The commonwealth., 1921-12-09
DEMOCRATIC SENATOR INTRODUCES SI[[
10 PREVENT DISCRIMINATION AGAINST
SERVICE MEN IN APPOINTMENTS

-oASSA 0C0 ny ICS1CCul w l1SOu TO dp- G
ply to presidential postmasterships,
was overthrown by the executive or >
der Of President Harding, and thus +,
door was opened to give Republican
politicians preference over ex-se1vice
men by making any one Of three high. i
est on the list eligible to appointment,
instead of the highest on the list as,
under the Wilson administration, re-
gardless Of the fact Of whether the
appointee was a Democrat or a Repub- .
Gcan-
AS a result Of President Harding g |
iscrimination against ex-service men
in these executive orders, iiscrimina-
tions by the Postmaster General have
aturally followed and are beginning
TO come TO light
At Schenectady, n. Y, Edwin d.
Conde was nominated for postmaster
over two ex-service men, one of whom,
3 Spanish War veteran was postmast-
er at the time, and the other a major
in the World War, who was also a.
Spanish War veteran.
At Peoria, IL as reported by the
Commander Of the American Legion
Post in that city, Republican ward
politician has been appointed acting
postmaster over veteran who enter
e1 the service at the age Of fifty eight
who was the son of Civil War veter-
I'M, a brother Of a Civil War soldier
and the father Of an only son who en-
tered the World War the same time he
did. This ex-service man suffered
permanent injury in the service. Ac
cordng to the report, this Republican
politician was given preference also
over a man who for twenty-fiv years
was chief clerk Of the Railway Mail
Service.
Senator Fletcher has cited a case In
his own state where an honorably dis
charged disabled service man, Dem
ocrat, and acting postmaster, who was
the only qualified eligible in a recent
examination, was not re-appointed, but
another examination called so tha,
Republican might get the job.
Another case reported in the news
papers would indicate that in some
Of the southern states postmasterships
are being given to men who have re-
Gently come to that section from nor
thern states and in this particular cas-
at Tallahassee, Fla, there is ques-
ton as to whether the appointee has
lived there long enough to qualify.
The present Republican adminiscra-
tion has been accused Of -enthronfng
special privilege at Washington, buc
this is the first evidence that carpet
baggism may also be revived.
! Under President Harding's execu
tive order making any one Of the
highest three on the certified list
eligible for appointment, it is obvious
that the Republican administration
will be able to put only Republicans
in the Post Office
The long fight to take the Post Of
flee Department out Of politics and
to fill the post offices fthe country
with the highest class Of men possible
under the competitive examination
system will of course have been in
m the manner herein described
The very worst feature Of this meth
o1 ; The discrimination against ex-
service men. This can be put stop
10 by the passage Of Senator Fletch-
er : bill making it mandatory for the
President and Mostmaster General
HAYS to give preference to war veter-
ans. and their wives or widows, # the
veterans themselves are not otherwise
qualified.
The hin has been read twice and re-
ferred 10 the Committee on Post Of
fees ana Post roads, where it may re
main unless favorable action by Amer
lean Legion Posts and other war or
CARNATIONS together with man'fes-
tation of public sentiment generally