The call of the North. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1923-1924, 1923-08-17
IN Defence OF XIX. K. MASK
LET THE SCOFFERS READ TO LEARN
AND SCOTT NO MORE.


America is leand of tantalizina
beauties and enhancing mysteries
Proudly buttressed between the west.
ern seas, the unparalleled domain Of
a happy breed Of men and classic in,
situations, world within world
withal, separate and apart. And Of
all its enhancing mysteries, I hold
its Invisible Empire, the nights Of
the Ku Klux Khan, the most mys.
terious and strange. It's genius is pc.
culiarly American; beautiful, diff.
cult, paradoxical; a charming puzzle
restless as the eternal seas, but stead
fast as the promise of God to man
Elusive as the spirit of the rainbow
treasure; distant, too, and cold a.
some dead planet twirling in the cos
mic drift as if lost in the infinitudt
of space; with all burning bright, yet
nearer than my shadow made by thu
descending sun down the western
slope. Ancient and honorable, old il
principle of youth. A laughing spirit
weeping in her laughter. Apparently
as tickle as the atumnal zephyrs, but
as true to you as the stars are il
the skies. As placid as the calm thai
follows the war Of the elements; a!
quiet as the silent dominions Of thu
dead; as noisy betimes as the shocl
of contending armies; as clear as da!
but impenetrable as the empyreal
night. A beautiful heart revealed fol
all to see, WOO and conquer as the!
yet fortressed heart mys
tically enshrined, as impregnable a!
the rock of Gibraltor that will mo-
yield! A giant Of Atlantean proper
tions; yet a beauteous maid, mere
wisp of a girl, even a Joan Of Arc
whose destiny is Gods raising thu
siege impressed by the cohorts o:
evil. Hercules cleansing the Augeal
stables of national filth, rebuking thu
roaring cataracts Of crime, silencinf
the Kissing geysers Of shame. Al
angel of mercy drying the widow!
tears scarce begun-not leaving tina
beautiful mission to time and physi
cal\ exhaustion.
Terrible, beautiful, spiritual, ma
terial; darkness, light; solitude, fra
ternity; storm, silence; ominously is
suing from the shadows, betime.
boldly tramping in the glare of tn,
meridian noon. Who shall reconcil.
this paradox? Who shall solve tn,
riddle of the Sphinx? Who shall un
lock the secrets of this great deep
None! She feels not the shock. O.
their contact; enemies, baf1ed ant
bruised, retire astonished at the bold
ness Of their designs,
The Klan's Glory 49,.
Verify, its greatness rests in it's diff
ficulty, is due to it's impenetrability
its impenetrability to its mask. By
the mask you will see the Klan'.
glory, but We shall know it notl
Christ the Messiah, masked in hui
man form, made sentiment tn
glory of God, but men knew it not
Behind that mask there moved tn.
God unseen, unknown. Forsooth
Only a God could have drunk from
the cup of Gethsemane and wadet
thru the inferno of Calvary to thu
throne triumphant! From the secret
domains Of the malignant eye leerine
at them ,askance. Well, they know
their existence is not an apology; i
is a vivid life heraldic of a nations
redemption. Behind that mask rowl!
the fire that clothes their name il
letters of fame. They ride on thu
chariot Of the sun. ...s
Upon this land they look with full
some stare of buring curiosity, note
ing here timid truth and audaciou!
lies, ignoble virtues and splendit
transgressions, crimson crime ant
scarlet sin, pitiless tyranny and un
grateful REBELLION, fratercidal war.
and decimating destruction, eterna
need and battering greed, labor stalk
ing with cormorant, capital with thu
commune, and with all, nation fail
to see. The august loneliness Of it!
path lends dignity to the Klan's pill
grimmage. It drives on impelled ane
guided by the courage of a high en-
deavor. ,,.... 81
Why? Whittier? Whence? It.
days race after one another, brilliant
and quick, like the flashes Of the bea
con light. Round her habitatiol
abysses of fraternally space meet il
an impossible frontier. A great soil
tude moves with her, ever the same
and always imposing. Now and thel
unattached satellites wandering in tn,
reflected glory Of borrowed light, bur
dened, with an initiative unselfshness
bounding catycliptic to bottomles'
oblivion. Yes, klansmen ride on tn
chariot of the sun. But land is un
faithful to its prophets and reform
ers; a truth, faith, a generation O
men goes and is forgotten, and it doe
not matter, perhaps, except for tn
few who believe in the truth and thu
law, confessed the faith Of their God
loved their country and their fellow
men.
Not an Aggregation Of Individuals
The Khan is an institution wovel