The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-04-27

The following splendid address on
The Objects of the Confederate Or
ganization," was delivered yesterday
afternoon by Gen. j. A. Cox at the
Memorial Day exercises:
Ladies and Gentlemen: Accord
ing to custom long since adopted
by the United Daughters of the
Confederacy we have assembled
in the city of the dead, to decorate,
with flowers, the graves Of the
heroes who repose here SO peacefully,
with bright skies above them await
ing the resurrection morn.
On such occasion is it expected
that something be said as to the
causes and the conduct Of the wal
between the States, but this ground
has been So often and so we'll COW
cred that l shall speak but briefly
along this line.
At the beginning our leaders, on
each side, differed in opinion as to
why we were fighting, but as soon
as the U. S. organized an army at
Washington with the avowed pur
pose of invading the soil Of the South
the mass of the people Of the South
land became a unit and adopted the
sentiments of Gen. Robert E. Lee
when he. in general orders, said,
Soldiers, you are fighting for all in
life worth having-the freedom Of
your country-the honor Of your
people and the security of your
homes
1t is very gratifying, after forty
FIVE years, for us to find a man born
under the shadow of Bunker Hill to
endorse the sentiments of Lees or
der to the army of Northern Vir-
ginia.
l refer to the address delivered at
Nashville, Tenn, few years ago by
Rev. Charles E. Stowe, the occasion
being the celebration of the one
hundredth anniversary of the birth
of his mother, Harriet Beecher
Stowe. The closing words of that
address were there: ut is true,
there was great rebellion, but the
Northerners were the rebels and the
Southerners were the true patriots
fighting for their rights, on their
own soil, under the constitution and
within the law All honor to
Charles f.. Stowe who had the moral
courage to proclaim to the world his
honest convictions in the interest
of truth and right.
1t has been said that ignorance is
the mother of prejudice, but let the
light of truth shine and prejudice
will disappear. Either through
ignorance or malice the Confederate
organizations have been misrepre,
sented by people who should be bet
ter informed, First, as the "Daugh
tiers of the Confederacy."
The first chapter of this organiza
tion was formed at Nashville, Tenn.
September 10, 1894. Its objects are
= Benevolent, memorial, historical
educational and social" With {
q membership of more than 100000
every one of Confederate lineage
, this is strictly Southern organiza
ton, yet it has extended its influence
and membership far beyond the con
: fines of "DiXieland" and now It's do
: minion is from the Atlantic west
n ward across the Great Plains to tn,
e kissed Pacific; from the Rio
, Grande to the blue Columbia; from
: the Gulf to the Great Lakes.
i Wherever seven women, will
true Confederate blood coursing IL
: their veins are found they may com,
I together and organize a chapter o.
t the United Daughters of the Confed
t eracy.
NuuI hdo ILLS udllOu-Wlue
: cation done? Time and space for
bid full report, but suffice to sa,
that through their influence ever,
Southern State has a home for Con
federate veterans and many hav,
homes for Confederate women. Eacl
chapter has a relief fund and from
this, physicians, nurses and luXurie,
: are furnished the sick in thest
homes. Their work of commemorat
ing the deeds and lives of heroes O
the South in granite, marble ant
bronze has earned for them the well
deserved title of monument--build
ers.
AS to educational work of tn,
L. D. {. they have fifteen genera
|. scholarships valued at $4,000 a year
!, These scholarships of free tuition
!, and, in many eases, living expenses
are placed all over the country il
!. some of our best colleges. The on,
at Nassar College, n. Y, has fire,
/. tuition and $3.50 a year for Twin:
expenses. The one at Washington
Lee University, Virginia, carries fire,
!. tuition and $500 a year for Twin:
expenses. They have two scholar
|. ships worth $1,000 a year each