The New York herald., 1922-03-27
PLANNING TO MAKE
KLANISM A FELONY
Continued Outrages In
Louisiana and Texas
Arouse Officials.
BIG POLITICAL ISSUE
Gov. Neff of Lone Star State
Denies He Is Member
Of Ku Klux.
PRIEST FLOGGED, TARRED|
Mob Action Directed Against
Persons Without Apparent
Reason Except Prejudice.

Bpeolal DispofcA 10 THS NEW YORK HmALp
GALVESTON, March 2e.-Masked and
unmasked bands who under cover Of
night, take men and women from
their homes, fog them, apply a coat
ing OF tar and feathers, and order
them ito leave town" are not going to
be allowed to operate with impunity
In Texas and Louisiana much longer.
Gov. Parker of Louisiana has an
nounced his intention to seek legisla-
tive action making Ku Klux Kanism
q felony In Louisiana, and State Sena-
tor II. L. Darwin Of Texas. has an
nounced similar measures Will be
sought in the Texas Legislature.
The Ku Klux Khan win be the big
gest issue in the impending political
campaign In TEXAS. and it 10 ap-
parently due to this fact that Gov.
Pat M. Neff. candidate for reelection.
has denied for the first time that he is
q member OF the khan and said It was
not needed to enforce the laws In
Texas.
orxanisation e Fight Khan.
Althosxh vociferous dsnials have been
made on behalf Of tho Kan a. to
responsibility for many outrases, an
organization known as the knights OK
the Visible Umpire" has been formed in
Khan
Recsnt instances o1 mob action in
clude tho nogging Of . Dallas lumber
plant manager ana q picture Trainer.
the dogging, tarring and feathering OF
q Catholic priest at Slaton. the killing
of a man who sought to protect an
elderly man from . masked band at
Nashville. Ark. and the hogging of
former Justice Of the peaoe 1t Beaumont
vitriolio criticism of those who oper-
ate masked and under cover Of night"
has had at least one noticeable effect
the masks are being left behind. In two
late whipping outrages tho bands were
not masked.
Public activities Of the Ku Klux Khan
On Texas have been confined to parades.
with or without official consent. and ap-
pearancos of Klansmen at church meet
ings where donations are handed to the
pastor. That the Klan has not con-
however, is clearly established. An open
letter published at Mexia. Texas. on the
occasion of the removal OF martial law
February 81 said:
I'VE hereby serve notice on the law
less element Of our population that be-
cause of the withdrawal Of the State
constabulary forces we will not counte-
nance any OF the acts of 1awlessness and
violence that were SO prevalent In our
midst sixty days ago. IL your acts
are such as merit court action we will
see that you are carried to court IL
the courts cannot handle your case or
viii not do so. we will handle it our
selves in our own way
whipping of BootIesgcrs.
Nocturnal whippings appear chiefly
directed against bootlegging and i'm
morality This variety or organized
mob action is entirely distinct from the
form of mob violence known as lynch
ing. A lynching mob has no central
authority and little organization. Its
actions are usually unpremeditated until
within q few hours before 1t strikes.
The modern night rider or Klanist. or
whatever he may be called. appears
sctuated by sense of militant puritan
ism, combined with racial and religious
prejudice. A fanatical hatred of LIQUOR
ana OF those who sell. make or drink
liquor lis his dominating trait. Next to
his hatred for liquor Is his intolerance
OF moral transgressors. There have been
no instances In Texas where organized
moh action has been directed against
persons guilty OF such crimes as rnur-
der. highway robbery. bank looting or
burglary. Nor so far as known has the
la Off Il a
thorities against crimes of this sort.
Opposition to mob violence In Beau
mont crystallized yesterday. when petl-
tons were put into circulation contain
Ing names of more than hundred bank
ors. lawyers, physicians and business
mon calling for a mass meeting Monday
night. March 81, in American Legion
Hall to devise plans for enforcement of
the law. The petition recites that "the
time has come when all men, both high
aod low. must be given the protection
guaranteed by the State and national
Constitutions"
Parade mt Laredo Prevented.
Great excitement was aroused at
Laredo by circulars announcing tho in
tention of the ku Klux klan to hold a
parade there on the night of March 49,
Immediate action was taken by the au-
thorities. The Sheriff forbade the parade.
tho city authorities passed an ordinance
making masked parades illegal, and Dis
frlct Judge Mullaly. In charging Grand
Jury 20 investigate the Klan, character
ized X az an unlawful organization got
ten up for the purpose of violating the
laws OF the State" On the night of
March ~ several hundred special offl-
GERS, well armed. mingled with the
crowds on the streets and there was no
parade. ~
Two Instances IN which the Ku klux
Klan has been more or less directly
connected with homicides IN Texas were
at Austin on December rs when Peeler
Clayton, a taxi driver. was killed In the
vicinity of p hall where the Klan was
meeting and nj Lorena. Tex. last year
where Louis Grow. a Waco laundryman.
spectator at a Klan parade. met death
in an alteration which occurred when
sheriff Buchanan Of McLennan county
tried TO stop the parade. Sheriff Bu-
chanan was dangerously wounded at the
time.
In the Clayton case an Austin city
detective, patrolnan and a Federal
prohibition agent we're found to have
been involved In the shooting which
ended In Clayton's death, their pleas OF
killing In line OF duty being upheld.
Owing 20 the prominence OF those implI-
Gated IN the killing this case attracted
wide attention
! II appears ,hr' Clayton and two com