Evening star., 1922-11-29
His Opposition to Invisible
Empire Will Be Continued,
Say Officials.
READY TO HELP STATES
Government Will Give Assistance
if Local Authority Breaks
Down.
nY DAVID LAWRENCE.

Conferences between President Hard
ing and Attorney General Daugherty
,:ave developed the policy that will
ne followed toward the activities of
The Ku klux Klan. Senator Walsh of
Massachusetts. democrat. asked for a
presidential proclamation denouncinS
the Klan. but it was stated today that
the Presidents last expression on the
subject would have to stand. namely
the letter signed by Secretary Chris
tian and sen. to Mrs. Frank L. Apple
gate of Medford. Greg, which reads
as follows:
You may he sure that any state
ment of the Presidents interest in or
approval Of the Ku KluX klan is a
complete and egregiouS miSrepre-
Sentation of the Presidents attitude.
In some quarters it has oven been
represented that the President is a
member of this orga ton. Not only
is that untrue hut the fact is that the
President heartily disapproveS of the
organization and has repeatedly eX-
pressed himself to this effect.
Would Aid States.
So far as federal prosecutions are
concerned, they will have to follow
conclusive evidence that the state
authority has broken down and that
federal interests have become in
volved In other words. irrespective
Of the question of federal power to
act. there is desire here to build up
The power of the states to depend
tpon themselves If. of course. this
authority should collapse or if state
sentiment should be averSe to en-
:orcenent of law. the federal govern
,nent will recognize the obligation
thrust upon it.
The problem of strengthening state
government in America has almost
come to Il climax. The anti-lynching
hill which is being fought SO bitter
" by the democrats in the Senate Is
the republican answer to the lndifter
ance of many southern states to this
question. The democrats claim the
bill is unconstitutional and that the
police power is vested in the several
states by the federal Constitution.
The mea sure cannot come to vote
unless the republicans wish TO risk
all sorts of danger to pending leg
islation. The calling OF an extra
session after March 4. something
rhe republican leaders do not relish
as Yet. may be forced if the anti
iynchins bill is insisted uo%n.
Another example of the clash be
tween federal and state jurisdiction
Is the prohibition amendment TO the
federal Constitution which needs the
help of the states or it Will become
:, dead letter in some regions
Politics in Conl Crisis.
The federal government would ike
10 see state authority strengthened
here. too. The growth of the ku
KluX movement is attributed largely
20 the attitude of many state othclais
who decline TO use existing law 10
souelch the activities OF the order In
fact the klan is said 10 NUMBER
among its members many of the very
officers in whose jurisdiction prosecu-
ion would naturally TALL
In the recent coal and rail crisis
the authorities here hoped foc CO.
operation from the states in protect
ing those who wish to accept employ
ment, but only a few states had gov
.rnors who were willing TO FISK their
political fortunes by an aggressive
course The desire to avoid political
acknowledgements is the usual reason for
the attitude of avoidance. but the
Washington administration is just as
determined to make the states han
die their own problems and IT is safe
to assume that the policy toward the
Ku Klux will be applied in other
questions. namely, that federal aid
will be granted only when It is oo-
yious that state authority has broken
iown or that federal guarantees have
been violated
Copyright 1877