Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-02-14
Wednesday, February ID. 1928.
THIRST FOR KNOWLEDGE UN-
QUENCHEO

A subscriber -yritcs Tor informa-
ton. He thinks he is an American
and wants to stand with the Ameri-
cans. He went to horse race on Inc
river the other day. He noticed that
most of those present were Amcri-
cans. The women stood back of the
cleared track but the men, he no.
ticed, kept edging over onto the
track until they were in tire way of
the racing horses. Must have kn oHn
better hut simply didn't care. He
apparently lives in an american
neiyhborhCod on farm. Says he is
willing to sit for picture IN the pa
per, showing him smiling when he
pays his taxes.
Again, the roads in his noighbor-
hoou were so drifted once this winter
that the only way by which a doctor
could have got there would nave been
by eirship. Said he asked his neign-
bors to help break out the roads but
they replied they wouldn't trust the
town to pay them if they did. All
of 'em Americans.
Then he refers to what he terms
the Flu" and the "klu." He says the
doctors frankly admitted they didn't
know what the 'Au was and he is
equally frank TO say he doesn't know
what the "klu' is. Just what are
they trying to accomplish" he asks.
For his part he declares that all the
talk which could be let loose in the
6lst Legislature wouldn't convince
him that it is right or American to
tell. a clothing dealer to leave town
because he has sold white shirt to
blacksmith, or for a barber to re-
fuse to shave him because lie traded
With the Farmers Union. If that's
Antericansm then he says he's been
wrong for 60 years.
We wish we might bring a foun-
tain filled with information to the
parchod lips of our subscriber. OF
course the Ku klux collectors of dues
and initiation fees would agree to tell
him all about it, but Judging from
the tenor of his letter, friend sub
scUber would not even experience
thd sensation of having his thirst for
knowledge fully qucnchod. Indeed he
evidently is from Maine, where one
expects not only to be shown but
That the guide should furnish good
Credentials.
Indeed we are Of the further opin-
ion that if he permitted his curiosity
to get the better of his judgment and
contributed some Of his hard earned
cash for initiation into the Klan he
wouldn't know any more about it
unless 1t happened that someone plo-
posed doing correctional work in that
neghborhood and insisted that he
take part therein, as of course he
would be bound Ivy his oath to do
Then it wouldn't matter whether he
thought the existing machinery for
maintaining law and order would do
the job better.
iit W. iiQ nave " put vi HIS tIS-
guisc and fall in Or become himself
an object of suspicion. And if, per-
rhance, any disrcputaale person
should initiate the Khan disguise and
go about robbing hcnroosts our sub
scriber would share along with the
other members of the Klan The odjum
thcrc'd be no way Of dodg'ng it. We
hope our subscribers curiosity will
not lead him that far; we trust he
viii not SO fooFishly part with his
dollars, because we feel cure by the
way he writes that he would also
stand convicted by his cwn good
Judgment of paying money 10 be
placed in lad situation, that he
would find himself between two horns
of a dilemma, midnight maraudcr or
malingoror, or whatever one is who
shirks.
That position wouldn't harmonize
at all with his idea of .Ame:icanisn,
WHICH. he says. is, ''hc;led down: If
shors is anything can do FOR my fell
low man let me do II now"
No. it docs not seem necessary to
define for his benefit just what the
Khan really is, because We think he
is able to do that for himself as we'll
as could We. Indeed we would not
look for William JENNINGS BRYAN 10
do as well. for William insists that
he secs no similarity between mon
and monkeys.