The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-08-15
NoT pY A r.oNo suor

The Advertfser has taken some pains to ascertain what the Confederate veterans
 endorsed at Sulphur sprinss Some in-
 spired press accounts. ana one from .
 bosom friend of Mir. Heiln. have been
 sent out to the effect that there was a
 deiirious holding up of hands, and thrill ing ovation to MT. Hcfin. who was placed
 at the head of. the column. and treated as
 savior of our institutional
 Here are the real facts, as The Adver- ! tiser learns from private letter of q 1 gallant old soldier from Anniston who was present: known. members of the Confederate camp
 snowi1g sD. m ni5 Hsiin s Eas tc be the spsaaker. of that speech before the veterans Ut Sui
 pnr t was ,oS ComaaSsE % steven sps he had such intentions to inform him that tho veterans would have none of 1t. Gen eral qordons letter appeared about this
 ans certainly thought that Mir. IIeflin
 would refrain from violating the proprie-
 ties ties of the occasion: without further re-
 came over from Anniston with Hefiin the
 morning of the speaking, told several old
 s s Ss Mse had o surs s. S As So
 lmpropriety of such a speech. led those
 Mn so that Se eesd SS sny to
 It was great surprise 'to the veterans
 Eefore entering upon his regular speech.
 Hefiin had something to say about this
 being a white mans country. This doc
 minds, that his auditors could not see
 why 1t should be treated as an open .ques- ton or why there was any necessity to federate meeting. Hehin then coddled the crowd along the line of race preju- dices. then glided into an allusion to the erence thereto, and to the fact that he had been severely criticised for his course
 granted that his audience knew wa all about
 the matter. which very few did. for he did not state the case at all. Neither did sona ss %fke u Ss ss S 3uSs gs
 ne thought they should. etc. against this.
 ing on all old veterans who endorsed his
 position to hold up their hands. very
 few hands were raised. and there was
 ed that the veterans did s not yns Sndersiand aS
 the question. Thereupon Mir. Heflin stat
 ed the question differently. and more
 Snt pSrposs Ssn of aUss H %ss the at a @c
 believed In the right of triai by jury. and
 tne rignt or the jury to determine the
 awed by the bench. should hold up their
 nands. 10 this proposition, there. was a
 more liberal response: but even to this.
 hands not Because % thes did not asssnt to the proposition as last stated, but be- sa..s. saase old soldiers dId not feel ike being not have been introduced. So far as can
 be gathered. not hand was raised to OY sny yS Sne ot m ths an absent old soldier to be misrepresent- cd. The subject of peonage was forced The speaker was their invited guest, and they were In an embarrassing position. There was talk among the veterans of ca confidence in the character and pat riotic unselfishness of Judge Jones's mo- tives; but inasmuch as MT. Hefiin had cussion. and in view of the fact that
 Iefin was guest of the camp, 1t was finally determined not to offer such q
 Extended comment seems unnecessary. Ths is the second time Mir. Hefisn has at tempted to seize the role of Defender of the liberties of the people, at Confederate meetings, to which he was invited to speak on other subjects than his own achievements in defense of their rights. Everybody in this country is in favor of the right of the jury to render their vert dicts. unawed by judges. The feeling Is not confined to Confederate soldiers
 When the proposition Is thus put, every, body would hold up hands The real is- sue Mfr. Hefiin made there. was not the issue made at 'Luverne. That issue was different. It was this: When members of jury announce they cannot agree in plain case, where the facts are wholly undlsputed and admitted on all hands, and show by their conduct and prior dec larations they intend to trampIe down all law and evidence, Is 1t or not high duty of judge to tell them plainly and un- | equivocally what they will do, If they re- fuse to find according to the law and un- disputed evidence? Everybody knows ju- ries can, and frequently do wrong, and | when they do. it is the duty of fearless | judge to remind them of the quality of | their act
 Confederate veterans conspicuously | stand for law and order. It is idle to try | to make the people believe by any such | morse play as that attempted at Sulphur Springs, that the Confederate veterans endorsed Henin's real conduct Still Hef- lin has been boasting they endorsed his Luverne attack on Judge Jones. Hehin Is neither a veteran nor the son of a Judge Jones shed more blood for the Confedefacy than Heflin or his ances- tors. If, as Hefin claims, and other pres ent deny, old soldiers at Sulphur Springs his attack. upon an absent sol- dier, about a case, the real facts and mer- its of which were not pretended to be given, there are thousands of other old Confederate and other people throughout Alabama. who would like to know how and why. Such thing Is not in keeping with men like the cd Confederates, who met at Sulphur Springs. Comma nder Stevenson and other veterans in charge there should give the public the real facts. and not let the matter rest on unofficial from Hefin or anybody else.
 The Manchester (N. H.) Union com pares the warm and cordial official en- dorsement given by the present adminis- tration to General Otis on his retirement with the curt and contemptuous dismissal