Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1923-09-15
KY. NIGHT RIDERS
AND THE KU KLUX.


The activities a few years age
of the Kentucky Night Riders
greatly agitafed the country. These
outlaws were riding about at night
whipping men who failed to COM
ply with the demand of this secret
and hooded organization.
The Night Riders were trying to
force the Kentucky tobacco plant
ers to decrease their acreage.
When the mandates of the gang
were not obeyed, they took the of
fender out and whipped him.
This was an economic war con-
Quoted by outlaws. The arguments
given by the Night Riders took the
law into their own hands, attempt
ing to regulate one evil by COM
hitting another.
The Ku Klux Khan today is
charged with following in the steps
of the Night Riders. The man who
fails to live up to their ideals of
morals is taken out and flogged,
according to statements being
made by men who say they are
members of the Khan.
They, too, are attempting to cor
rect one evil by committing an
other.
Regardless of how dastardly a
crime may be, no individual has
the moral right to take the law
in his own hands. Once we start
along this line, the end of free
dom, of happiness and content
ment is not far distant.
No body of men can claim to be
fighting for "our Americandsm,
when they are engaged in de-
stroying the very foundation of
American freedom. With faces
masked, they abduct another,
carry him to some lonely spot and
apply the lash.
The Valdosta Times thinks the
Ku Klux Klan is losing ground
IN the South, but gaining in the
North and West. In an editorial
this week, the Valdosta Times
Says:
THE South retains kindly re-
collections of the old-time Ku
Klux Khan because it was born
OF the need of home defense at
a time when the ex-slaves and
few white "carpetbagers"
were ruinously employing their
artificially created government
al powers and was effective in
keeping the negroes scared"
thus preventing intolerabIe con
ditions from becoming hideous
nightmare.
Buff the report referred
to be correct-the South of to-
day, with no negro governments
to brighten and no similarly ag-
gresslve negro population to
hold in check, does not see any
need of night riding organiza-
ton that declares war on Jews
Catholics, and the foreign-born.
Presumably a large element
in the North and West does see
such a need, for the Khan grows
apace in those sections and is
now said to have a membership
OF between one and two millions,
Meanwhile another large eIe-
ment offers physical as we'll as
spoken and printed opposition to
the order, parading Klansmen
having recently been assaulted
with violence and some blood
shed at Stubenville, 0, Bingham
ton, N. Y, Pittsburg, Pa, and
Perth Amboy, N. J. But the
hlan seems to thrive the more
in consequence Of so much OBJ
position and is now said to have
supporters in city administra-
tons, legislatures, and possibly
on the bench"
We do not know whether the
Khan is gaining or losing ground
IN the South. But we feel reason
ably sure that if the confessions
and evidence are true now COM
ing from men who claim to have
held membership in the khan, then
the days Of the Khan are num-
bered.
One Klansman states that even
the sacred channels of the United
States mails are easy of access for
certain members of the Khan.
Others are saying that possibly
the bench" is not free.
An organizer for the khan in the
West boldly informs a Governor
that his orders will be obeyed, but
I'VE will get you at the next elec-
ton"
Such occurrences as these are
causing loyal and honest citizens
to stop and consider. Men who