The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1917-04-06
Paper Read Before An
nual Pythian Turnout
in Martinsville, Va.
Urges Boys and Girls to Become
Acquainted With State Con-
stltution and Municipal
Government.


To the Officers and Members of the Pyth-
ian Lodge, Ladies and Gentlemen:
In behalf of the jupiter Court No ~
Il Calsnthe. 1 extend tn you grerting,
and the subject of Preparedne~-.
This word has become quite familiar {,
Is since the year 1914 when the diplo
usts of our sister nations had their mill
tary opponents meet them IN battle
Roosevelt while filling his office A. prev
ilent tri. Il to convince the United STATE
Il the danger OF being uuprrParrd fo.
the protection of our country against
ther nations. She shut her eye- sns
-ars then, hut lately she has trembl..
oeeause of her unprepare,iness.
The universal appeal for prepsresinss.
las been chiefly addressed To men. ! ad
irs-s my appeal u women IN behalf O.
'he black boy and girl. Mother--al
lasse- of mothers, ''for there are man,
| II t.lem''-it H. while the child il in th
mbryo state that you b~gin that SOU
or preparedness ms a man or woman O.
- one of its cOuntry's very hest citizens.
around your tire side teach them that
heir home and community's most need
Il help comes only through good loyal.
,biding citizens. Can't mI ichIld lie
aw-ablding citizen Of ths twentieth cen-
tary without an education? of cours.
rot, is your answer, and ] emphasize by
aging emphaticslly No. Your ans~el
-, it doesn't { matter, the white man rules
sure he does and will until lac has sri
val. The black boy can be rival foI
lac white 10y IN ball, marbles and othsI
lhIngs Of skill. The black pan rivals hi,
white brother in blacksmithing. eng.
neering, brick na-Onary, machinery,
sports and other things Of much less i'm
pOrtance, now why not rival him in cltl
<.nship. Educate your children, prepar.
| them and they will t,e the same Law
| nan will educate his children If lac ha.
10 deny himself To do so. The only 80
utiOn OF the Negro problem Is education.
% get at II, and some dsy father and sol.
same time as John H. Bankhead ano
-On Of Alabama ARE now
How many OF u- take daily papers for
'ur boys aud girls o. real, encouraging
them To keep mp With their own country
4 and other countries that they study about
"a their histories and geographi~-2 How
many OF u- 20 10 the county superindend
rnt and s-k for copy oi tie new schOo,
avs? How many OF u- know that foi
every white cinld, u j. ten dOllors. whiL
there j. three for every cOlored IN tli-
tate for education, and Why l. there y
difference Have w. stopped u CONSIDER
now much Of the three dollars our chil
iren Of tins section OF the state receive
aud Why? How many Of us know tina,
O W -eud our children u tire p1blic
school st seven YEAR Of age and with
nse or SIX months Of -cl,,Ol. they ~IlI b.
n .eiore they finish the seventh grade
lhi- beIng true. where j. the normal
usining saying nothing Of tie college. o.
be y ~ in the seventh grade. How arr
ness for American citizenship, How
many Of rs know the duties Of our town
DIhcIal-, fsW much power they have and
~hy, and u TREY arr qualified for th.
oilice- tiIey hOid. or not How many oi
~ know enough about our Jnited state
Constitution and state Constitution O.
know when one doe- not conflict with
tie other IN making law-2
In our yr' hibitiOn laws that are heiug
made, can you tnd where they are in
tfuding on tho right oi true Americans b
But are ~ just drifting a. piece of
driit ~o'd on tie water. int i-.ing car-
ned ~ thu current nnprepar.S. MT
struggling against the ti,ie that is about
- overcome ~,
In conclusion let NJ Try b. wake np
from our dream Of satisfaction and con
tentinent and ssy ~ our boys and girI-.
ut yOur e,iucstIon. even n u makes you
deny yourself Of tie many luxuries of
life that - many fooli-hly try o. enjoy.
live more within y,ur means and stop
trying D. initiate the rich Get our citi-
1en-hip back that ~as bouzht BY blood
shed from veins Of the North and south.
all for the black man. We nus, stop
throwing away our golden opportunities
Tor mental Improvements. Fill our school
rooms with the children that walk ps.t
their doors day siter day. year after year.
growing up onsJle " read their own
names after somebody else writes them.
shame on ne a. race Of the t~entieth