Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-12-02
GOVERNMENT MAY
invoke STATUTES
AGAINST Nj KLUX
BY DAVID LAWRENCE
Lessed Wire Service to The Journa1.)
lCnnrriCht 1922

WASHINGTON, Dec. Prose
cution of the Ku Klux Khan for al
legged violations Of the federal penal
code is under consideration at the
department of justice. The letter of
Senator David Walsh. of Massachu-
sets, Democrat, has had the effect
of prompting a search for prece-
dents. President Harding is on rec
ord against the activities of secret
organizations such as the ku KluX
Khan and there is no question about
the Administrations hostility to the
movement as practiced. The only
question is as to the power of the
federal government to cope with the
matter.
Irrespective of the decision reach
ed by the administration, enough
has happened already to indicate
that no more embarra ssing question
has been injected in American poll
tics than that of the Ku KluX Khan.
Politicians of both parties agree that
ultimately it will have far-reaching
consequences on party allignments
in different parts of the country.
Broadly speaking, the Democratic
party is picked to suffer most from
the issue. The Ku Klux Khan is
strongest in the south, where the
movement aims to a large extent at
the suppression of the negro's as
pirations toward social and political
equality. While it is true the Dem
ocratic party in the south is divided
on the question. the chances are
the strongest support for the Ku
klux will continue to come from the
south. The northern Democrats, on
the other hand, will be confronted
with the problem of aligning them
selves for or against the Ku KluN
Khan and men like Senator Walsh
and others who have constituencies
composed largely of Catholics will be
found fighting their Democratic
brethren from the south.
A split in the Democratic partv
between north and south would be
costly to the Democrats at a time
when they are bending every energy
TO consolidate their strength.
Some Action Probable
The Republican party on the 9TH
err hand, which has always been
friendly to the colored voters. espe-
cially since the Civil war, and is
congress an anti-lynching bill, will
be the natural beneficiary of the Ku
kluX issue. The Republican admin.
istration happens to be in power, and
Enthusiastically before many weeks
have passed will take a definite
stand against the secret order. While
many Republicans in northern states
have joined the khan because of its
opposition to racial groups other
than negroes, the belief here is that
the khan will not become as acute an
affair throughout the north as the
south
Republican candidates for office
who wish to retain the friendship
and support of Catholics, Jews and
foreign-born voters will naturally go
on record against the Ku Klux, and
while Democrats in the same states
will probably be as vehement in their
denunciation of the khan as northern
Republicans, the net effect on the
Democratic party's strength may be
to weaken it because of the inroads
the khan has already made on the
Democratic party in the south.
Nobody is particularly happy over
the turn the issue has taken. The
friends of the khan want to be let
alone, and the opponents of the order
are leaving no stone unturned to get
federal action. Senator Walsh has
called the attention of the depart
ment of justice, to section 10 of the
federal penal code, which reads as
follows:
eff two or more persons conspire
to injure, or Cypress, threaten, or
intimidate any citizen in the free
of NJ l>j0ht
or privilege secured to him by the
constitution or laws of the United
States, or because of his having so
exercised the same, or if two or more
persons go in disguise on the high
way or on the premises of another
with intent. to prevent or hinder his
free exercise or enjoyment of any
right or privilege so secured, they
shall be fined not more than $4,000
and imprisoned not more than ten
years, and shall. moreover, be there
after ineligible to any office, or place
of honor, profit or trust created by
the constitution or laws of the
United States"
Officials Hesitant
The federal government is loath
to use the statute because it is so
broadly phrased. There is no telling
where it might end and to what ex-
tremes bureau chiefs might be tempt
ed to go in offering this statute. 1t
has been used against the I. w. W.
The authorities here would rather
have the states take action under
their own laws, but the pressure for
of prosecution is begin
ming to be felt at the national CAPT
tai and the conclusion is about be-
ing reached that some action, either
an appeal to the people or legal
will have to be taken to
prevent certain activities of the or
der. It is realized that many promi- |
nent persons throughout the coun-
try are identified with the order, and |
among them are probably some good |
friends of the administration, but |
the pressure from the groups OPP |
posed by the Ku Klux Khan will |
make it difficult for the, government
here TO eVade the issue