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Colgrove-Woodruff Camp No. 22
Battle Creek, Michigan
THE VETERANS' RIGHTS UNION
The tendency of heads of departments and government officials to
discriminate against the old soldier in filling positions of trust
and profit in their respective departments, and to ignore the rights
of Veterans of the late War, who, in every respect, were worthy and
competent to fill such positions, aroused the righteous indignation
of all their old comrades in arms.
To remedy this and secure for them, at least, an equal chance to fill
positions in the Civil Government, when there were vacancies which
they were competent to fill, a convention was called, at the solicitation
of Post No. 135, Department of New York, to meet in New York city,
October 13, 1882, "to consider the best means of advancing the interests
of Veterans employed, or seeking to be employed, in the Local, State,
and National Governments."
In response to this call, about one hundred and fifty Posts of the G.A.R.
sent representatives, and the "Veterans' Rights Union" was formed,
the members pledging themselves, in the resolutions adopted, "by all
legitimate methods, to maintain the rights and assert the privileges
of the Veteran Soldiers and Sailors of this land, whenever, wherever,
and by whomsoever those rights and privileges shall be menaced."
An Executive Committee of five was chosen, with full power to act for the
Society, and they pledged themselves not to accept any position of trust or
profit under the Government, during the time for which they were chosen.
The object, as explained in their communications, was to secure to those
who served under the Government of the United States, during the late War,
the privileges and rights guaranteed to them by the statutes of the United
States, or any State law that has been or may be enacted for their benefit.
After much perseverance and hard work, the Committee succeeded in securing,
directly and indirectly, the passage of a number of laws in the interest of
their cause, and, also, the ruling of the Civil Service Commission of the
United States, as follows : " Any applicant honorably discharged for such
cause (by reason of disability, resulting from such wounds and sickness
incurred in the line of duty), who, as the result of an examination, had
been placed upon a register as eligible for an appointment, should be
certified in preference to any other person thereon, not entitled to such
preference, examined for the same part of the service, even though such
persons are graded higher."
The Association, through its various committees, has done a great deal for
the best intersts of the Veterans, and deserves much credit for the tireless
energy of its members in their behalf.
[Manual of the Civil War and Key to the Grand Army of the Republic and Kindred Societies
by J. Worth Carnahan, 1899.
Published by the U.S. Army and Navy Historical Association, Washington, D.C.]
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©Copyright 1995-2012, Department
of Michigan, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, a Congressionally
Chartered Corporation. All rights reserved.
Although having 501(c)(4) federal tax exempt status, donations to the Department of Michigan - Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War,
its Camps, or Sons of Veterans Reserve Units operating within the Department of Michigan, are not "Tax Deductible" |
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