Possibility of renaming Confederate Stamp Alliance meets resistance

By Bill McAllister, Washington Correspondent

A slate of four Confederate stamp collectors hopes to upset plans to rename the Confederate Stamp Alliance when the 80-year-old group holds its midyear meeting in Asheville, N.C., Oct.  9-10.

 The four are troubled by plans being considered by the CSA’s current officers to possibly rename the organization and make other changes that could including removing the Confederate battle flag from the group’s stationery.

Yorktown, Va., collector and dealer Chuck Hanselmann told Linn’s, “The members are unhappy with what’s going on and have proposed that certain members, myself included, run for office.”

CSA president Richard Murphy has contended that the four candidates have not been properly “vetted,” said Hanselmann.

Murphy told Linn’s that no candidates have been blocked.

“All candidates who have met the CSA, Inc., Corporate guidelines for placement on the ballot are on the ballot,” he said in an email.

Candidates can qualify by either being recommended by a committee composed of previous CSA presidents, or by submitting a petition signed by 15 active members of the CSA.

“There never [was] any attempt to block any candidates which met the above criteria,” Murphy said. “As of this time there are 12 candidates on the ballot, and one petition active.”

The ballot will be set by Sept. 2nd, he said.

Hanselmann told Linn’s that the four — Brian M. Green, a candidate for vice president and a former CSA president, and three trustee candidates — Richard L. Calhoun, Ray F. Bartlett, and himself — have met all requirements for holding the offices.

Murphy, a resident of Mount Pleasant, S.C., told Linn's a study of the organization was conducted after the murders of nine people in a Charleston, S.C., African-American church June 17.

Hanselmann said he believes his group’s support is growing.

“The thinking seems to be, ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.’”