The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-06-16
Montgomery Man Heads
 Sons of Veterans
SPEECHES IN NOMINATION
Many Laud Work of Patriotic Alabamian.
wfI T. sheehas, Also of the AIahana Capital, Is Named as Ad5utant- General and Chief
 of stan.
BY WILL T. sHEEHAN.

BY WILL T. STEPHAN.
 Louisville, Ky. June 15.--lspeeiai. )--~ Tn such a complimentary way as the honor has never yet in the history of the organization gone to any man. Thomas M. Owen of Montgomery was today elected Commander-in Chief of the Confederation of United Sons of Confederate Veterans.
 The Alabamian was given not only a unanimous election. but an enthu- siastic one. Every past commander cf the confederation present. every de- partment commander. every division commander, seconded the nomination. : When J. A. Skeen, the gigantic conn mander of the Trans Mississippi De- partment. citizen of the Indian Ter ritory, whose black hair and swarthyi complexion bespoke his Cherokee line-i age. closed the second speaking, his stirring words reused the entire gath- ering to a high state Of enthusiasm.
 The way Tn which the honor cafns to Dr. owen was hardly less compIi- mentary than was the distinction it- self. pr. Owen was placed in nomina- tion in an eloquent speech by Prof. Clarence J. Owen of Anniston. He re- viewed the splendid work that Dr.. Owen had done for the history not only of Alabama but for the South But above and beyond this the speaker lauded the Alabama candidate for his, other qualities which were an assur- ance of the welfare of the affairs of the confederation while in his hands. He spoke of him as one of the brilliant sons of the South and a man of un- bounded energy. He read. too. the res- olution urging Er. Owense election adopted by the Alabama Division of Sons.
 The first seconding speech was de- fivered by R. E. L. Bynum of TenneS- see. the prominent Son wic was cans didate but whose ambition was forced to give way before the overwhelming l sentiment for Dr. Owen- The past commanders, Houghton of St. Louis. Wade of Texas. Foyssoux of New Orr | leans. and all the division eonpszskz' CTS followed in secondlng speeches. Escorted by Past Commanders Houghten and Foyssoux, Dr. Owen was led to the stage to receive m enthu- siastic greeting from the confederation. He spoke briefly but earnestly. He real ized at their fullest the responsibilities that went with the high honor which had been accorded him and of his pur- pose to meet these responsibilities with energy and with loyalty
 He announced the appointment of Will T. Slieehsn as Adjutant General and Chief of Stan.
 At the direction of the CommandAr- in-Chief the new adJutant general read the first general order. naming Mont- Romery as general headquarters and outlining the vigorous policy of the new administrations.
 General George P. Harrison today aTl- nounced that the next reunion of the Alabama division of Confederate yeter- ans would be held at Huntsville, Octo- ebr 25l and 26. This matter has been pending since the Mobile reunion. but Huntsville has been insistent in its invitation. which Is now accepted
 AoA aN4m Veterans meeting today while general officers were being elected. While he was in the chair an attempt was mada to create the office of brevet lieutenant general. who should preside during the absence of General Lee. It was lock- ed upon by the friends of General J. c. CabelI as a movement against the old ly incident, but it was brought to g close when General Harrison showed that 1t was clearly unconstitutional
 General Harrison also presented the report of the special committee upon the advisability of changing the words of Dixie" The report discouraged the movement. There was too much santf- ment about the old words for the Veterans to go on record as favcring a change. The report was adopted
 New Commanders Policy.
 Commander Owen has already ai- nounced his policy. It will be vigor- ous and aggressive from the stark in the interest of the organization.
 His general order outlining the pol- icy of his administration was ready a few minutes after he had been named as Commander-in-Ch Chief. The members of hIs committees will be made public in the shortest possible time. The threefold purpose of the organization. Historical. Monumental and Reliers a F1gfcr rNr argetically as long as he Is at the head of the organization. Special att tention will be paid to the naming of these committees and they win be given every opportunity of carrying forward the work entrusted to them.
 In the past two years the AlabamsA Division of Sons. over which Coul- mander Owen has presided, has shown a much faster growth than any other division in the Confederation. At the Nashville and Louisville reunions there were more Sons present than were present from any other division. A recent letter from the headquarters of the Sons at Rusk. Texas. highly com plimented the work of Commander Owen for the Alabama Division and declared that his efforts had raised Alabama to the very highest class.
 To do such a work for the entire confederation is the announced policy
 
 to show that during the first year of his administration the Confederation shall show at least as large gain in the number of camps as any previous year of it's history can show.
 A Deserved Honor.
 The election of Commander Owen was an honor that was bestowed upon him in recognition Of his signal work for Southern history. Perhaps no man In the South has done so much for the collection and compilation of historical matter. not only for Ala- bama but for other Southern States. He conceived the Alabama plan of States meeting it's duty to It's history. the plan which provides for a separ- ate department maintained by the State where all archives and hlstori- cal documents should be kept. Since that time historical departments on the same plan have been established in Tennessee and Mississippi At vart-