Arizona republican., 1922-06-14
The Two Grand Juries

8 IS Concurrent investigations of the Ku Klux Klan
are in progress in Phoenix. They concurrent,
though only in point of time. They likely to
proceed along somewhat different lines The county
grand jury inquirng specific violations
of the law, determine the identity of persons who
took part upon citizens. This is
an ordinary criminal procedure to fix Individual
Responsibility for crime. Inevitably the inquiry for
this purpose viii go into the organization soma of
whose members suspected of having committed
the crimes and who supposed to have acted
orders or under authority the officers of the
organization. Whatever inquiry the county GRAND
jury may make into the general character of the
Ku Kux Klan will be only incidental.
The procedure by the federal grand jury may be
said to be exactly of this. 1t is withiout
power to investigate acts of individuals in Nio-
lation If the laws of the state with to bring
ing them to punishment. The federal grand jury
IS investigating the character of the organization to
determine whether its activities calculated in
terfere with constitutional rights of citizei,s
If it should be disclosed that effect of tshe
operations of the Klux Kan that evidence wollld
be added to whatever has been may be collected
of the same import the end that the organization
throughout the country may be suppressed. The
FEDERAL grand jury's inquiry into specific will
therefore be only incidental.
e 1t is possible that the testimony be brought
out the county grand jury may open the way for
the admission Of letter which printed by The
Republican, following assault by masked
Upon Rollin p Jones, principal of the Lehi schools
Est March. The letter which appeared to have been
Brepared under the authority of the klan and wheh
bore the impress of of the khan stated thht
the klan assumed fun responsibility for the ASSAULT
upon Mr. Jones. the trial of persons charged with
the assault the letter was excluded the ground
that it was an anonymous communication. The
present inquiry may bring the identity of the
officers the kan at the time the letter writ
ten and the identity of custodian of the seal, $40
that the letter may be robbed of its anonymity anal
become subject to admission.
But whatever the investigation of either both
srand juries may develop, it can hardly be madls
clearer than it already is this organization OF
any private organizations secretly formed for the
enfrocement of the law and the punishment OF
citizens is dangerous body. We may pass over
the fact as has alleged that it sometimes in
advertenty Furnishes innocent or as alleged
irencourages religious and racial prejudice. These
are the least Of attending evils. The great liz
the setting up of the organization above the LAW
and above the courts. Thus law and order ARD
destroyed and we have tyranny in its worst form.
unlimted power without responsibility.
s There can be but authority in society and
SCI must be recognized authority upon which a
p1ajority of the people have openly agreed. If we
have two openly instituted authorities have dis
cord and civil strife. If we have invisible en-
pre" we have law but subject to the whims
and prejudices of hidden rulers If carried to its
logical and the effect of the operations Of
this or any similar body must be undermining and
destructive.
In two OF the cases which had precipitated these
grand jury Investigations the victims had been before
courts. the defendant had been fully
exonerated of the offense for which he later
assaulted by masked In the other the
defendant had paid the penalty the law imposed so
that the law presumably satisfied 1t is true
that both these tribunals inferior courts but
greater respect would have been shown the supreme
court
The law must be kept supreme. Therein is the
only safety of citizens. And the law to be supreme
must stand without rival and certainly it cannot
exist in the shadow of 'invisible empire"