The Minnesota fiery cross. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1924-19??, 1924-02-29

acts be fairly clearly traced.
1t should be understood that nei-
Their these methods nor most of the
instances given in this article can
be definitely proven to have any con-
neetion with the Khan. 1t is too
we'll concealed; thus this report is
based on general information and
belief" But because SO many SINH
lar situations appear wherever the
Khan exists and seldom appear else
where, the connection between the
two must be assumed, even if it can
not be proved.
The means by which the Khan acts
are ordinary enough I'm life both In
America and elsewhere; most org ami
cations and most persons use them
constantly. They are deadly I'm the
Klan's hands merely because of the
power and skill with which IL uses
them-like David and his sling.
There is, for example, the feeling
of lurking menace which the Khan
| always manages to create in the
popular mind. There is doubtless a
menace, but the Khan bluffs" the
public far beyond it's real strength
or it's real ruthlessness, just as we
all try more or less to make those
with whom we deal feel that we are
bit stronger or a bit more deter
mined than we actually are The
Khan works it's bluff to perfection.
The ordinary citizen comes to be-
lieve that it is a cruel and deter
mined monster of unknowable
strength, working by diabolic meth
DDS through invisible agents, guided
by internal acumen and able to
hurt him through every means that
man breads. Since so much is
unknown, his fears are always exag-
gerated.
There may not be, and i'm most
Khan towns there never has been, any
actual demonstration of force. But
unless they are themselves attacked
men do not care to become involved
in a trouble they cannot measure.
This holds the bulk of any commun-
ity neutral and leaves those whom
the Khan does attack unsupported
and undefended. Khan officials deny
that they try to terrify people;
cannot say that they do, but this
condition of being "bluffed to a
standstill" is the first fact to be
noted in any Klan community, and
so far as my experience goes is never
missing.
This fear OF the Khan is often s
effective that no further weapon is
called for; a decree has only to be is
sued to be obeyed. Probably a great
many DEGREES which never come
from the Khan are also issued and
obeyed. But when there is resis-
lance the Khan applies with scienti-
fc precision either social ostracism
or boycott or both. After a single
demonstration of these there is sell
dom need of further direct action,
and usually none is taken unless for
definite punishment or to drive some
person from the place.
Let me hasten to say that | am
not accusing the Khan Of illegal con-
Spiracy I'm these measures. There is
no order to Klansmen to ostracize or
stop tarding with the obnoxious per-
sons; information is simply given
that these persons are obnoxious.
The distinction may seem small, but
l believe this method has been de-
clared legal in various cases where
ldDOT DOyCO were lllNOlNCu' hldllo
men are free to act on this informa-
tion or not as they choose, but they
all seem to choose to act. Let me
quote DR.. Evans on this:
II know of no case where speakers
have advocated and pronounced Off
cial boycott. Where called to my at
tention and information is furnished,
they will be summarily removed. 1t
is contrary to law and in violation
of the principles of the Khan. This
refers to a specifically defined ILL
gal boycott.
"As to the comforting or withhold
ing of patronage by klansmen be-
cause of various attitudes of bust
ness or professional men, that is a
very different matter. Vocational
Klannishness-in other words the
practice of doing business with other
Klansmen-is tenent of the Khan
as of every other fraternity, includ.
ing the Rotary club and the kiwanfs
club, which specifically means we
trade 1t is to be expected that in
cases where people are hostile TO the
Khan or are guilty of un-American
practices or of serious misconduct,
klansmen will withhold patronage
as individuals. 1t is become gener-
ally known that certain firms, for
example, have discharged employees
for no other reason than that they
were Klansmen, it would naturally
react against that firm with other