af