Evening star., 1922-11-26

tioa most likely is in their minds.
It Is far from my purpose to Inn
p0Ga tAefr motives or to deny their
good purposes. Rather. hold the
view that no good will be sub
served by attempting to stop this
movement by force. Most khan
members. I am quite convinced,
are, patriotic Americana, But they
have not thought out this, thing.
and IN unthinking American Is
likely to be foolish and to act un-
wisely
This case came to my attention.
1t is iilnmiaadre Of khan methods.
A teacher in one of the western
states was accused by a girl pupil
Of improper advances. He belonged
to the Mormon faith in a COM
n,snfty that was largely Mormon.
with members of that church
dominant in business and in social
and educational activities. He
vxs promptly acquitted. The
ku Klnx of q neighboring town.
whether for religious reasons or
not, I do not know. sat in solemn
conclare on the case and decided
that the law had failed to punish
criminal. :whereupon this ultra
judicial orEanization seized the ac-
elsed By stealth and punished him.
The teacher caused the arrest Of
and the justice Of the peace. who
had acquitted him. held four to
the grand jury. The governor Of
the state offered a reward for in
formation that would reveal the
identity Of the persons who en-
gagged in the whipping. Then ap-
peared newspaper statements. au-
thorized by the khan. TO the effect
that the men accused by the school
teacher OF having. participated in
his punishment had no hand in the
affair. that he had been chastised
by the knights of the klan under
orders Of the invisible empire and
that his punishment had followed
a gross miscarriage of justice.
. ! Il + i
1t is one of the strange manifes-
tations OF human nature that Of
fcials charged with the admins
tration OF tho law become more
, hostile toward an organization
which assumes their prerogative
than toward other offenders. They
will be extremely xealous in hunt
ing out these self-constttuted law
.enforeers. ob1fvious to the fact
that impartial enforcement Of the
law on their part would eliminate
reason for private organizations
like the khan.
Indiana used to have white
-cappers." men who took it upon
themselves to administer punish
ment whenever they conceived that
the law officers or courts had
failed. They were periodically
active in the southern counties Of
the state. AS governor bent the
power Of the state toward punish
sent him to the penftentiary for
two years. Since then there has
been no white Gaping" in In
diana -"
Executive oficers must pay more
attention to law enforcement or
these organizations Of ultra ju-
dicial character will not only con-
tinue to exist. but will grow. In
the Indiana counties in which
white capping" existed. law en-
forcement was Of low grade. Many
respectable citizens were members
Of the white cap" organizations,
because they believed In law and
ORDER, With the punishment Of
the chief, came a stricter enforce
ment OF law by the regular ON
cials. There disappeared the
seeming necessity of white cap
ping" ana finally the white cap
organizations.
We may as well not deceive our
selves about the Ku Klux Klan. IT
will not be laughed down, nor leg
tslated down. Reason for its ex-
fstence must be destroyed. 1t will
disappear with impartial law en-
forcement. Society takes care OF
itself. 1t will stand only so long
the sneers and contempt of the 3.
lawless. It may for a time regard
with complaceney other indifference
on tho part Of executive officers. but
finally 1t will demand law and
order even though violating both
to get them. These organizations
will be destroyed more rapidly
by the stern enforcement of the
law against all criminals than by
efforts to Identify and punish the
men behind the masks OF course.
they should be punished, but more
important is a change OF condi-
tions in America SO their ex-
cesses may not be justified.
fCopyrisht 1922 by Thomas r, Marshall.l