The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-05-30
BIRMINGHAM BAR
 DECLARES WAR ON
 INVISIBLE EMPIRE
Men Who Parade Street Under Shadow of Fiery Cross of Ku KIux Realm Draw Fire
 of Legal Lights

 Resolutions calling upon the next legislature to pass a law that will stamp out the Ku Klux Klan and de- manding that the city commission en- act an ordinance forbidding masked men from pnradinG the streets of the city were unanimously passed by the Birmingham Bar association at public meeting yesterday It the court house.
 One of the three separate resoiu- tions adopted requests that all can didates for public office announce whether they have any connection with the Ku Klux Klan. A commit tee consisting of R. D. Thompson. chairman; Hugh Ellis and Alex Gar her, was appointed by ". Marvin Woodali, president of the association. to prepare a questionnaire to be pre- sented to each candidate bearing on his connection, if any. with the Tn visible Empire.'
 Attempt to Single Ont
 Heads of all governmental depart ments, both state and municipal. are also called upon to ascertain and report to their superior such mem bers. if any, of their personnel as are members of secret organizations that appear publicly in disguises-"
 The meeting of the bar association was called by President Woodall at the instance of the executive commit tee to express its. protest at the as sault on Dr. J. D. Bowling, health officer, by a masked mob. It was to have been an executive session but was thrown open to the public on the motion of Frank s. White.
 White Denounces klan
 fp a fterv address denounced the principles of the Klan and challenged any member of the large audience who was member to stand up and ayow his member ship. No one stood up.
 Tn attacking the secret organixa- ton, Arlie Barber offered an instance where a plaintiff withdrew suit in chancery court because he was vis- ited by masked mob and ordered to do so. Alex c. Birch arose and stated that he represented the client and corroborated Mir. Barber's statement as to the reason given by the plain tiff for withdrawing the suit.
 Bowman Stars Ball Rolling
 The resolution calling for legisla- tive action and requesting that gov ernmental heads ferret out members of their department who are mem bers of the Klan was introduced by Samuel C. Bowman as chairman Of the executive committee of which George Bondurant, Brenton K. FISK, vaesar l.. Allen and R. D. Thompson are members. It is as follows:
 Whereas, men in violation of law and in cowardly disguise have invaded our city and have carried off and flogged some of our citizens.
 And, whereas, when it became evident that these outrases had evoked little apparent resentment on the part of the authorities, other and similar outrages were perpetrated; and at last, lew days ago, emboidened by their im- munity, the unknown malefnctors seized one of our government of- f1ciaIs, the county health officer, whom they Iured from home at night, and carried off to the woods where they bound and brutnIIy nssauIted him.
 Re it resolved. that we, the members of the Birmingham Bar association, stand squareIy and firmly on the principle of law en- forcement by the properly au- thorfxed guardians of the iawt and that we condemn the usurpa- ton of any of the functions of the regular law officers by unauthor- fxed persons however estfmabie the character of such persons or however high their motives.
 Be it further resolved, that we set ourselves forthwith to the up- building and rendering more ef- ffcient of our city and county law enforcement organizations.
 He it further resolved, that if for no other reason than to re- move n dubious example from the path of potential yvrongdOers, we call upon alI law abiding citizens to abstain themselves, ana to use their tnflucnca in prevailing upon others to abstain from partfcipa- ton in all public demonstrations organized for the Ostensible pur- pose of frightening the ignorant and superstitious into due re- spect for the lawb that we call upon the heads of all govern mental departments. whether state or municipal to ascertain and report to their superiors such members. if any, of their person. mel as are members of secret or- ganixations that appear publicly in disguises, and that we call upon the members of the next legislature, through the candi- dates now seeking our support to enact ns speedily as possible whatever additional laws are necessary to stamp out this po- tentiaI source of evil, and thus help restore the unimpaired dig- nifty and prestige of duly con- stitutcd government.
 The resolution introduced by R. D. Thompson calling upon the candi- dates for public office to take a stand for or against the Ku Klux Klan is as follows:
 Whereast m organizations known as the Ku Klu Klan ap- pears on our public streets and highways in mask, intfmIdating