The Connecticut labor news., 1923-10-20

citizens regardless of race, creed or color .-.
 Underlying these great charters to security of life and liberty and the pursuit of happiness, is the funda- mental requirement that this, our government, must be and always shall be government by consent of the people, freely expressed and inunau enced or denied by intimidation, fraud or duress
 The American people cannot toll crate the threat or the accomplish ment of usurpation of the powers of government by any organization or by any group of whatever kind
 ''We feel that the attempted usur- patton of power of government by the Ku Klux Klan is of paramount importance to every American. We cannot believe that any American. after giving full thought to the pur- pose and objects sought to be attain ed by this organization can either join or condone such conspiracy.
 "This is not the first instance of attempt at secretly organized minor ity control of the powers of govern ment. History offers many similar adventures. But nowhere does his lOIy OiiCi dH ddCqudlC JISlI1lSdliOH lOI them
 "We prize democracy because it offers opportunity for the fighting of every real wrong and grievance It offers opportunity for regular and orderly change of government and il offers and guarantees punishment for crime whereof the guilty party shall have been convicted in a court of law. It provides the jury trial for every alleged criminal.
 "Law cannot be for one or for a group and 1t cannot be endorsed by one or by group if democracy Is to fulfill it's mission. It cannot tolerate any secret or private usurpation of it's functions if it is to live.
 ''As trade unionists we must be con- cerned with every effort to control or pervert the functions of democratic government by or in the interests of any secret group.
 ;. We need not be concerned with the motives for such efforts at con trol of government as those exercised by this secret organization. If the motives were of the best the offense would be no less into1erab1e, for 1t is the principle with which we are con cerned. We are concerned in behalf
 
 living, orderly system of govern ment.
 "The intolerance of the Ku Klux Klan is it's stock in trade By the arousing of blind hatreds 1t seeks to nerve its adherents on to policy that falls little short of treason. Through prejudice 1t attempts to swerve its | followers to a course that could not l Ec made attractive to any following | by any other means
 Religious prejudices and racial hatreds are fostered and developed as a basis upon which to build defnance | for government.
 Our government guarantees religi- ous freedom and it protects every man, of whatever race, against un- lawful acts on the part of any other man.
 These guarantees are not fixed in our Constitution and our law for the purpose of being set at naught by any organization or group, secret or oth- erwise. They are there for the pur- pose of protecting most cherished hu- lnan freedom, freedom to think and believe as the individual mind die tates, freedom to be unmolested and unafraid in the orderly pursuits of life | We cannot refrain from pointing out the fact that great wars have beer fought for the very freedom that the ku Klux K1an seeks to deny and de stroy. Our own United States Con stitution bespeaks the victory fol Freedom and tolerance, won only after centuries of struggle and sacrifice.
 The trade union movement, for it