The New York herald., 1922-12-14
Private Hatreds and Bigotry
sWrapped in American Flag
and Sold for $10.'
MANY HONEST DUPES IN IT
Says Religious Intolerance Is
Spreading to Dangerous Ex-
tent in Kansas. J.

A commercially profitable venture
pouring millions into the pockets OF It's
organizers and cloaking the private
revenge and bigotrous hatred Of mem
bers and non members alike--such was
the description given to the Ku kluS
Klan yesterday by Gov. Henry j. Allen
of Kansas, who Is stopping at the
Hotel Astor on his way to attend the
conference of Governors to be held at
White Sulphur Springs.
"The Klan owes its rapid spread to
its admirable salesmanship." said the
Governor 1T has three distinct ap-
peals, that of the old A. p. A. plus the
antipathy to the negro. plus the an
tipathy to the Jew, with all three
wrapped up in the American flag, de-
claring itself 100 per cent. American
and sold for $40, of which the organ
izer gets 81 and officials In Atlanta S6.
In addition to this they furnish
cheap cotton robe and hood costing
s2.S5 and sold for Sc. If it is true that
they have an organization numbering
5000 900 somebody must be cleaning
several millions of dollars in profits.
1t is indeed a reflection on brave and
intelligent Americans who will allow
themselves to be exploited at $40 a
head.
"In my State the thing has gone be
ycnd a laughing matter. Every day my
mail Is checked with letters from people
who have received threats-pitiful let
ters from poor people 50 frightened they
know not what to do. Every one who
has a private grudge is using the Klan
to scare his enemy. Bigotry and religious
intolerance are rife. Pulpits where once
was preached the brotherhood OF man
now thunder denunciations against each
other. and neighbors who In years gone
by lived in peace and harmony now hate
each other with a hatred which passes
understanding. And they say that all
this is the aftermath Of a feeling en-
gendered by the war.
I'm Kansas we have brought the mat
ter 10 the Supreme Court Of the State,
and II we are successful 1t means that
we shall succeed I'm denying the Klan
tho right to do business In the State. In
bringing this action we had great dr.
fic,llty in locating the officials or the
'Klan, but finally summoned between
400 and 500 of them. If the Supreme
Court upholds the right OF the sth'c
Charter Board to deny the Klan char
ter we shall cripple them, for then they
cannot to business legally.
"My own objection to the kian iies
in the fact that Il Is not secret put
olandestine organization IN which TIC
possession OF masks encourages lawiess-
ness AS to the lawlessness we have at
,aast two instances where defenseless
reople were viciously attacked. In many
counties the Klan has fallen into the
hands OF the rough element. just as y
did I'm the South. This has already been
demonstrated In Oklahoma and in Kan
sas.
''rrhere Is no doubt that many excel
lent men have Joined the klan from
misdirected zeal. In New orleans its
activity rs directed against the Jewish
element In other parts of the South
the object Is the negro In Kansas IL
is the Catholic. I myself nave peeil
branded b ythe Klan as Catholic ana
all Of my family. Catholic. They must
have been somewhat surprised when
they discovered that I am Methodist,
thirty-second degree Mason. and a lot
OF other things which a Catholic cam
not be.
Gov. Allen was asked about his In
duetriaI Court and replied that he
thought Il had made distinct progress.
At the last meeting OF the Uniform state
Laws Commission. he said, the principle
of the Kansas labor court as the best
nnethod Of settling controversies In In
dustry had been unanimously indorsed
as the best mtehod of settling contro-
versies In industry.