Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-09-24
GEORGE BLACKS WISDOM.

On more than one occasion Chief
Black. as he is known to his fellow
citizens, has demonstrated that he has
cool. level head, and knows how to
handle an emergency in the quietest
and safest manner possible.
We especially wish. to call atten-
ton To the manner In which Chief
Black is handling these Ku Kluxers
who are Kluxing around our neigh
borhood. When asked what he was
going to do with those terrible"
Grand COLLINS. kleagles. Klads and
Wizards who parade at night with
pillow slips over their heads, he re-
fused to become excited. but said that
the Wilmington police force could
handle any disorder that might arise
He let it be known that meetings of
the Khan would not be disturbed pro-
vided proper permits were secur-d
for holding them.
Right there is where the Chief
! spiked the guns OF the gentry who are
collecting $40 a head from each ap-
plicant. II the Grand Highfalutin'
I<leagle has to go down to police head
quarters and seek permit, like any
ordinary citizen, all the mystery is re-
moved from his meetings. II is the
mystery which has been attracting
] people into it.
THE proper way for the so-called
Ku Klux Klan to hold their meetings
here would be to hire a hall and con-
Quoting the gathering properly" the
Chief said. "The promiscuous gath
ering of crowds in unusual places and
under suspicious circumstances will
be broken up and order maintained" !"
Chief Black has great deal more
brains than any of the Ku Klux or
ganizers who are flirting around this
section of the Country. Those organ
izers, or Kleagles, as they call them
selves, would welcome so-called mar
tyrdom. They no doubt would like to
be arrested. That would mean lot
of free publicity for their order, and
maybe a damage suit against the city
But so long as those folk are not
actually violating the law. Chief BLACK
is letting them make fools of them.
selves with their pillow slips with eye
d holes cut in 'em. But should the,
l actually violate any of our laws, ther
they may expect quick arrest and sur'
punishment. In the meanwhile tn,
Chief laughs at them and says "g,
and hire hail." Ridicule viii rul
> man out of the community quicke
than anything else.
We feel certain that Chief Blacl
has taken the right course. Their
is no statute in Delaware which ac
tually covers the Klan as a secret or
ganization. We do not believe tina
any could be passed without endan
gering the life of all secret orders
II must not be forgot that the legis
:. lation which Congress passed agains
the original Klan was nullifed by tn
United States Supreme Court.
Now that the mystery has bee
torn away from the Klan in Deawar,
there is no reason why any ma
should desire to join it. Everyon
knows mat man from Florida, VIII
wears an old crumpled Palm Beac
suit, and totes flashlight in his hi
pocket, and who is boarding aroun
the corner. and who looks like a bal
Der outside of his shop, is the "myl
terious" Kleagle. It is also know
that the ISleagle charges $40 a hes
admission into the order. and that
that sum he gets four dollars TO he
$ pay his room rent. After persc
r gets in. what benefit does he deriv,
r Absolutely nothing-so say some WI
er have been fooled
ne To a certain extent the Ku XII
er Klan reminds one Of that old si'
lis show at the county fair. Twenty "A,
ae cents admittance fee was charged
see 'Dodo. the Worlds Greatest My
ne terry After crowd had gather
or inside the professor would say,
ry Now. gents I've got your tM'
he bits. I'm going to tell you somethii
OF there amt no mystery a-tall; / W
y just foolin' you. But listen. when y
'es go outside. tell any guy that you do
an like very much that Dodo' is t
as greatest show you ever saw. Yol
we make him lose quarter. depe