Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1889-04-25
T5irgiuia free gress.
". ". b. GALLAHER, Editor
baIiestoicn, Jefferson County, Vest "
Apru %, 1889.
The Lime Kiln Club.

81 hev been requested, SAID Brother
Gardner, as the meeting opened, "to pre-
sent to dis club dis eavenin' de query is
lie white man improvin'? ? Pickles Smith
will lead off de discushun."
Brother Smith replied that he had been
aiken anawares. He had never given
he matter a thought He had seen more
Or less white folks around him each day,
but had given them no particular atten-
ion. He had sore throat, bad head
ache, chilbains on both feet, and there
we're strong indications that frst-class
ooil was about to hit him in the leg. He
would therefore ask to be excused from
expressing anything like decided opin-
ION on the white man question.
Col. Anonymous Smith next followed.
1t was a question that had bothered him
not little. Thirty years ago the white
man got drunk He gets drunk to-day.
Thirty years ago the white man sold his
vote. He saw several of them bought at
he last election. In the years gone by
the white man swore, gambled, stole, rob
BED, lied, cheated and committed murder.
If there had been any moral improve
nent the colonel couldn't see it. He had
always felt sympathy for white folks,
and had always hoped they would do well.
md it grieyed him that no better progress
dad been made
Elder Toots said he was glad the ques-
ton had come up. The white folks were
always concerned for fear the colored race
was retrograding, but the boot belonged
on the other foot. Within twenty years
the white man had invented the telephone,
out alas, the State had t. pass laws to
keep him from sending cuss words over
The wires. The white man had erected
wonderful bridges, improved the tele-
graph, brought out new orders of archi-
lecture, improved in painting and sculp-
lure and elevated the standard of schools
and society, but there was another side to
the picture The white man had discov-
cred other ways to beat the laws passed
ior the protection of life and property.
Lying, swearing, stealing and embezzling
we're hardly counted as sins. Visitors
had picked pockets and stolen oyercoats
Men who paid the highest pew-rent in
church were doing the heaviest stealing.
Dressing had become an art, but running
in debt and beating creditors had become
a greater orc. The elder had nothing
against the white man on account Of his
color. The Lord had made him white,
and he was not to blame for it. But,
when the white man stood on corner
and claimed to own the earth, it was well
to investigate his claim.
Waydown Bebee said he had always
felt kindly towards the white man, and
had always been willing to extend him a
! helping hand. He could remember back
for Il quarter of a century. If there were
any decided Improvements he could not
name them. If the white man was better
educated, so were all other men. InveE-
lions were numerous, other races had help
ed to make them so. Take the white man
as a man and he had doubtless retrograd-
ed. He was losing his reverence for the
law. He was living fast and loose, full
of gossip, suspicious and having no care
how he made his money so long as he
made it. Ii the white man had got near
er to the moon by means of the world, he
had also discovered new liquids 10 get
drunk on and new ways to beat the law.
If the ul had become more poetic, law
suits for debt had also become numerous.
If the average mind was living nearer to
Milton and Shakespeare just as many
bodies were being committed TO State
prison.
Sir Isaac Walpole said the query had
often been presented to him, and he would
take advantage of this occasion to say