The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1922-11-22
GOVERNOR PARKER
IN WAR UPON KLAN
Louisiana Executive PrOCIdims
Flight to Finish"
ISSUES HOT STATEMENT
Declares He Will Use All Powers of
the State to Rout Secret Orqaniza-
tion-Cites Outraqes.

Washington, Nov. Ex-Governor
John NJ. Parker proclaimed war to
the finish on the Ku Klux klan in
his state.
Denied aid from the federal govern
ment unless national interests are i'll
volved, Parker said he would return
TO Baton Rouge, don lis fighting
clothes and use all :he resources,
financial and legal within his power
us chief executive to rout the klan
from its position Of dominance in
Louisiana's political affairs.
A man is a coward to attach him.
self to such an organization and re-
main within it as one of its active
forces" Governor Parker said. 1T is
now my solemn duty TO whip them.
Louisiana will soon see d fight to the
finish. The best people of the state
are behind me, and know | will win.
Masked men who go about taking the
law into their own hands, defying all
constituted authority, must go, if it
takes all the power the commonwealth
of Louisiana vests in its governor to
attain that end.
IF we permit such organizations as
the X r. X. to continue their reign
of terror e might as we'll admit our
civilization is tottering. 1t behooves
Iod-fearing Americans, not alone in
Louisiana, but in all states where this
organization has become a curse, to
fight with all their might. They must
do so if they are to see orderly law.
otherwise the law will be in the hands
of mob of towards, out to vent their
dastardly designs because of some
fancied private grievance.
''The shocking instances of the work
of the Ku Klux Klan in my state are
United States.
Men have been murdered in cold
blood, others have disappeared mys-
teriously and may now be dead, while
still others have been beaten and
manned. A 65-year-old man, only
step from the grave, was taken out
by a mob Of these towards and merci-
lessly beaten. In one community two
young men, both with splendid records
for moral uprightness, were seized by
members of the khan, soon disappear
ed from sight and now are supposed
to be dead.
"A Aswidow and three young children
of one of them are left TO grieve, while
none has stepped forward to suggest
justification for the mob's ruthless act.
In another instance, three men were
taken from their homes in the night
and severely beaten. These cases have
been multiplying. There must be an
end TO it. Society demands we in au-
thority do something.
My problem Is not an easy one, as
the khan works behind a mask and in
the dark | am seeking cooperation
to meet the situation in the most eff
fective way and cope with the menace
that has suddenly become very real.
If we could have some help from the
several states and from the federal
government, the matter of delving to
the bottom of the rotten mess would
be made easier.
1--WE expect help from some of the
states, similarly affected, like we, with
this cancer parading as secret So
ciety In dealing with the local stu
ations the organization must be cut
off from outside assistance. We are
going to tackle this thing from ali
angles and make good job of it be-
fore we are through
President Harding gave Governor
Parker assurances wherever federal
interests were involved in the activi-
ties of the khan the federal authori-
ties were ready 70 extend full cooper
ati