The call of the North. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1923-1924, 1923-11-14
PROTESTANT PASTOR QUITS CHURCH FOR
KHAN WHEN COMMUNITY ASKS DECISION

kLAN WHEN yum
Assumption, nl.-Making the mos,
serious charges prohably ever funa
at a community, Rev. E. Frank Patton
has resigned the pastarate Of thu
First Christian Church hera In 9
letter addressed to the Official Baarc
and to members Of the congregation
Rev. Patton said:
Living in an age when / do moi
feel obliged to submit to the intended
humaliating taunts flung at myself
and family by those who have spent
almost a lifetime making life miser'
able for all my predecessors;
"Facing daily the fact that my
membership in the ranks of the
Knights Of the Ku Klux Khan ia the
chief cause for most Of the antagon.
ism displayed by the members of the
Official Board-who, for commercial
and social reasons hobnob with the 10.
cal representative of Rome's political
machine, and sell their manhood anG
womanhood for a mess of Romist
pottage;
Realizing that for years the
leaders of the Official Board have
maintained a Jack Walton attitude
toward all ministers whom they coulG
not browbeat;
Having reasons for believing the
Official Board knows much concerning
the bootlegging, gambling and gen.
eral moral, social and spiritual filth
existing in Assumption-and that
they will lift neither hand nor voice
against these evils, but fight the pas,
tor who even hints at a cleanup;
"Having been told by the chairman
of the Official Board (and the same
was sanctioned by another eide,
presently, You can't go into the pull.
pit and preach Ku Kluxism and
Americanism and be a Christian anG
a minister of the Gospel. No Chris.
tian church will stand for tat least
WE won't. When Ku Kluxism is
dead and in torment, Jesus and the
Christian church will still be here;
Looking upon these officials as the
very tail-enders of manhood and
Americanism; deeming them un.
worthy the services Of one consecrat.
ed for life to CHRIST and AMERI.
CANISM, I hereby tender my resigna.
ton as the pastor of this congrega.
ton; and may God pity my success
or"
Details of Fight
The foregoing resignation speaks
for itself. It tells simply the story OF
one more who is willing to pay the
price, whatever that might be, that
the principles Of Americanism might
be kept impressed on the minds OF
those most in need of indoctrination.
After two-year passionate with
this people, this man lived to learn
that not all who call themselves Pro-
testant-though born under the Stars
and Stripes-are Americans at heart.
He lives to learn that the members of
his Official Board Gall but one or two
are members of the Masonic fratern-
ity) care more for the good opinion of
the local Catholic priest than for the
welfare Of their own congregation OF
pastor; and this condition has existed
for ~25 years, at least. He lived long
enough with this people to learn how
obedient Protestant (so-called) bust
ness men, for business reasons, are
to the commands and demands of
Rome's local representatives.
Things moved along swimmingly
with this reverend gentleman until it
leaked out that he was in sympathy
with the Ku Klux Klan movement;
then the clouds began to gather,
Shortly after this suspicion was whis-
pered about, group Of robed Klans-
men visited him during a Sunday
evening service showed up more
threatening. About the middle of
summer, the local Klan which this
minister organized, invited the folks
far and near to spend an evening with
them and learn some vital facts about
this wonderful organization. They
came by the hundreds and thousands
and the speaker Of the evening was
Rev. Patton. Then it was the storm
broke; and the members of his Off
cial Board, Protestant though they
professed to be, began a system of
heckling and undermining-and work
ed diligently under the covered-up
direction and influence of the local
priest and leaders of the local K. of
C.'s. This they deny, but the course
pursued is proof against them.
By the use of abuse, lying and all
the Shiny filthiness of snakes, the
leaders of the Official Board strove to
rid themselves of him who had man.
hood enough to espouse the cause of
Christ and Americanism. A few of
the board had courage enough to open
ly criticise. the pastors relations with
the Klan, but others advised against
this--for business reasons. Then
they determined on the course of max
ing life so unbearable for the pastor
as to force him to quit the field be-
fore his family or himself could have
any peace Of mind.
The Catholic leaders in this COM
"A = 4 4 y