The call of the North. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1923-1924, 1923-11-14


1.-THE GRAND ARMY
OF THE RupubLIC
We have in America organization!
which are composed entirely Of ons
sect, or of one color, or Of one race
The Knights Of Columbus - com.
posed entirely of Roman Catholics
The Association for ADVANCEMENT o1
C0lored People Ia composed entirely
Of Negroes. The Bnai Birth is ON.
posed entirely of Jews. Whenever
these organizations, either in con.
vention assembled or through thei,
individual spokeamen attack thf
Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, thu
animosity behind such attacks IL
readily discernible and well defined.
These organizations, because Of
their aggressivaness along religious
and racial lines, are primarily re.
sponsible for the white native-born
Gentle, Protestant Americans, or.
ganizing to Offset the encroachments
and clannishness Of the groups
named. If the Roman Catholics, the
Negroes, and the Jews, would cease
supporting secret organizations with.
in their own ranks that admit to
membership only members of their
respective sect or race, the Ku Kluz
Khan, in claiming the right to exist
and function as a white, Protestant
Gentle organization, would immedi.
ately be shorn Of it's present most in.
vulnerable argument. But as long al
Roman Catholics, or Negroes, OF
Jews, insist in organizing along re.
ligious and racial lines, they are alb.
solutely without the bounds of rea.
SON in demanding that others who are
not Roman Catholics, or Negroes, o,
Jews, shall not follow the example
that they have set.
1t is a fact that groups organized
along religious or racial lines are
bound to become clannish and over.
Jealous in propagating their own in.
terests over the rights of others
This is one charge that the Klan's
enemies love to dwell on. But re.
member, please, that the Roman
Catholics, the Negroes, and the Jews,
have been at it a long time. White
native-born, Gentle, Protestant
Americans, unorganized, have suf.
fered long time because of the
clannishness, aggressiveness, and
bulldozing Of these organized racial
and religious groups. The Klan, q
late conner, was literally forced into
existence. The charge that the Khan
is un-American due to the fact that
it excludes men because of their race
or religion would hold water possibly
if the Khan were setting the example
But in this matter the Khan is entire
ly on the defensive.
Now, further, there are numerous
other organizations in America which
do not base membership therein along
racial or religious lines. We speak
of Masonry, Pythianism, Oddfellow-
ship, Elkdom, the American Legion
the Grand Army of the Republic, and
numerous others. With but few ex-
ceptions, if any, all Roman Catholics,
Negroes, Jews, Protestants, and
others are eligible to membership. It
is a fact that none of these as an
organization have condemned the Ku
Klux Khan. The fact that Klansmen
are in great numbers also members
of these organizations forestalls any
possibility of any Of these organiza-
tons, in their entirety or as a unit,
condemning the Ku Klux Khan.
When the Shriners met in Washing
ton they constituted in part a mighty
gathering of Klansmen. When the
Dokies met in Portland, entire dele
cations were also Klansmen. When
the Elks met in Atlanta the Imperial
Palace of the Klan was besieged by
Elks who were also Klansmen. En-
tire posts of the American Legion are
composed of Ransmen. Pythianism
and Oddfellowship are literally honey
combed with Klansmen. Over one
half million Masons today are also
Klansmen. But when a Mason, or
an Elk, or an Pythian, here and there,
in seeking newspaper riotoriety, pub
licly. condemns the Khan, a notion
goes through some peoples heads
that they speak for their entire or
ganization. They forget that when
one Mason, or one Legionaire, or
one Elk, rears up on his hind legs
to slam the Khan, that there are
brothers in the ranks by the tens of
thousands who emphatically differ
with their alleged spokesman.
This naturally applies also to the
G. A. R. When the G.. A. R. held its
national convention in Milwaukee last
month, two gentlemen, namely, James
W. Willett and James Tanner,
thought it their sacred duty to slam
the Khan. Brother Tanner termed