The Oskaloosa herald., 1906-09-13
SOLDIERS ENJOY
ANNUAL REUNION
GEN. WEAVER AND MAJOR LACEY
MAKE RoUSlNG TALKS,
yHYDE ELECTED PRESIDENT
Various Matters Of Interest to veter
ans Discussed and Plans Laid
For Greater Reunion
Next Year.

The afternoon session OF the MahaS-
ka County Veterans Association was
called to order about one o'clock by
President Gentry. In a few compli-
mentary words he introduced General
Weaver.
The General was looking well and
his first words were an announcement
Of the fact that he much objected to
certain little paragraphs in the Herald
wherein it was stated that this might
be "the last opportunity to hear the
old war horse" The General declares
that man. is just as old as he feels,
and believes he feels young because
he has never smoked or drank whis-
key. He also attributes his good
health in large measure to drinking
soft water.
The General said he had message
for the people. Without one he would
not speak. That message was the
Providence in the Civil War. In read
ing the Bible he had in youth been
puzzled to know why God had hard
ened Pharaoh's heart. But a later
philosophy taught that it was that
Gods power might be made manifest.
To this same cause he attributed the
blindness of the shareholders. AS evi-
dencing this, he read part of JEFF
ferson's prophecy concerning slavery
and contrasted it with the utterances
of STAKEHOLDER of '5S. He discussed
the fugitive slave law, but stated that
Lincoln had sworn to enforce it, and
the help to emancipation came only
when the South hardened their hearts
and rebelled.
He gave many little incidents of
the war, and stated that he himself
had captured one "contraband" in the
person of John Sims, now wealthy
property owner in Washington, d. G.
Sims has son in the navy, and a
daughter in one of tne departments.
General Weaver says the negro was
brought here by crime and is vital
problem in American life. This prob
lem may be met in three ways: by de-
portation, by settling them on irrigat.
ed land, and by leaving a part in the
South to till the soil there. Whatever
is to be done must be done soon, since
the colored population is increasing
at ne rate of 1400 per day.
@ neral Weaver took firm stand
for. the enfranchisement of women,
and against divorce. He closed by
say lg that while every American has
a right to his own opinion, every
American is given head, and to that
head appeal must be made. The final
solution of great. questions must be
left to Dame Prudence.
General Weaver was compelled to
go north at 2:30 and expressed his
regrets at being unable to hear Major
Lacey's speech.
80 Major Lacey's Address.
Major Lacey then rose. He told the
audience how in June of 1861 three
Iowa regiments, 1st, I'd and Sd, were
encamped in Keokuk and how there
he first met General Weaver The
latter was first lieutenant, and, add,
ed the major, 81 was an officer too;
was fourth corporal" Their first
march together was up the main street
of Keokuk on the occasion of public
funeral procession in honor of Stephen
A. Douglas. From that time on Lacey
and Weaver were friends, differing in
political opinions, they still cherish q
real affection for each other. Major
Lacey was born in slave state, lived
there till he was IA. He once saw a
runaway slave making his escape and
saw how viciously he was followed. He
told of the murder of a number OF
Union prisoners who were negroes
and said the barbarism of the act
showed the unnatural conditions ere
ated by slavery. There is great
dangeflin the sentiment of the south
saw. Major Lacey instanced young
South Carolinian who is Michigan
university professor. when went
to school at Camden I hailed from
Libertyville; when l went to New
York / hailed from South Carolina,
Continued on Page A.