Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-01-29
GEN. LEES BIRTHDAY
STRONG OPPOSITION TO CHANGE
by THE EARLY BILL.
LEI CAMP RECONSIDERS ITS ACTION,
A Spirited Debate and Criticism mt
the Meeting Lust Night-Strong
Reasons Urged Against the En-
dorsement of the Measure.

tute for the annual celebration of General
Lees Birthday on January 18th legal
holiday on January 10Th. TO be known
as the Lee-Jackson MemorIal-pay.
A week ago the veterans adopted
resolution introduced by Rev. DR.. j.. VIII
liam Jones endorsing this measure, ana
they did so without debate, and with
unanimous voice, but different counsels
prevailed, and last night the vote was
reconsidered, and the resolution was rele-
gated to a long term pigeonhole, after
brief but spirited debate, in which the
measure was criticised in no uncertain
voice. The debate on this question took
place after the regular business OF the
camp had been disposed of. The meet
ing was a very large one, and among the
visitors was Delegate Early, the patron
Of the bill.
MOTION TO RECONSIDER.
The subject was introduced by Past
Commander James T. Gray, who said the
resolution Of Dr. Jones had not been
maturely considered, and he moved to
reconsider the vote by which 1t was
adopted The proposition, he said, was
a sandwich affair, which did not meet
with his approval or, he thought, with
the approval of the majority of ConIede-
rates.
Mr.. Boiling opposed Mr. Gray's motion,
saying that he deemed 1t eminently APP
propriate that the birthdays OF Lee ana
Jackson, coming so close together, should
be Jointly celebrated. He called attention
TO the absence of DR.. Jones, and said
he did not think it courteous to BRING
the matter up in his absence.
Captain StrattOn spoke In favor OF MI
Grays motion, but was interrupted by
Mr. Dickerson, who rose TO a point OF
order that the matter could not be as
cussed until the vote TO reconsider had
been recorded.
Major Brander vehemently opposed TINS,
on the ground that it was not reasonable
to vote on a proposition until 1t had
been discussed.
PROTEST AGAINST PARLIAMEN-
TARY RULES.
Commander Laughton sustained the
noint of order. Major Brander protested
against the ruling and said he was unable
TO see why a lot of veterans could not
do as they wished, but had TO be hlde-
bound by a lot of parliamentary rules.
MIR. BEDFORD suggested that the matter
should be postponed altogether untn Dr.
Jones could be present.
A lively discussion of the Commanders
ruling followed, which ended in Major
Brander taking an appeal srom the de-
cision.
The question was put by Lieutenant
Commander Peay, but before the vote
could be taken Captain Spence rose and
I,.r hA f1nln.
which was lost by an overwhelming ma
iority. and Major Brander's motion was
put. and his appeal sustained by vote
Of % to %.
BEEN REPORTED ADVERSELY.
canaan Stratton then took the floor
and explained the present status of the
hill which he said, had passed the
House. but had been reported from the
Senate committee with the recommenda-
ton that it do not pass. 1t Is now on the
ca1endar of the Senate, and its conside-
ration had been postponed from time to
time at the request of the patron, Mr.:
Early. The possibility of the passage OF
the bill, he thought, was very remote.
The day it proposed 10 celeprate was
neither the birthday of Lee nor OF jack
son. If it were passed. he said, 1t was
ouite possible that North Carolina would
want Lee-Vance memorial-day, Georgia
a Iee-Beauregard memorial-day, ana so
on through all the Southern States Wnere
Lees Birthday is celebrated. 1t was
fart ne urged. that in all history the
representative of a great cause was
chosen for signal honor, ana ne clleu
Washington and Frederick the Great as
instances. There was no one III Lee
Camp, he said. who wished 10 "ithnoiu
anv honor from General Jackson, but
Nav 10Th was observed as Memorial-Day,
and that was the day on which Jackson
died and on which the memo
ries of all Confederate soldiers were
honored. A memorial-day he SAID,
was a day of gloom and sadness ana
the keynote of the celebration OF General
Lees Birthday was JOY that so great ana
noble a man had been given to the
world.
SHOULD ACT WITH CARE.
Mp Dickerson said the matter had
deeper thought even than the one empha-
sized by the last speaker. he had peen
anxious for the matter to be brought up
as n warning TO the camp. why Is IL
that this camp endorses matters that do
not originate in it?' he asked, The
fact THAI you are asked to endorse state
and other legislation exists because you
are a power in the land. Now be care
full how you endorse matters that are
brought before you, or your influence VIII
amount to nothing. It's not the hrst
time that Lee Camp has taken such
hasty action In such matters put nope
n will be the last" 1t had been great
,nistake 10 endorse DR.. Jones's resolution,
he said. and he hoped that hereafter
such matters would lay over for a week
He was ready TO vote to reconsider, ne
said but II appeared to be very childish,
and like a parcel of boys. who had jump
cd TOO hastily at a conclusion. lie
thought perhaps, the best thing would
be 10 let the matter stand as 1t was.
This suggestion was greeted with loud
cries of mol" from all parts of the hail.
HAVE ONE OR THE OTHER.
Mr.. BEDFORD said the more he thought
of the Early bill the less he liked IL. The
only men who made no mistakes were
dead men. He hoped the camp would
consign DIR. Jones's resolution 10 oblivion.
He drew a humorous picture OF the in
congruity of the kind of celebration the
camp had been used TO on Lees Birthday
on the proposed memorial-day. IF we
want a birthday celebration" he said,
lets have II, but II we want a funeral,
let's have an 6ration. January 10th isn't
Lees Birthday, neither is it Jackson's,
and we don't want this middleman ar
rangement.
Mr.. Boiling said he had voted intelli-
gently a week ago, and would not vote
otherwise at this time and he hoped he
would have some company.
There were loud cries OF question, and
Mr.. Grays motion to reconsider was
adopted with only three dissentient votes.
Captain Spence then moved 10 lay DIR.
Jones's resolution on the table. Mr.. Free
man raised objection on the ground of