Bogalusa enterprise and American. (Bogalusa, La.) 1918-19??, 1922-03-30
Governor Parker
Hits KuKlux Klan

mayor Sullivan received a letter
from Gov. John NJ. Parker Monday,
relative to the Ku Klux Klan, in
which he urges the city and parish
official to take action. Mayor Sui
Ivan sent copy Of the letter to the
city commissioners and action will
likely be taken at the next session of
the Commission Council.
The letter follows:
I stand squarely for the protection
of society against evildOers and I'M
desirables by prompt and sufficient
enforcement of the law through the
courts and am against any system of
mob justice in whatever form it may
presented and whatever name may be
given it.
To the extent to which the Con-
stitution and laws give me authority,
l shall insist upon every law officer
in Louisiana doing his full duty in
suppressing all forms of lawlessness,
whether they come disguised as Sc
cret schemes to regulate society, or
are open and fragrant abuses of our
criminal statutes.
We have courts to enforce the law.
If they do not enforce it, the people
have a sovereign remedy-the ballot.
We have laws to reach every form of
crime, or if we have not, we have the
machinery to enact them. Nothing is
lacking in our system of government
to give every citizen the protection
to which he is entitled in the enjoy
ment of property rights and the pur-
suit of happiness. If we fail to pro-
vide the law or apply the law, the
fault is our own, and we cannot rea-
sonably protest against what we do,
or fail to do, ourselves.
There is no place in Louisiana for
Ku Kluxism, Bolshevism, Radicalism,
or any other ''ism" that aims to de-
stroy peace and order. The idea that
any set of men may, with impuity,
disregard the authority of the courts
and set law at defiance in order to
correct some evil or punish some evil
doors secretly, and generally under
cover of darkness, is absolutely for
eign to proper conceptions of Demo-
cratic government, which seeks to es-
tablish unity for the common good.
There is no such thing as popular
justice. It is popular injustice be-
cause it brings law into contempt,
leads to class distinctions and racial
hatred and makes judges and juries
mere figure-heads. Where there is
no civilization, there may be need
sometimes for corrective measures on
the part of the masses, but in gov
eminent like ours, you cannot take
the law in your own hands for any
purpose whatever, without working
absolute injustice and undermining
the foundation of order.
There is growing danger in the new
spirit of quick punishment for of
tenders and secret correction of so
cial evils which has manifested itself
in this and other states. This form
of Iawlessness must be suppressed in
Louisiana, no matter whom the de-
cision may effect; for the supremacy
of the law is above the interests of
individuals.
In view of the repeated complaints
which have come to me from various
sections of the state, I now call upon
all officers of the state to suppress
with an iron hand the evil of Ku
Kluxism wherever it raises it head, |
and, at the approaching session of the
Legislature, will appeal to that body
in the name of order and good gov
eminent to enact law, making it a
felony for any man to hide, behind a
mask to drag the good name of this
state in the mire, to bring contempt
for law and civilization. Where
great evils exist, honest man and
brave men will stand in the open
fearlessly to see they are corrected,
with no need of disguise.
My hope and firm belief are that
right-thinking men and women of
Louisiana will heartily support me in
respect for and obedience
to our laws.