The Savannah morning news., 1904-02-20
SONS OF VETS
STIRRED UP
COME BACK AT PARKHURST
RESOLUTIONS SEEKING To RAISE
STANDARD OF ORDER.

Abuse, Says One of the Officers, Is
no RepIy-ResO1ution Was Not
Directed mt Atlanta Alone But Was
Intended to show Desire to Raise
Standard of the Order Throughout
the SOuth-"Parkhurst Is a Very
Young Man and His Remarks Are
no Doubt Hasty," said an Omcer.
Camp Sons of Confederate Veterans,
were stirred up by the dispatch print
ed in the Morning News yesterday, an
nouncing Commander Parkhurst's at
titude regarding the resolution passed
by Barlow camp at its February
meeting.
Owing to the fact that Commander
Parkhurst had stated he had written
a letter to Commander Edwards of the
Savannah camp, the members were dis
inclined to discuss the matter until they
had heard what the letter contained.
The position taken by Mr.. Parkhurst,
however, was somewhat severely crit
icised by different members of the
camp first as being unjust and entirely
uncalled for. and second as being an
exhibition of Partially toward the At
lanta camp upon the part of the state
commander. 1t was for this second
count that the commander was most
severely criticised.
The statement of the commander was
also considered by many as very weak,
as it consisted principally of abuse of
the Savannah camp. The members
here claim that the action they took
was with the one purpose of doing what
they could to raise the standard of the
order throughout the South and to
guard against any danger of laxity.
Their action was met with only abuse,
and was not received in the spirit in
which ii was intended.
Officer Discussed Parkhurst's Reply.
One of the officers of the camp, when
shown the article from Atlanta, in
which Commander Parkhurst criticised
the Savannah camp on account of its
position as to proof of eligibility, said:
eve have no desire to enter into a
newspaper controversy with the At
1anta camp At the last meeting of
the Savannah camp attention was call
ed to the very lax methods used by
many camps in this, and other states
in admitting to membership men al
legged to be sons Of Confederate vet
Grams, without written proof of eligi-
bility, and 1t was determined to use
every effort to have incorporated in the
general constitution a provision requir-
ing written proof Of eligibility before
election.
Surely Mr.. Parkhurst nor any
other member of the Atlanta camp,
however jealous his local patriotism,
will not attempt to defend such lax
methods. No one has charged that
there are any men in the Atlanta camp
who are ineligible to membership, but
we do say that the custom of electing
as members men who are merely sup
posed to be sons of Confederate vet
Grams is calculated to bring. into the
order men who are not entitled to
membership, and If Atlanta has failed
TO get into her ranks by dispensing
with written proof of eligibility, men
who are not sons of Confederate veter-
ans, her luck is remarkable.
As we. have stated, the action taken
by the Savannah camp was directed
not at any single camp, and it is
remarkable to us that Mr.. Parkhurst
should have taken the entire resolution
as directed at Atlanta. There are real
ly other camps.
what Is Meant by Arrangements,
1--WE cannot understand what Mr..
Parkhurst refers to when he says that
the whole matter was started because
the Savannah camp wants to make
different arrangements at the next
reunion Arrangements as to what?
He must have a vivid imagination
when behind an honest and well in
tended effort on the part of the Savan-
nah camp to correct certain careless
methods in use in many camps, as to
admission of members. he can see
some far sighted and deep laid plot to
make other arrangements
''Nor is it any reply to our position
in this matter to answer with miscel-
laneous abuse of the Savannah camp.
sMr. Parkhurst is a very young man,
and his remarks are no doubt hasty.
He probably already regrets them. At
any rate, we offer no counter criti-
cisms. For the Atlanta camp and its
members we have the kindest feelings
and our resolution was merely direct
ed at careless methods of election"