The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1922-12-23
R0uT kL/An OR
FACE CIVIL WAR
0LC01| / WARNS
Judiciary Influenced, Law Is Under
mined" Oregon Executive
Tells Conference
kLAn CAPITALIST PLOT
Marks Interests Grab at Political
Power, Declares Mayor HyIan

Marks Interests Grab at Political
Power, Declares Mayor HyIan
White Sulphur Springs, Dec. 20
I( Crusader Service Gov. Ben w.
Olcott Of Oregon, addressing the con-
ference Of governors here, warned
| that the Ku Klux Klan is gaining an
amazing grip in his state and other
states and expressed the conviction,
that unless steps are Immediately
taken to check the Klan its activities
would inevitably lead to a state of
civil war in this country.
Thinking OregOnians are at last
awake to what has happened in that
state, and like himself are genuinely
alarmed by the spread Of what they
first failed to regard as dangerous
manifestation, he pointed out, not,
however, explaining that the toler-
ance with which the Khan was at first
regarded was due to the belief that
it was merely anti-Negro and not
anti-anybody else. Today the SUBJ
ject overshadows all other issues in
Oregon, he said, and the consequence
of the secret organization work
there should be brought to national
attention.
Whole Communities Torn
That whole communities in Oregon
are now torn by such religious dis
sension, if not avowed hatred, that
neighbors formerly the best of
friends are virtual feudists, families
are disrupted, the spirit of religious
intolerance is Selling upon the
churches and spreading into all
branches Of business as q controlling
factor.
The same sort of outrages- COM
mitted by night riders, masked in
white gowns and cowls-that have
swept the Southland have repeatedly
occurred in Oregon, so that law and
order is as much usurped by the
American fascist as in Louisiana,
where Gov. Parker feared for the
sovereignty of the state.
Judiciary Influenced "
That the judiciary, school system,
politics and even certain public chan
nels Of expression have become so in.
| f1uenced, and in some instances con-
trolled by the Khan that all former
normal relationships and processes
of law and order are completely UNI
dermined. \
That Portland has became hotbed
OF the Khan propaganda, which has
been spread with characteristic Sec
recy and in the guise of a patriotic
| and benevolent movement, and the
! Khan leaders are extending their field
into the state of Washington. pre-
dieting openly that they will soon
have lined up that and other north
western states including Idaho and
the territory of Alaska. -
Protestant vs.. Catholic .z:.v.:.
eve have no accurate way of
knowing how large numerically the
Khan has become in Oregon,a said
Gov. Olcott, "but its manifestations
are significant of its extent and it's
power. We have few colored people
and few Jews in the state, compare
lively speaking, so that the issue
comes down to one between Pro-
testantism and Catholicism. To be
sure, enc colored man who was freed
from Jail after serving his term for
chlcken stealing was victimized-
taken out at night by masked riders
and hanged. though cut down before
ne was dead"
Capitalist Plot, Says HyIan
That the Khan is nothing but a
process of hoodwinking the public so
that the puppets of privilege NAV
be enabled to slip into any public
office" is the opinion expressed by
Mayor Hylan Of New York on the Kn
Klux Khan. -~ :.
Inc mayors statement was pro-
voked by reporters asking him what
ne had to say regarding the appear
ance of Klansman on Sunday night
in the Washington Avenue BAPTIST
Church, Brooklyn. His Honor de-
ciared that "day by day disclosures
are rapidly proving that the Ku Klnx
klan is nothing but an attempt to
Icreate a gigantic political machine
and that the powerful interests that
are trying to control this govern
ment" would Undoubtedly be found
financing the Khan. Seeming tn hear
out Mayor Hylan's views are the fact
that the Klan has acted to drive Ne
groes out of the oil fields in several
Southern and Southwestern states
and the recent revelation of banker
hacker in New York city.
The object Of fomenting racial
and religious disturbances and the
widening of breaches between groups
end classes is apparent" the mavor
continued. IF the people are divided
into opposing camps on racial and re-
llglous lines, less thought will he
gwen to vital public questions,
through this process Of hoodwinkinp
Inc public, the puppets of privilege
may be enabled to Slip into public
1 ISL.
ents and other officers in conference
IN Atlanta, Ga, December 4-6 1920