The call of the North. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1923-1924, 1923-11-21
QUESTIONING A
MINISTER


subject and displaying burdensome
personal animosity, Rev. Martin w.
living of Alton, ILL.,, at the recent
session of the Illinois Baptist con-
vention, held at the Oak Park Bap-
fist church, undertook to cast refec-
tions upon the Knights of the Ku
Klux Khan.
Rev. living advocated the elimina-
ton of the Invisible Empire" as one
of the detectives of the Illinois Bap-
fists. In condemnation the millions
of red-blooded Americans, many
thousands Of whom are the backbone
of the Baptist church, he said in
part:
can insidious and widespread form
of lawlessness of today is that which
proclaims itself the embodiment of a
superior grade of Americanism, pa
triotism and morality. The evil of
this organization consists in the fact
that it proclaims itself an Invisible
Empire and arrogaes itself func-
tions which are prerogatives of the
state alone. The result is that indi-
viduals suffer penalties not awarded
by legal authority and the tendency
is to engender and intesify race and
religious prejudices highly detri-
mental to any attempts to apply prin-
ciples of Christian citizenship. Light
and liberty and Christian character
are not the products of methods of
darkness, of oppression and of hatred,
better methods must be found"
Enlightened Americans will wonder
what influence caused Rev. Mr.. living
to utter these statements. He dwells
on an Invisible Empire" which
would take the law in its own hands.
When and where, we ask the rever-
end gentleman, has this Invisible
Empire" ever taken the law into it's
own hands. We challenge him to
show, even one remote case, where
the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan
have usurped the laws of this land.
Enemies of Protestant America have
frantically tried to fasten all man
ner of crimes on this organization
but they have failed.
The doctors phraseology sounds
good from an oratorical standpoint,
but he, with others, would have sew
eral grades of Americanism, patriot
ism and morality. There can be but
one grade, right or wrong. There
can only be one grade of American
ism, patriotism and morality. Half
measures do not make a whole.
Americanism, patriotism and moral
ity can mean but one thing. Of no
grade, no half measures, but whole
and complete. A man is not Chris
tian if he is in any part an agent of
evil. He may see fit to wear the
cloak of Christianity, but he is only
fooling mortal man-not the all-see-
ing God.
Rev. Mr.. living assails the Knights
of the Ku Klux Khan. We would ask
the doctor if he knows the principles
of this organization, or the oath a
Klansman takes. Can he, or any
other true Christian, true American,
even imagine more lofty principles
than those which loyal Klansman is
bound to abide by?
Since the advent of the Knights of
the Ku Klux Klan lawlessness
throughout the breadth of this land
has been on the wane; church attend
ance has materially increased, acts of
worthy charity have been more nu-
merous, and as a direct result of the
work of the, Khan there have been
more arrests for violation of the 18th
amendment than ever before.
He speaks of methods of darkness,
oppression, hatred, race and religious
prejudice. Entire ignorance of &C
tual public workings of the Knights
of the Ku Klux Klan would only
cause these utterances. Nowhere can
anyone find evidence of oppression
and of hatred. A Klansman is taught
that he must abide by the Golden
Rule and assist the oppressed no mat
ter of what race, color or creed. A
Klansman cannot hate Catholic, Jew
or Negro. Neither can he do other
than respect the characteristics and
their creed. He must respect all who
obey the laws of the land and who
are children of God.
A belief in White Supremacy does
not mean that we hate the Negro
and would keep him from the bless
ings that the Lord gives us all, but
if the Rev. Mr.. living will study his
Bible he will learn that the white and
colored races were not meant to in
termarry.
A true Klansman cannot hate the
Jew. He must respect the Hebrews
institutions and his right to worship
as he is led to believe is right. A
true Klansman cannot hate nor hold
any animosity against an honest
Catholic. The only brief he does hold
is against the governing power of
that church which seeks to change
this country from a Protestant coun-
try to a Catholic one. It is not the
Catholic church in America, but the
Romanish power which the Knights of