The times., 1899-05-13
A wRANGLE AT CHARLESTON.
Sons of Confederate Veterans Hold
n Lively Session.

| n Lively session.
Charleston, S. c., May 12-The conven-
ton Of the Sors of Confederate Veterans
today was continual riot. TDe grandson
of Robert e. Lee was publicly hissed when
his name was presented as a candidate for
the head of the order When the election
of officers wasrafed F. H. McMaster nom
mated r. u. Lee, of Washington, to be
i commanderrin- chief. A moment later Del
egate Mann, of Virginia, in fiery speech
opposed the nomination On behalf of his
State, and his words were met with hisses
and applause. The Kissing was taken up
and the name of Lee was looted. The
meeting was In an uproar. Sponsors on
the stage prepared to quit the hall, and
for half an hourlthe convention was wild.
fierce tumult. John Earle. of South Car
olina. got the floor. Gentlemen" he SAID,
I'VE are the SONS of Confederate veterans,
and we are not'a a mob
Friends of Commander Smyth, of
Charleston wanted to re-elec. him, and
his name was ihissed. Charleston and
South Carolina were solid against him,
and Mann, of Virginia, was pitting rim
| against Lee. Smyth said he would not
have the place. when his word. earlier in
| the proceedings. might have saved the
scene.
W. T. Colquitt, OF Georgia. was nominal
ed, and after long wrangle, the election
was called. The camps voting for Lee
were hissed. but this was stopped when
delegate got up and moved to arrest and
carry away the next man who hssed.
The election was finally ended and Col
quit was chosen. The decided opposition
| to Lee was because of the fact that he
was not allied with the Sons OF Veterans.
| He lives in Washington and was elected
an honorary member of the veterans
camp there. He did not go in with the
| Sons of Virginia at their request, hence
the bitterness. Yesterday Lee was elected
| a member of a camp in Charleston, and
was eligible to serve.
The United Confederate Veterans also
had a stormy time when the resolution
on the speech of President Mckinley was
presented. Gen. Stephen d. Lees resolu-
tions were withdrawn and these were sub
stituted:
The United Confederate Veterans, in this an.
nual reunion assembled, desire to place upon
record their sincere appreciation of the utterances
| of the President of the United States in At
lanta concerning the assumption OF the care of
| graves of our Confederate dead by the National
| Government. We appreciate every kindly senti-
| ment expressed, and we shall welcome any legis-
lation which shall result in the Of the graves
| of our comrades in the Northern States by our
| Government. In regard to our dead whose re-
mains resting in the States which we're repre-
sented in the Confederacy and Maryland, the care
of their final resting places is sacred trust dear
to the hearts of Southern women, and we believe
| that we safely let it there remain
delegate cried out that there was too
much McKinleyisrn about the affair The
Rev. S. T Martin, OF Virginia, got the
floor and began speaking on the resolu-
tions. He said there was no reason for
the Presidents utterance further than that
he was here on a Southern tour looking for
votes and wanted to make capital out Of
the speech. This thing" continued Mar
tin, puts us in the attitude of coming be-
fore that Government which slew our men
and begging for something. If the United
States had repented and come to us beg
ging for forgiveness, we could not surren-
der to them the care of our dead" Martin
continued to speak. Notwithstanding the
tremendous commotion in the hall The
speaker took up questions of politics. but
was quickly called to order.
Gen. Stephen D. Lee said he thought the
resolutions had been misunderstood. He
said no Confederate could go to the Fed
eral Government and ask for money and
he would lose his right arm first. After
more debate, during which many rabid
speeches were made, the resolutions were
adopted. There was much routine work
today. The old officers were re- elected.
as follows: Commander in chief j. B.
Gordon; Commander Of the Department OF
the Army of Northern Virginia, Wade
Hampton; Commander of the Department
of Tennessee, Stephen d. Lee; Commander
of the Department OF trans Mississippi
W. l.. Cabell. 9
Louisville was selected as the next place
of meeting. a resolution was offered de-
nouncing the statement of Henry Waiter
son that a conference was held at Fortress
Monroe between President Lincoln and
Confederate officers, This went to the
committee on history without action. The
division OF the District of Columbia was
added. Resolutions thanking the Federal
Government for haying sent the cruiser
Raleigh here We're adopted. The conven-
ton adjourned today.