The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-09-14
DISSENSIoNS ARE AT REST.
STATE FAIR MANAGERS AGREE TO
ABOLISH CONFEDERATE DAY.

|
of the Reunion Executive Com
mittee-PubIic announcement of
the AbrOgatiOn of Confederate Day
to Re Made ShOrtIy-Gen. Evans
Was Anxious That Nothing should
Serve to Interfere With or Obstruct
the Success of the Reunion at Sa-
vannah-COI. Screven Tells of the
Manner of Compromise.
The differences between the executive
committee of the Confederate reunion and
the managers of the state fair. in re-
| gard to the latter's announcement of
a day in October as Confederate day, give
| every promise of prompt and satisfactory
| adjustment On Tuesday these differences
were the subject of a conference between
| Col John Screven and Capt. d. G. Purse,
on the one hand, and Gen. Clement A.
| Evans and Mr.. W. A. Hemphil, on the
| other.
Col. ScreVen returned to the city yes
terday and was seen by representative
of the Morning News and asked
to give the facts of the situation
as they now are. The chairman of the
executive committee seemed gradfied at
| the turn affairs DdQ taken anu SADIESnSu
his confidence in the assurance of Gen.
| Evans and the state fair managers that
their prior action would be rescinded and
| Confederate day at the fair effectually and
finally abolished.
| II was assured In my own mind from
the first" said Col. Screven, that Gen.
Evans would take no voluntary part in
any attempt to detract from the success
of the reunion of the state division of Con-
federate Veterans and the accompanying
festivities and celebrations, that are to be
| held in Savannah in November and that
as soon as he understood our position and
objections to the course of The manage
ment of the fair, he would do all that fay
In his power TO carry out our wishes and
| TO remove all just cause for complaint.
| Subsequent developments and the actions
| of Gen. Evans subsequent to the time the
announcement of the holding of Confeder-
| ate day reached us have demonstrated that
l was right"
| when the executive committee took &C
ton upon this matter, 1 was instructed to
write 10 the major general commanding
| the Georgia division and TO express the
regret of our body that he had lent his
| sanction TO plan that would detract from
| the attendance upon our reunion. l did
so. assuring the general in the same let
had no intention of injuring our prospects
| and stating our position clearly and fully.
| l did not in that letter and have not since
| asked that the action of the fair manage
| ment in setting apart day for the en-
| tertainment of Confederates be rescinded,
| all propositions to this effect having come
from Gen. Evans and the special commit
tee in charge of arrangements for Con-
federate day at the fair"
| In reply to this letter l received a let
ter from Gen. Evans, in which he assured
me THAI 1 had correctly interpreted his
| position, and that nothing was further
| from his intention than a desire or will
| ingness to assist any enterprise that
| would initiate against the reunion be-
coming the grandest and largest gather
| ing of Georgia Confederates that had
| ever been held. He reiterated his oft-ex-
| pressed interest in the success of the re-
union and expressed his willingness 90 do
| anything in regard to Confederate day at
| Atlanta that he could consistently and
that our committee would regard as right
| and proper under the circumstances. In
| this and other letters the resembling of
| the action of the state fair management
| in setting apart a day as Confederate day
| was suggested by him and every reason
| able offer made"
AT this time it was not considered best
by other members of the committee and
| myself to ask that the day at the fair
| and drastic measure be suggested We
were Of the opinion that it would be wis
| est to go about the ma tier gently and that
! nothing should be said or done by us that
| would be likely to offend any number OF
| Confederates, whose opposition to or lack
| of interest in the reunion were among the
| things we most wished to avoid We
! placed our position in the matter before
Gen. Evans, trusting that he would make
it clear TO the managers of the state fair
and that they would do all that the pro-
| prieties demanded. At any rate, we were
not in a position to require any partic-
ular course of action on their part, and
could only hope for the best.
During my recent business visit TO
| Atlanta had further and personal dis
cusslon with Gen. Evans Capt. Purse
| was also In Atlanta, and being familiar
with the circumstances. was enabled to be
mainly instrumental in bringing the con-
| ferences 10 their happy conclu-
sion' We had learned, and Gen. Evans
had assured US, that the special commit
tee of the fair manageTs. in charge of
| Confederate day, of which Mr.. HemphilI
| was the chairman, was willing to rescind
! its former action, and that the gen
| eral committee expressed a like willing
| ness. Capt. Purse received information
| that the Atlanta camps of veterans were
themselves indignant that the fair man.
| asement had decided upon Confederate
| day, and were anxious that this action
should be abrogated. Capt Purse and 1
talked of the matter with Gen. Evans and
| Mr.. Hemphil. They assured us that the
day would not be celebrated at the fair
| and that they expressed the sentiment of
the special and general committees and of
| the Atlanta veterans in saying that this
action was not only voluntary, but in line
with what the committees considered
right and proper
"rhis being the state of the case we
10 ra he's. tai Hon in, inc
| abrogation, and We were assured that this
would be done as soon as the general COM
mittee could be called together. At the
time 1 was in Atlanta this was irnpos sible
because of the absence from the city of
ex-Gov. Northen, its chairman. This is
| the way matters stood when l left This
morning we received telegram from
! Capt Purse, in which he said that ar
engagements for the definite abrogation of
| Confederate day had all been made and