The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1909-06-12
THE OLD VETS
est Through with TlneIs Reunion
and Rdjoura.
MEET NEXT IN MOBILE
Ey,,s the Aged Commander

Gen. Evans, the Aged Commander
in-Chief, Declined Reelection to
His Office, But the Honor is Thrust
Upon Him Again by His Old
Comrades.
The reunion of the Old Confed.
Veterans for 1909 at Memphis, Tenn,
is over. After re-electing Gen.
Clement A. Evans commander-in-
chief over his vigorous but futile pro-
test. and selecting Mobile, Ala, as
the next place of reunion, the uniteo
Confederate Veterans adjourned their
business meeting Wednesday on the
heels of q very stormy session. me
only candidate for commander-ln-
chief placed in nomination was Cen
Vim. M. Cabell, commander OF the
Trans-Mississipp division. Just oe-
fore nominations were in order Gen.
Evans read an announcement 10 tne
convention. in which he declined re-
election. He said he had served In
every capacity, from the lowest to
the highest, and that he felt that the
highest honor in the Veterans git
should be passed from one EX-Con-
federate to another in turn.
But the delegates disagreed with
him, and by vote of 1,54O to I44
for Cabell. reelected Gen. Evans to
command. With tears streaming
down his cheeks and shaking with
emotion. the stately and aged soldier
bowed to the commands OF his COM
rades.
After Mobile, Houston, Nashville,
Chattanooga and Oklahoma City had
been put in nomination for the next
reunion, some one began to introduce
outside speakers. Sweltering IN
temperature of over hundred de-
srees, the Veterans delegates object
ed strongly and yelled vigorously for
a vote. Finally John w. Apperson'
commander-in-chief of the United
Sons Of Confederate Veterans. Sc
cured the door and introduced Con-
gressman T. U. Sisson. OF Mississippi.
as the spokesman of the Sons.
Nearly every one thought Sisson
was to spring DARK horse" can.
didate for the next meeting place,
but as 1t became evident that the
young Congressman merely desired
to make speech. the delegates be-
came noisy and calls Of sit down
and vote" were insisted. Sisson
was game, however, and won out on
test of endurance. He announced
that he wished to repeal his speech
in Congress. delivered in answer to
Congressman Calderhead, of Kan
sas, who charged that the Southern
people were lazy. Sisson received
some encouragement and some his
ses, but he persevered. Finally his
concluded in burst Of eloQuence,
saying:
The principles you fought for
were right In 81 and are right to-,
day. You were not conquered then,
YOU are not conquered now, and the
greatest monument in your honor
are the millions of pensions the. Fed
70 widows
and orphans your valor made and
the forty-six thousand graves IN Ar
lipgton Cemetery. which the Federal
government decorates each 10th OF
May. AS long as these monuments
are perpetuated to your honor, you
need erect no others.
Sisson's speech was received with
mingled cheers and hisses, and many
Confederates left the hall in dis
gust. Others crowded around him
and swanpcd him with congratula-
tions.
Meantime Mrs. Moore Murdoch, OF
Dallas, Texas. was endeavoring 10
he heard. She wanted to second
the nomination Of Houston, Texas.
for the next reunion. She posses
ses very masculine voice and man
uer of delivery. and she soon Quieted
the assembly. The Veterans listenec
in pstivuce until she declared:
We have lived as rebels. We are
I'M rahoIe o06 wa will die as
rebels. ="
Then pandemonium broke loose.
1t was difficult to tell whether the
majority favored her sentiments or
opposed them. Cheers were mingled
with cat-calls and Kisses and above
all reverberated the ear-splitting
rebel yell
Several other speakers were In
troduced but no one heard their
names or what they said until Gov
ernor Haskell, of Oklahoma, was in
troduced. Even he had stormy
greeting. which might be construed
one way or another, Finally, how
ever. he tired out the crowd and
made a diplomatic speech, inviting
the Convention to choose Ok!aho-
M City for the 1910 reunion.
You will find Confederate Veter-
ans in most Of the Offices of the State.
from Supreme Court Judges to con-
stables" he said. land you will find