The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1908-11-30
CONFEDERATE VETERANS
TWO STRONG SPEECHES BY
JUDGE MASON AND GUY n.
SlGLER

.tdeidto veterans met AT the Chris'iu Z
church yesterday afternoon at 3 p. M
The meeting was opened as u-uaI with
song and prayer Several who ver,
to have filled places on the program
prepared by Miss George could nor Dee
present Miss Banks ;layrd au adap.
tation Of "The Sweet Bye ana Bye.
with a depth Of expression and skin iu
rendering that made the beautiful sci.
nction more beautiful still. Mrs. S. +.
Watson recited the national air con-.
posed by herself and dedicated TO her
fathers comrades, living and dead.
When the Band Plays Dixie" Judge
Mason was then called for ami re-.
spOnded with a strong. sensible tax
full of patriotism and impressive by IT'S
study Of the past and its foresight as
to the future. The speaker said 'i.at
his family that Is tho immediate con.
nection, had no connection with the
south Ia The great civil war His father
was union man from Tennessee. but
very early in life he had become deem
ly interested In the warriors of all
times, ancient and modern. The more
he read and studied of wars and hat.
ties, the more he realized the gran lcu
OF the men who fought in the national
strife Of America. the more suro lr
was that. considering the forces ar.
rayed against him. looking at the d.s
perate nature of the struggle he w~s.
ed, the Confederate soldier had not his
like IN the history of mankind. Many
years ago. Judge Mason said. ha de.
termine1 TO come south. and finau,
reached Oklahoma. He did so p
cause he believed that In the Provl
dence of God, the south was destined
10 do more for the moral uplift. the
social salvation Of the great united
country that IS ours today than au-
other section Of it, That opinion has
strengthened with the years our wars
are not ended. The Confederate yoter.
an, either I'm his own person or
through his defendants. will vet see
times more strenuous than those of
the Civil War. The questions he is
called upon 10 face are more impor,.
ant than any that were TO be settled
then. And yet, in the opinion of the
speaker, that struggle was the great
est in the history OF the New World.
America might have become a great
country without the Revolution. In n
few years the people would have re.
volted at the suicidal policy of Greet
Britain towards us that the Revolution
could have been averted: but tn
civil War, with It's lost treasures OF
blood and wealth, gained many thing.
for our country that well.nigh out
weighed them all. Conspic on,
through the conflict, and ever since
has been the unflinching herolsm of
southern women. Nu ALWAYS is tn,
hardest battle Waeel upon tho bloody
field The mothers. wives and sisters
daughters and sweethearts who watch
cd their beloved march off to dca.h
mutliatlon, captivity, suffere' more
than those who fought and 'cll For
death may well be borne for n great
cause, a beloved principle Il can
come but once. Let it como when IL
viii; it does not conquer him who
faces II as a friend.
Judge Mason was followed by GUY
Sigler, whose tribute 70 the southern
soldier and the cause for which b.
fought was one 10 warm the blood Of
the coolest He attribtu,s the mag
nificent vaIor the selfsacrific". the
slnglo-hearted devotion of these men
to their home training, in large meas
urc Can a man rise higher than the
source from which ne sprauG' The
southerner Of that day was trained I'm
ideas OF devotion to GOD and Lis
lady" that were as lofty as those OF
any knight of Arthur's rounl table.
He went forth TO fight with 0l, one
idea, to do his duty, let come what
might for himself In peace ho WIS as
noble and great as In war He came
h0me TO find his home IN ashes, his
plantation a waste, tlH magnificent
civilization that had taken centuries
to build, demoralized. At his door
stood four millions of emancipated
slaves, a menace and horror let
the world stand amazed al wha, he
has done since that hom ecOmins.
Such a tribute from the grandson of