The Van Buren press., 1868-02-14
Lafayette Township.


The White Mans Club OF this Township
met At Fraxier's Gin. on the sth inst. The
meeting was called to order by Mr.. Tmhill
In the Chair. HARVEY STEWARD was then
elected permanent President Of the club, and
JONI WooLr vice-President; B. b. WooLT
Secretary. On invitation. r. j. Brown, ESD
addressed the Club On his closing forty
seven, came forward and signed their na'ne,
10 the club. The club adjourned to meet
February 22d Que week from tomorrow.
Ia A friend happening In the ncighbor-
hood Of fraziers Gin, last Saturday gives ms
the following account Of the meeting:
DEAR DUSHAM: Arc you fond of a ride ?
DO you envy the man who mounts restlye
steed. and is carried along In a multitudinous
trot, face against the wind, and scarcely time
to look If John Gilpin Is coming behind?
Such ride we had last Saturday morning
and we might have been riding till yet, had
we not. In passing Frazier's Gin, been attract
ed by the gathering In Of the citizens Of La
fayette Township. Refining in our steed. we
asked the cause of the meeting. and were in
formed that our townsman B. j. BROWN Esq.
was TO speak, that day, upon the political issue
now before the country. Having heard. that
man named Bowen, an adycnturcr spaw ned
forth by the State Ofkansas during the turbu-
lent days of our civil strife. had been. by some
means or other. elected to represent Crawford
county in that Illegal psndemonium now as
scmbled at Little Rock. | alighted to hear
and to see what the white men of that town
ship thought upon the subject. Ii is needless
for me to follow the speaker. closely, through
his arguments sufficient to say, that he forci-
bly, and clearly stated the principles upon
which the White Mans Club" was founded
aud the reason that rendered organization and
action necessary; Who had right to call
Convention to change the laws of this State. !.
None but the people of the State. Had they
called it? Not at all it was the work of Con-
grcss. How did they propose TO improve our
laws: Simply by placing negroes IN office
upon jurics, and allowing them, if they could
to intermarry with the whites; were there any
present who were willing tor such consum-
nation? lie believed not one. The speaker
further illustrated the injustice of allowing
an idle, ignorant negro to vote. to the exclu-
sion of honorable white men. There might
be negro, like Gray of Phillips, who was ca
pablc ofyoting but were they willing to swal-
low the whole batch, that Gray might vote !:
A brisk allusion to the taxes incident to the
Convention followed: Many men had said
they would have nothing to do with this
thing; they staid away from the polls. But
had they nothing to do with it: They would
find ont something about that when the tax
collector came round for their part of the one
hundred thousand dollars that this Convention
would cost. In conclusion he warned those
men. who would do nothing, that they were
unable to remain mere spectators in this con-
test; by not voting they actually allowed ne
groes to decide for them what it was they
wanted. Thus ended pleasant days ride.
The only regIet being, that the few who pro-
fess to believe In negro equality. were absent
The club was organized with the signatures of,
believe, every man present some fifty in all
And as rode away the last thing heard, was
question raised by some wag whether a ne
gro should be allowed to join" the White Mans
Club.