The Dallas express. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1893-1970, 1921-02-26
PROPOSED REVIVAL OF KU-KLUX.
KHAN.

Toronto, Ont, Feb. 24.-The better
class Of American newspapers are
unanimous in condoning recent pro-
posals to ressuscitate the 'Ku-KluX-
Khan" on an expanded scale, cover
ing every State in the Union, and in
Guiding in the scope of its hates,
not merely the Negro, but varigated
array of races and religions. In fact,
when the alleged plans are scanned,
they would appear to be an effort to
revive in amalgamated form two or
ganizations of unsavory repute-
Southern ruff1anism as once embodied
| in the earlier X. X. X. and Northern
bgotory as expressed in the defunct
A. p. A. Twenty-Five yeare ago the
A. p. A. had Canadian sister organ
ization, of infamous repute, known
as the Protestant Protective Associ-
alton which went so far in bigotry as
to pledge its membership to drive
Roman Catholic servant girl from
their employ. OF similar color is one
of the planks of the new Ku-Klux-
Khan which, if it succeeds in getting
under way, is to be anti-Negro, anti
Catholic and anti-foreign generally.
In the Northern States it is making
a specious plea for existence on the
ground that some sort of vigilance
organization is necessary to combat
Bolshevsm, and to make an assertion
Of Americanism against the various
foreign propagandists, who have OF
late been bedevilling American poll
tics and civic government. Unques-
tionably the remedy is worse than the
disease. If Americanism cannot do
its fighting in open, and by candid
argument, it is not worth saving;
and the same is true of patriotic
movements in Canada and all other
countries.
The political secret society has
ever been a curse in whatever land
1t has appeared. Organizations of
this character, which have existed On
various forms for more than two
hundred years, have been responsible
for a large part of Ireland's actual
woes. The intense hatred between
capital and labor which is a moral
disease of many States of the Amer
ican Union is the direct result of the
formation of secret organizations lie
the /. w. w. proposing to gain their
ends through violence. Even Free
Masonry, honored in English speak
ing countries has suffered eclipse and
discredit in some European countries,
simply because political agitation has
been combined with its fraternal OBJ
jects. The whole tendency of all
secret political organizations is to
become embroiled with governments;
for the very good reason that, in
essence, they invariably propose to
set up covert tribunals whose decis-
Aons shall 1--we the same force and
effect as those of the government
AS for the proposal to revive the
-Klux-Klan, 1t would be almost as
enlightened a course to propose the
revival of the Molly Maguires of
Pennsylvania, and turn it ilto a vast
national organization. d. w. GrifRth's
crude and violent film play, 1.-THE
Birth of Nation" has no doubt been
instrumental in making many believe
that the X. X. X. was a rightly re-
spectacle organization, Of holy in
SEPARATION, akin to that of the ancient
Scottish Covenanters. No reader of
Sir Walter Scott-who knew more
about Scottish history then any man
before or since his time-has very
exalted opinion of the Covenanters,
but they did contrive to impart a
religious aroma 10 violence and crime,
that has made their name one to con-
jure with The X. X. X. was in its
origin an effective vigilence committee
to rectify intolerable wrongs for
which corrupt Northern politicians
were mainly responsible: but Ike all
organization which wear masks and
make murder part Of their ritual, it.
speedily developed into criminal
conspii acy which was destroyed by
the cool sense Of the better class of
Southerners themselves. The men are
frying to revive the X. K. K. cannot
plead intolorable wrongs as an ex-