The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-06-15
SONS OF VETERANS.
Patriotic Body Begins Session at Lou
 fayflIe.

Louisville. Ky, June 14.-The Uniteo | Sons of Confederate Veterans met to- l day in Hopkins Theater. the opening session being delayed until nearly II | o'clock by late arrivals. The attend ance was called to order by Marion w. | Ripy Lieutenant Commander of the local camp of Sons of Veterans in the ao- | eence of John c. Davidson, the com- l mandant.
 After the invocation Col. R. W. Bing- | ham, of Louisville, welcomed the del- egates to Louisville and Kentucky The | response ssvas by Hon. T. P. Stone. or | Waco, Texas, a past comander-in- -chlef. | Col. N. R. Tisdale, comnnander-in -chief, | of Rusk, Texas then addressed the con vention. He said in part:
 | Let personal ambition be put aside. Let us work in unity and harmony, | if if is your desire that we shall con- | tinue to grow and be a power in the l country.
 T cannot refrain from calling your | attention to the inactivity of the mem bership of the confederation and more especially of the officers of the camps and members of the staff of the vari- ous division commanders. presume | that this is because of lack of time and not from indifference and I hope that | they will give to my successor the gem eraI support that was denied me ana | that at the next reunion report VIII | be made that will forever banish the ] thought that spirit of commercial | ism has caused you to forget your uut1 | to your heroic sires.
 .What do we see? More than one- half of the camps of the confederation | with the modest capitation tax that keeps them in good standing unpaid. l How my comrades are we to support any organization or perpetuate any cause without the necessary funds! !! lust think of our heritage of glory and weigh 1t against the paltry sum | we are asked to contribute toward keeping that heritage inviolate. When YOU go home call the boys together | and let them weigh very eareIully character against coin, the herItase l handed down to them by their fathers against a silver dime. We will await | the result and do not fear the an l swer /"
 The report of I. J. stockett. adjutant- | general and chief of staff, United sons | of Confederate eVterans, says in part; 'Tn the interest of economy or iaDor and of money every camp that IS now in arrears for two years should DC dropped from the rolls. "c,onsiderable time has been devoted , to the investigation of the cause or this | apparent lethargy and l believe IL IS l traccable to the fact that reunion l has not been held m the extreme East
 
 of camps in arrears as reported py | Homer D. Wade at New orleans two | years ago, if carefully studied, VIII l convert a majority to this conclusion.
 The list Is as follows: Virginia 16 raid | up camps and IA in arrears; west Nir- | ginia paid up and in arrears oouth | Carolina, paid up and 46 in arrears'
 North Carolina, paid up, II In ar rears; Florida, paid up. in arrears; | Georgia, 3 paid up, 29 in arrears l The work has been at standstill | in these States and no enort on the | mart of Commander-in-C Chief Tisdal nor l Past Commander-in-C in Chief Fayssoux | seemed to presage a revival Of inter- | est. To the contrary, there has been
 an increase of those falling into arr l rears In my humble opinion 1t Will l take a reunion in that section to ere
 ate a revival of interest. and as the place of holding reunions is selected | by the veterans. no remedy IS sus- | gested, unless we can secure the ac- 1 tive and hearty cooperation of camps which are now in the majority of all | the camps on our roster. The prime motive that moves great many Of our l members is a desire for office and for | honors that will serve to advance them l socially and politically in their home
 section, and the good of the organiza-
 tion is nowhere considered in the gem | eraI plan that actuates so many of us
 in seeking these honors. If we place | the organization on the high plane that
 was originally intended, we must lay
 self aside and work for the advance
 ment of the order without regard to
 dividing lines geographically and so-
 cially. The transformation of camp
 of Sons of Confederate Veterans into a
 purely social organization which judges
 a man more\ by his wealth or social
 position than by the record Of ms
 father as a Confederate soldier and
 his own personal worth andl ability, tS
 a possibility that I would call your at
 tention to. The son of a common la
 borer who was a good soldier Is just | as much in the intention of our con stitution as the son of the mightiest
 and wealthiest in our land, and If we
 would accomplish anything we must
 utilize the common clay the uncut
 stone; perhaps diamonds in the rough.
 Lack of funds have sadly hampered
 the work of education necessary to
 our upbuilding. The confederation 1 should be placed on decidedly up-
 ward plane. It is a difficult matter to
 get men with sufficient interest ana energy combined with intellect to take
 hold in the various departments and
 divisions and devote the necessary
 time to the upbuilding of the orsani-
 zatlon, without taxing their financial | resources as well. and to the end that this personal expense be eliminated !
 would suggest the adoption of that | section of the constitutional amend
 ments submitted at Nashville last June which increases the per capita
 tax to IS cents.
 Another uggestion-Amend our
 general constitution so as to place di 1 vision commanders, as well as all oth-
 CT officers of the confederation under
 the immediate control of the com
 mander-fn- chief. As matters now
 stand. they may entirely ignore every
 request made by him. regardless of it's urgency or necessity"
 After the transaction of some fur
 ther routine business the convention
 adjourned. the delegates marching in
 a body to the horse show building,
 where the veterans were in session.