Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-01-23
The Country Home
BY MRS. W. lei. FELTON, Is
Mob Law

ers who have kept up with the re-
hooded men enter homes, drag out
the inmates, beat them, murder them
or drive them out of the county, are
obliged to ask the following ques-
ton: whats become of the courts
and the officials who were elected
Or appointed to preserve law and
order?"
If Louisiana has gone over to any
species of mob law and citizens can
not be protected in either life or
property, the military should be call
ed out for that purpose when sworn
officials have failed in the state.
[ hear all sorts of things about
Georgia, and / have been told by
those who profess to know that a
similar organization exists IN Geor-
gia, but is now under cover since
the last general election. 1t is also
reported that the Ku KluX organi-
zation has a list numbering $4,000,
and that a county [ could name
has about 900 enrolled members.
Speaking for myself, L am absolute
ly ignorant, knew nothing. There
fore, what is being unravelled IN
the state of Louisiana may be ready
to develop nearer home, and the
time has arrived to know where
we are at" I am an old lady, was
here during the Ku KluX times
which came along at the close of the
Civil war. But that organization
was largely political and was USED
to elect leaders to office as we'll as
suppress. negroes and hold down car
pet-baggers. 1 still own two Well
worn volumes published by order
Of congress, and printed by what
was called the poland investigating
committee" which held meetings and
called witnesses to testify as. to the
prevalence of mob law in the SOUTH
ern states. While a good deal was
set down that was exaggerated, there
was aplenty that decent, law abldlng
southern men have always been
ashamed of.
IF those volumes could be repub-
Ilished at this time 1t would create d
disturbance, to state it mildly. IN
Texas the hooded klans have peeh
exceedingly active, and When the
next congress assemblies there IS go
Ing to be a good deal said and the
people who are going to act as pros
ecutors will get the ear of the SEN
ate, if nothing more should deflnltely
result.
Oklahoma has had some tragedies
lately which indicate strong or
ganization in that particular local
Iity. Women as welNas men have
been maltreated in a violent man
Iner.
New Jersey has broken out in
one or two places that seem to IN
dictate considerable activity, which
has had nothing to do with either
southern negroes or the foreign
born. More Indications have been
found in New York, and, without
going further into the subject, there
are symptoms that go to show that
the Pacific slope is more or less al
f1icted in a similar way and likely
to erupt.
All these things indicate laxity in
the courts-and q general let-doWn
as to law enforcement. This is to
be deplored as a result. Hon. Alex
H. Stephens was emphatic on this
one point, and it is we'll enough to
recall his words and seriously con-
slider them in this era of our his
tory. He insisted that the judiciary
of our form of government should
be kept apart from both its execu-
tive and legislative functions. For,
said he, when our courts are used
for the purposes of politics and our
Judges fail to rebuke crime and fail
to protect life and property, these
United States are tottering to their
final destination as q republic" /
can never forget his words of warn
ing when [ listened to him over
forty years ago.
He emphatically opposed know
nothingism when it threatened to
sweep over the entire country.
His rencontre with Hon. B. H.
Hill, and their long personal
estrangement grew out of their diff
ferences .on know othingism before
the Civil war.
Among hte relics I have saved in
my long lifetime is a small book
which contains, with positive accu-
racy, the names Of the prominent
Georgians who embraced the tenet
Of knownothingism in 1854-55, and
who were themselves elected as
delegates to the Macon convention
in 1855 as advocates of what they
declared to be pure Americanism
It had it's chief attraction in this
idea. It is, therefore, not at all sing
ular that the present Ku Klux Khan
has adopted the battle cry Of pure
Americanism to get members. There
in dies it's attraction to draw all per-
sons who are hostile to certain large
classes Of society in the United
States, notably Catholics. Jews, for
eigners and negroes.
Know nothingism before the Civil
war lived but little while and went
out. Klu Kluxism of the COS died
out after it spent it's political force
after the Civil war.
1t remains to be seen whether the
present excitement will also spend
itself, when the public gets in pos
session of all the facts, such as are
being developed in the state of Lou
isiana at the present time.
A free government depends for its
existence on proper law enforce
ment and protection to the lives and
the property Of all law-abiding citi-
Zens.
TYRANNY is +he weanon of tvrants