Evening star., 1922-11-26
Way to Suppress Ku Klux Klan
ls,to Enforce Law shnPartially
BY THOMAS. r. HIARsAALL.
Former, Wise President e1 tbs
vAateA 1tatss.

BY THOMAS. r. HfARsAALL.
, Former Wise President s1 tbs
VaateA Btatss.
A FEDERAL SYSTEM Of gov
~ ernnept. considered In the
~ light of efficiency. has dis
advantages over a stron1-
ly cenyRhxed government. The
benefits arising from such a sys~
tenn are so manifold. however. as
more than to counterbala,nce the
lack of efficiency. This should
nave been more seriously consad-
cred when the states consented to
a division of their police powers.
So long as a government remains
supreme and. retains exclusive ju-
risdiction over crimes and misde-
meanors it is comparatively easy
to ascertain who Is responsible for
any failure to administer justice
and to fx the cause of its miscar-
riage IN the administration OF
the criminal law, as in most ac-
tiyities OF life. 1t Is beyond perad-
venture that what is everybodys
business is nobody's business. The
effort to make the prohibition
amendment bottle and buffet prpm py
grantiax Jurisdiction to boIn .. stase
and nation accounts for much of ri'e
failure at enforcement. fhe gen.
eral government either shouio
have exclusive jurisdiction or
should compel the several staLes
to enact and enforce all neeoiu
legislat ton under the aRenonen''
Not solely with reference to pro-
hfbttton. but in connection WIN
nearly every statutory crime COM
p,aint is general about lax Law en-
forcenent. You hear Of 1t where
ever you go. Reports OF bar asso-
Citations. addresses by distinguish
ca lawyers, fuiminations from tho
pulpit and editorials in the press
deal with the subject. The evil 1s
manifest. This in itself would DC
bad enough were the citize nsn!y
of America. contemplating II VII"
the view Of doing something aoous
il, OF removing the eva IN one VI
the legal ways provided ny SoH.
stitution Of nation or state. =.
does not appear. however. LIZ
regular processes OF the law IRE
being looked to. Unfortunately.
the American is 4 man who can
not wait. What he wants no
wants at once. Grievances must
be redressed without delay. II the
state or nation fails to act or IL
1ardy in beginning acton. the
American likely enough VIII form
an organisation Of his own to ac-
compl;sh the purpose.
Religion probably has caused
more trouble in the world tnan
anything else. patriotism being
next. A combination OF the tNo.
which is not unusual or fn!re-
onenf is superb as q trouble
maker. As religious difference.
become acute men Of one latin
mark men of different faith as po-
tentially. II not actually. crimi-
nal. as dangerous to organized so
ciety. Then Is produced . s'tua-
tion in which men. not authorized
by the law to do SO. are apt 70
take II upon themselves to ferret
out violations of the law. bring
yiolators to justice and administer
onni6hment. Whenever and wheFe-
ever men assume judicial author
ity citizens may we'll give serious
thought to what is going on about
them.
In America Just now :here is an
unknown number of unknown men
who seem convinced that the law
is not enforceable, that many
crimes arise from religious or
PLANTATIONS. or that law violators
are acquitted on account of their
church affiliations. lnstead ~
plcdging themselves to be law
abiding and volunteering their
services to law enforcement ON
GERS against all violators. they
have banded secretly together. I
suppose that members Of the Ku
Klux Klan justify their activities
on the ground that conditions are
so bad. politics 80 corrupt and law
enforcement so lax. that 1t Is nee
essary for men who really believe
in American principles unitedy to
resist churchly influence and to
take enforcement Of the law into
their hands. No doubt they re-
call the good that was done in
the early days of the west by
vigilants' committees in cleaning
up communities. The record of
the original khan in the south
after the civil war In removing the