The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-12-11
DISC AGAINST Ex-
SERVICE MEN.

I VOSLitdGNEiSs IO4lOWAAS iii CAES0lARC
iorder OF President Harding overthrow
ling the soldiers preference law. which
are coming to light In various parts Of
the country win no longer be possible
/ il bill introduced by Senator Tram
nell, at the request OF his democratic
teolleague. Senator Fletcher, becomes
law.
Senator Fleteher's bill gives pref
erence to honorably discharged sol
diers. sailors and marines and the
widows and wives of such, for nomi-
nation as postmaster, and aside from
its general provisions is as follows:
"That when a vacancy exists or
hereafter occurs in the position Of
postmaster preference shall be given
to honorably discharged soldiers.
sailors and marines. and to the Wild
ows Of such, and to the wives Of dis
abled soldiers, sailors, and marines
who themselves are not physically
qualified to hold such positions; and
Il SHALL be the duty Of the postmaster
general to submit to the president
for nomination as postmaster the
name of the veteran. or the widow,
or the wife obtaining the highest ELI
I
competitive examination conducted
by the United States civil service
commission, under such rules and
regulations as may be promulgated
by the postoffice department and the
commission"
Under the Wilson administration
the existing law was construed to
give preference to ex-sf vice men.
This was an act approved March 3,
1919, giving preference in appoint
ments TO clerical and other positions
OF the executive departments and in
dependent government establishments
Ito honorably discharged soldiers,
sailors. and marines and widows of
such, if they are qualified to hold
such positions, which was amended
by an act approved July II. 1919 by
Including the wives Of injured sol
diers, sailors and marines who them
selves are not qualified but whose
wives are qualified to hold such po-
sitions"
In an executive order April 10,
1920, President Wilson declared that
che veteran preference statute shall
apply in the selection of persons for
appointment as postmaster at offices
of the first, second and third class
In all appointments TO civil service
positions President Wilson was also a
stickler for the appointment Of the
highest eligible on the list. and this
rule was insisted upon and carried
out, except where preference was
given TO ex-service men. their wives
or widows
President Harding's first executive
order with reference to the appoint
ment OF postmasters, issued May 10,
1921. abrogated President Wilson's
executive order making it imperative
to name the highest eligible on the
list, and provided that any one of the
highest three on the list should be
eligible to appointment In this way,
If there was one republican among
the three, although he might have the.
possible TO appoint him over the two
democrats who would have a higher
civil service rating.
Not content with the overthrow of
the main principle OF the civil ser
vice law, President Harding made a
new executive order on Oct. II, 1921,
in which he said that the appoint
ment of presidential posmasters is /
not within the legal scope of the civil
service law, and therefore, as mat
ter of law no preference is appHca
BILE thereto" and made the provision
that persons who served in the World
war should be given five points in
thei. rating
Thus, the veterans preference law,
construed by President Wilson to APP
ply TO presidential misunderstanding, |
was overthrown by the executive or
der OF President Harding, and thus
door was opened to give republican |
politicians preference over ex-service |
men by making one of the three high |
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- |
lean.
AS a result Of President Harding's
discrimination against ex-service men /
i'm these executive orders diserimina-
lions by the postmaster general have |
naturally followed and are beginning /
70 come to light
At Schenectady, n. Y. Edwin d. |
Condo was nominated for postmaster |
over two ex-service men, one of |
whom. Spanish war veteran, was
postmaster at the time and the other /!
a major in the World war, who was
also a Spanish war veteran.
At Peoria, III, as reported by the |
commander Of the American legion /
post IN that city. a republican ward |
politician has been appointed acting |
postmaster over 4 veteran who en-
tered the service at the age of So, |
who was the son Of Civil war vet /
eran, a brother of a Civil war soldier |
and the father Of an only son who |
entered the war the same as he did /
This ex-service man suffered perma- /
nent injury in the service. According |
to the report, this republican poIiti- {
eialt was given preference also over i
a man who for Is years was chief |
clerk of the railway mail service.
senator Fletcher has cited a case