The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-06-16
The OLD VETS
Get Through with Thsls Reunion
and Adjourn.
MEET NEXT IN MOBILE

Cen. Evans, the Aged Commandef-
in.f-htef, Declined q Reelection TO
uis Office. But the Honor is Thrust
Upon Him Again By His oao
Comrades.
r,a reunion Of the Old Confed.
Veterans for 1909 at Memphis Tenn
ia over. After rejecting Gen'
c,ement A. Evans commander-in-
chief over his vigorous but futile pro-
tast. and selecting Mobile. Ala as
the next place of reunion. the united
Confederate Veterans adjourned tne'f
business meeting Wednesday on d
haels of a very stormy session. Inc
univ candidate for commander-ln-
chief placed In nomination was Cen
Wm. NJ. Cabell, commander Oh Tue
Trans-Mississippi division. Just oe-
sora nominations were in order, zen.
Evans read an announcement to the
convention, in which he declined re-
election. He said he had served Ii
every capacity. from the lowest ~
the highest, and that he felt that the
highest honor in the Veterans git
sbould be passed from n
federats to another in turn.
But the delegates disagreed win
him. and by a vote Of 1,640 10 '44
for Cabell, reelected Gen. Evans "
command. With tears streaming
down his cheeks and shaking with
emotion, the stately and aged soIdie1
bowed to the commands Of his CON-
rades.
After Mobile, Houston, Nashville
Chattanooga and Oklahoma City hao
been put in nomination for the next
reunion, some one began to introduce
outside speakers. Sweltering III q
temperature Of over a hunoreo ae'
srees, the Veterans delegates object
I'd strongly and yelled vigorously o
a vote. Finally John W. ApperSoh'
commander-in-chief Of the Onl'eo
Sons of Confederate Veterans, Sc
cured the floor and introduced Cou'
gresham T. L. Sisson. of Mississippi
as the spokesman of the Sons.
Nearly every one thought Slssoh
was to spring q dark horse can
didate for the next meeting place
hut as It became evident that the
young Congressman merely desired
to make a speech. the delegates De-
came noisy and calls of sit down
and vote" were insisted. Sissoh
was game, however, and won out on
a test Of endurance. He announced
that he wished to repeal his speech
IN Congress. delivered in answer 10
CONGRESSMAN Calderhead, of Kan
sas, who charged that the Southern
people were lazy. Sisson received
some encouragement and some MS
seq, but he p~ersevered. Finally his
concluded in a burst Of eloQuence'
saying: T..
The principles YOU fought Tor
were right in 81 and are right u
day. You were not conquered then,
YOU are not conquered now, D the
greatest monument in your honor
are the millions Of pensions the FED
eral government pays to the WIDOWS
and orphans your valor made and
the forty-six thousand graves IN AT
lington Cemetery, which the federal
government decorates each 10Th o.
Nav. AS long as these monuments
are perpetuated to your honor you
need erect no others
Sisson's speech was received WILD
mingled cheers and Kisses. and many
Confederates left the hall In dis
gust. Others crowded around him
and sEamped him with congratula-
tons.
Meantime Mrs. Moore Murdoch. OF
Dallas, Texas, was endeavorins L
be heard. She wanted to second
the nomination of Houston, Texas,
for the next reunion. She posses
ses a very masculine voice and man
ner of delivery. and she soon Quoted
the assembly. The Veterans listened
in patience until she declared:
I'VE have lived as rebels. We are
still rebels. and we will die as
rebels"
Then pandemonium broke loose.
II Was difficult to tell whether the
majority favored her sentiments or
opposed them. Cheers were mingled
with cat-calls and Kisses and above
all r~everberated the ear-splittlne
rebel yell.
Several other speakers were in
,roduced but no one heard their
names or what they said until Gov
ernor Haskell. Of Oklahoma. was In
troduced. Even he had a stormy
greeting. which might be construed
one way or another. Finally. how
ever, he tired out the crowd o
made a diplomatic speech inviting
the Convention to choose Oklaho-
ma City for the 1910 reunion.
You will find Confederate Neter-
ans IN most of the Offices of the State.
from Supreme Court Judges to con
stables" he said. land you will ma
as hearty a welcome as you VIII
find anywhere on Gods EARTH.
Immediately after the Governors
speech the vote for the next re-
union city began. Every q picked