The call of the North. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1923-1924, 1923-08-31
By BANDSAW.

Saltwater, Minn.-When the mayor
of Saltwater, His Honor Mr.. Coffee1
was approached in regard to the use
of the bandstand for a Klan lecture
he became obviously uneasy and aft
er some thought "crawfshed" ant
"side-stepped." No definite answer
did he give yet his remarks were
such as would make it clear to "kid'
learning to walk that nothing woult
be done to stop the meeting. Mem
bers of the council also evasively me-
the request for the use of the band
stand.
Even a dodo would have accepted
the statements made by the mayor
and councilmen approached as indi
rect approval of the Saturday meet
ing. Their statements literally trans
lated would read about as follows
"Oficially we will take no action one
way or the other you understand
clearly the reason, so use your judg.
ment. We want you to know we are
not forbidding the meeting, neither
are we going on record in favor o1
it. We are on the fence, boys" A
goose in the egg-stage would have
accepted the statements as a polite
political way Of saying, "Go aheae
without official permission so that We
can pull the wool stuff and publish
a statement and thus dodge the whole
matter" (See Exhibit "A.")
Well, after heralds were circulated
advertising the Klan meeting for Aug
%, something began to happen. The
age old enemy of Professionalism evi
IDENTIFY showed it's hand. Most likely
some united and determined actor
was centered upon the city admins
tration. Well bet the city officials
of Saltwater did some real "squirm.
ing" and went into detail on explana.
tions." Promises were made with g
recklessness born of abject fear (?)
1t is very possible that considerable
weighing of forces took place
Thoughts raced fiercely through the
mayors mind. Possibly his thinking
ran something like this: "Protes.
tants most likely are not as vel
organized as the other side and so il
might be safer to give the organized
minority the best end of the deal
We don't know if that exactly re-
ports the line of thought, but we
are mighty good guessers.
Twilight" Orn, editor of the Cal
of the North, went to Saltwater tt
deliver a Klan lecture that has beer
heard in practically every city II
Southern Minnesota of 5000 or more
population. When Mr.. Orn and al
official of the Klan appeared for the
meeting a large crowd greeted theil
view. The mayor, policemen ant
several unidentified officers in civilian
clothes stood ready for some action
Mr.. Orn couldn't quite understand
what had happended when an officel
turned out the lights in the band
stand park and announced that th'
concert was over and all should g,
home. When the Klan official sough
to learn the whyfore of which, h
was told that notice had appeared
in a Saltwater newspaper (See Ex
hibit "a" again) informing the Klal
that there would be no meeting tina
night or any other night, in the park
or on the streets while Coffeen wa
mayor. ..-
Throughout the crowd came call
for a square-deal but deaf official ear
heard them not-didn't dare to hea
them. Then Mr.. Orn made a pro
position ito His Honor the Mayo
that was fair. The editor of tn
Call of the North said, "Mr. Coffeen
if / speak here to these people AM
say anything that is contrary to Law
arrest me at once and see that I ge
the limit" But the mayor wouldn'
give the proposition even a passini
consideration. Then Mr.. ,Orn an
the Klan oflsial pressed ne mayo
for q reason explaining his actor