Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-11-02
GOVERNOR CONFIDENT maine
PEOPLE WILL NOT FOSTER XII
KLUx KHAN GROWTH IN STATE
Is Cognizant of Efforts
to Form Branches of
Order within Borders
Brands Its Meth.
DDS as Smacking Of
Middle A ges and
Sees Menace in It's
Continued Existence

Following is an interview on the
ku klux Elan given, Wednesday, by
Governor Baxter:
1.-The activities of the ku Klux
Khan have not escaped my attention,
but | cannot believe that the level
headed citizens of Maine will be in
t,rcsted in, or ALLOW themselves to
be- influenced by, such an organiza-
ton Secrecy is dangerous; those
,,ho practice it seek to escape legal
and personal responsibility for their
actions. For men to mask and robe
themselves and gather by night NOV
Ing about mysteriously as though
possessed of hidden power resembles
the mockery Of the Middle Ages. 1t
i, all a sham. Mystery and secrecy
,an very soon degenerate into terror
Hnd lawlessness. No good can come
out OF such methods, and decent citi-
zcns will shun them. l have the ku
lIluX literature, some Of which came
ANONYMOUSLY from Portland, but
those who sent it are known to me.
llG UPcIdi dtlOL VI PiihNip'No NAN
.ouched i'm high sounding phrases
and it makes Il hollow prctense OF
ryalty and patriotism. The whole
movement is unwhO.esome and un-
American.
"One of the great controlling forces
in modern civilization is responsible
i,y, and when men can escape the
consequences of their own acts they
arc no longer hell in check. and
there is no limit to the evil they
may do. / believe Maine people pre-
Ter the light Of day to deeds OF dark
ness, and they never will allow any
secret order to take the law into its
own hands, for our courts have the
respect of all good citizens.
"Our people want fair play. II
they oppose a man they do so out in
the open. Most Of the crimes that
are committed in these modern times
are done under cover Of darkness,
and if we had "a hours of daylight
each day, instead of less than one
talf that amount, the list of crimes
would shrink almost to the vanish
ing point. In the dark ages when
law and order were unknown ana
when every man was obliged to be
lis own policeman, there was some
excuse for men grouping themselves
together for self protection. Today
the community itself protects every
aw-abidinG citizen, and there is no
State in the Union where life and
property is safer than in Maine.
.rrl, Ia cooks to divide
our people by drawing religious lnes.
Maine is not a State in which such
organizations can flourish. There is
no place here for anti-Protestant'
anti-Jewish, Catholic. or any
other organizations that seek to split
the community up into groups ana
create conflict between them. NO
such lines were drawn when the call
came to so to War: citizenship knows
no such distinctions Our people
welcome those of all crccds as long
as they are law abidng citizens.
"rhe day of the stlletto and the
:dnd bag has passed: they are out or
s;Alc. The old fashioned use OF these
Weapons was cruel and brutal. but
the stllctto of fear and the sand bag
Of threat are just as cruel and heart
loss as were their more primitive
predecessors.
Maine of all the States is the
first to greet the morning sun. and
ur people love TIL light that over
cmcs the darkness and those who
,ourish in it's shadows. They
ought for it and will fight for II
gain if need be. In Maine men
meet face TO face and sheets ana
rillow cases arc not used as masks
and robes for secret orders.
Law abiding citizens who believe
N fair and open play will stano
'iimly against the Ku KluX Khan.
Our people abhor those who are
ashamed to show themselves in the
open, The Khan is an insult and an
Affront to American citizens. IL
1ceks to array class against class.
sect against sect. religion against re-
''Son. Such an organization must
not and never will g foothold in
'h,T State"