Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-11-02
ANOTHER kU KILN KLAN.

The iS,l liIux Khan inoyemenl
which has been 50 forcbly N.FSscntcd
| to tho public al The Salt Luke Theatrt'
| in the excellent performance OF Nrlc
| tSlanSnlan," began in 1865, for the pur-
| pose of breaking up negro suffrage In
| The South. In many states negroes
were members OF tho legislatures ana
| IN some they were In the majority,
! Most OF the negroes we're ignorant
and they were controlled by scala
waga,' and carpet baggers." that is
| to say, by white politicians who used
| the negro vote for the furtlerance OF
| their oWI, personal cnds. The RESULT
was that taxes were increased. public
| debts ran up. and the extravaganza
| and corruption of legislatures were al
| most beyond belief, The state debt OF
| Alabama increased from sS.O0o,oO0 to
| $4,000, coo, in six years, and the legis-
lature Of South Carolina spent $3.50, 900
In one session, Tor supplies, slindries
aud Rincidentals,'' alone. Such fearful
exactions came after the exhaustive
war and the taxpayers became exas-
perated
Then the Ku KluX Khan was formed.
The people undertook 70 break up ne
gro suffrage. Young men. masked and
disguised, rode about the country at
night. killing, or torturins negroes
and their synpathizers. The carpet
| baggers.- ortherl Adventures who
| had gone to the South in order to make
a living out of politics--werc often
caught and driven out BY violent
| means
There is no doubt that the 1$lan was
| saw no other way Of remcdying the cx-
/ listing evils thnt threatened moral ana
| financial ruin. II WAS founded by
/ men who believed they had a patriotic
i purpose IN view. But when the reign
4 of terror Mas over, honest men with
/ drew from the Illan. content With the
4 development OF society under Il regime
of law ard order. The Khan minus its
4 respectable, peace loving members be-
came n band of idle, dissolutc and
4 vicious individuals who entered upon a
career of brutality and violence that
appalled, the country.
The 50 called night riders that NOW
nfest spineof the Southern states may
he considered us tho SUCCESSORS OF the
tetrorists of thirty years ago, III fact,
TIC ghastly procession of the night rid
Il crS in Georgia short time ago OK
cccded III malignant Wickedne@s the
most lurid orgies of rcconstruction. Ana
i !axity in dealing with these outlaws
who claim 10 act under the authority
Of a higher law" is having its dire
effects
The ;,trucious numbering of Capt
Rankin al Walnut Log, Tenn, and tho
narrow escape from a similar fate OF
n Col. Taylor, both noted attorneys II
that section, may be traced directly e
the Indifference which tho authoritic,
manifest toward this latest form o.
TERRORISM.
The night riders hogan by bnrnint
persisted in scling their product at
price below that dictated by them
Y When the fircburgs first showed thci
hands some effort WAS made by stats
officials to the end of running then
down.. But soon the interest of thu
law Waned and the spirit of wanton
. ness blsizcd up more fcrcely than be
!, fore Murders were committed witt
impunity and the campaign of lrigh
by gun5and irebrand resulted in do
zensI Of growers abandoning their pro-
! critics or. oheying the commands Of TIL
night riders in faarsof their lives
The decent citzons OF the South vii
have to4put down this lawlessness. b,
! the application OF law Il they do no
do so without delay the evil will gro,
beyond their control.