Evening star., 1921-01-20
Editorial Digest
DON'T Believe in Ghosts.

Revival of the old Ku Klux Klan Of
the south to conduct q nationwide cam.
paign In the interest Of "Americanism
and Flaw and ORDER quite evidently
must make such progress as it can with
out the support of the American press.
While some papers admit tho justifica-
tion Of some of the purposes OF the pro-
posed organization, the movement as
outlined by its promoters receives
neither welcome nor announcement IN
aims. the verdict is unanimous that
there is no place in present-day America
for the invisible empire of the recon-
struction period.
1.-THE American people today" the
Worcester Telegram (republicaD is GER
tain. want no secret body whose an
nounced purport is to inculcate respect
for American institutions" These In
stitutions contain within themselves
''means for teaching and enforcement OF
any secret organization to assume 70
take over this enforcement Is not only
an anachronism. but 1t is. instead Oh
American. un-American." @
1t is Il is inference that "the gov
ernment stands In need of a national
enable it to function efficiently" as
the Lynchburg (va) News (demo. .
cratic) expresses it. that is attacked
by most writer's. The News feels. too,
that the adoption of the name of the
old southern khan" is unfortunate
because. while the 1yu Klux Khan
performed a service Of priceless and
proved AN unconuuerably defensive
force" it was inevitable that in the
discharge of that service the name
should have become "freighted with
sinister meaning" and therefore. for
the sake. of race tranquility. 1t ought
not to be revived. even though Tor
what may seem good purpose
While the New York Tribune Gre.
pub1ican) does not regard the revival
Of the old order seriously" it never
theless suggests a justification for the
proposed movement. and even hints
at the possible success OF "nativtst
uprising against the "pestiferouss
who have been striving to under
mine principles which are dear to
every American"
The Knoxville Sentinel (independ-
ent democratic) also regards as fool
ishness" the talk of reviving the
ghostly and grisly white sheeted
phantoms of the past" but it agrees
with the Herald that the movement is
not wholly unwarranted or without
chance of limited success.
But 1.-The Ku Klux Klan is step
back through the centuries-an at
tempt to resurrect the methods OF
medieval terror" which the Jersey
might have been potent in the four:
teenth century. but man has Travelled
far since then Now it is "a chal-
lenge to the orderly administration OF
Justice" to tolerate which the Buffalo
News frepublican) believes lis to in
vite mob rule"
1t is not apparent to the Knicker-
booker Press (Albany. republican,
that there is any necessity for a secret
society to be organized to do what the
government guarantees to do" and ''it
Is more probable that the activities OF
such a. society would only stir up unrest
and dissatisfaction" The Syracuse Post
what such an organization may do in
the name of 'Americanism.' for that
proud word has been made, in the vocab-
ulary Of intolerant men, to cover vio-
lences which are the very antitheses OF
Americanism." And as the Minnesota
Star minneapolis. independent1 sees .,
which are being made, the movement is
'organized anarchy.''s
The element of secrecy in the organi-
cation carries with it doubt Of its sin
cerity, from the viewpoint Of most
writer's. IF the asserted objects are the
true ones" the Baltimore American ,(re-
could advance them better with mask
off than on" The Cincinnati Enquirer
(democratic)a )a agrees. saying I'VE don't
have to put orfra hood, a mask and a
long robe to enforce respect for the Con-
stitution and the laws! And. what is
more, this people never will stand tot
any such secret OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
Of its high-sounding declaration Of prin-
ciples--because it assumes to choose its
own method of accomplishing its aims.