Phoenix tribune., 1921-09-03
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
WORLDS GREATEST"
LAUDS KU KLUX KLAN
(By The Associated Negro Press)

Chicago, ILL.,, Sept. 1.-The Chicago
Tribune, which styles itself 1.-The
worlds greatest newspaper" and Re-
publican in politics, has come out
with an editorial endorsement of the
Ku Klux Klan.
The Tribune is owned by the Nc
Cormick family, of which Senator
Medill Mccormick, senior Republican
senator from Illinois is 4 member,
but Senator Mccormick disclaims any
part in shaping the policies of The
Tribune. The Chicago Tribune for
years has conducted a most sinister
propaganda of subjects affecting the
Negro, sometimes veiled, sometimes
bold, but always having the sting of
racial hatred somewhere in its claws.
Therefore, the editorial on Klux is not
surprising, but proves beyond a doubt
that there are influences at work in
Chicago as deadly as any known in
Georgia, Mississippi or Arkansas, and
that nowhere in the United States are
COlored Americans free from the dan
gers of injustice and prejudice.
Says the EDITORIAL: 1.-The first Ku
Klux Klan grew out of intolerable
conditions in the South and passed
away when the danger of Negro dom
ination and the plague of the carpet
Dagger were lifted. 1t was born of
an emergency and, while crimes were
committed in its name, it served an
important end, while contributing one
of the romantic episodes of our his
tory.
THE new Ku Klux has virtually
the same constitution as its prede-
cessor, the same grandiloquent titles,
and the same mysterious and melo-
dramtic ritual. The first society
doubtless chose these for their effect
upon the Negroes, but we all like
dressing up in costumes and DISCUSSES
and keep enough of the boy in US to
enjoy secret meetings and ceremon-
les. All the great fraternal orders,
which accomplish so much quiet good
throughout the country and mean so
much in the social life of millions,
make use of this natural linking for
mysterious rites and secret ties, and
the new Klan will hardly be denied
the right to adopt the same policy.
Furthermore, the object of the So
ciety as stated in its constitution is
commendable. We all owe a duty as
citizens to support the constitution
and the law of the land, and this
duty justifies organization of citizens
to give aid when necessary to the
formal agencies of government and
to create that sentiment of loyalty
upon which the proper functioning of
such agencies depends.
This duty does not justify attempts
to usurp the functions of law enforce
ment agencies. 1t is one thing to
support the officers of the law 1t is
quite another to take their place.
This was excused in the first Klan
because of the emergency of recon.
struction and the subversion of en-.
durable conditions in the South. But
the fact that law is not as much re-
spected in America as we should like
to have it and not as efficiently exc
cuted as it ought to be, does not justi
fly the taking over of enforcement by
any body of private citizens who may
appoint themselves to the task This
has occurred in sporadic cases in the
South and West, and sometimes these
acts have been ascribed to Ku Kln
Klan members. But the head of the
order, we are glad to note, repudiateS
them, and asserts the determination
of the order to adopt lawful means
only in the fulfillment of the -Klan's
purposes. Nothing else could be tol
Grated"