Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1921-09-30
ALL ABOUT THE KU KLUX
Continued From Page One.)

curbed such Il rule within a rule can
not continue if legitimate government
is 10 stand unmocked and unshorn of
power" These are key notes of flood
of editorials from all sections of the
country.
On the side of the defense, or at least
on the side of explanation, the New
York Telegraph presents this incident:
Recently in Il town of considerable
size south Of here, a long ways off, a
man preached anarchy before throng
of people. He spoke these words:
You see those folk living up there in
fine houses on the hill: we are as good
as they are and emitted to as good
things as they got We have nothing;
they have everything. Look at their
automobiles and their handsome wives.
Why shouldn't we have them? We
don't say that We want as good auto
mobiles as they have-we want their
automobiles. We do not say, either,
that we want rs good women as they
have; men, We want their women!"
This scoundrel should have been ar
rested and sent to prison for a long
term. But he was not; he went his
way, for the moment unscathed. For
the moment, we say. In that city is a
branch of the Ku Klux Klan, and two
VS. after his speech this preacher Of
anarchy and violence disappeared. No
one has seen him since; perhaps he
will never see him again. 1t was wrong
to kill him, but what could be done
with one who urged others to rob men
and steal their wives? 1t is because
the law is inefficient, impotent to deal
with reckless takers. Various states,
with Texas in the lead are moving to
eXtcrminate the Ku KluX Klan, and
they may succeed. They should sue
coed, provided whippings and tar and
| feathers and secret assassinatons are
the work Of that organization, which
has not been proven. But if they wipe
out the klansmen, they should, at the
same time, pass laws to prevent the
preaching of robbery, anarchy and the
advocation of laWlessness.
District Judge II. B. Terrell of Fort
Worth, according to news reports, re-
Gently criticized the work of the Klsn
while charging his grand jury, but at
| the same time told the jury that failure
to enforce the law and laXities of the
courts and juries We're responsible for
| the Klan's operation. There has re-
Gently been an epidemic of crime in
Texas" according to reports from other
sources. The Home and State, week
ly paper published by the Anti Saloon
league of Texas, presents this picture
of the invisible empire" at work, to-
gether with some of the reasons why II
has become powerful, and how its work
may be made superfluous.
The knights Of the invisible empire"
have invaded our state and Austin was
recently placarded with flaming red
signs by the Ku KluX Klan. Judge
James X. Hamilton, of the criminal dis
trict court Of that city, ordered the
| grand jury to make thorough inves-
! tiGation of this unlawful clandestine
organization and of the peace officers
of this city and county" Instructions
| were also given to the grand jury ito
take such action as the weight of rea-
son dictates and the law directs under
the advice of the county and district
attorneys"
The press reporting this action of
Judge Hamilton further says, the or
ganiZatiOn of the Ku KluX Klan in
Austin is viewed by District Judge
Hamilton as an indictment by infer
ence against local peace officers. He
expressed the belief that failure TO
properly enforce the law had created
the desire for the organization Of the
! secret order
Judge Hamilton is exactly right. The
rise Of the ku kluX Klan is the effort
Cf citizens To secure redress for the re-
fuSal of officers to enforce the law and
that too, by direct action. Wherever
the Ku KluX Klan operates it is clear
! Indication that some public officers,
not necessarily all of them, have pre-
viousiy violated their oath of office in
| refusing to enforce the law
Judge Hamilton goes on to say, "The
| constitution Of this state says the de-
| PENDANT has the right of trial by Il jury
! OF his peers under the supervision of
the court" Here, again, Judge Hamil-
ton is right. But, have not the citizens
! of the state an equal right to demand
! that the criminal shall be tried by Il
! jury of his peers? We think so. But
| by the laws Of Texas IN officer can de-
| eide whether or not the criminal shall
| he punished or not, and the citizenship
have no redress except through the ku
KIuX klan.
Judge Hamilton further says, "Thc
fault lies with the officers. 4 public
office is not Il privat" snap, but Il posi-
tion Of public trust, and any Officer
who is incompetent or dcrclct in his
/ duties O. unwilling to attend to them
! with the same degree and caution as
he would attend to his own private
business is disqualified and unfit 10
hold an office of public trust, and it is
the duty Of the grand jury to make Il
careful investigation of the officers Oi
this court and see that they are per-
forming their duties as the law di-
| reefs"
These words are well said by Judge
Hamilton. The trouble lies with our
/ law for the removal Of officers. En-
Cept for the one crime of crooked fin
ancial dealing, no officer has ever been
removed from office in Texas 50 far as
can be revealed by thorough state wide
investigation. AS the law stands today