The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-10-24
KHAN QUESTION RAISED AGAIN AT CLEVELAND Democratic Nominee Sur prised That Position
 Is Unclear
HECKLER RECEIVES
 DETAILED ANSWER
Tells Of Mem bership In Two
 Lodges
lBy Associated Pressl

| CLEVELAND, Ohio, Oct. 23, John w. Davis, democratic candidate for president, stood tonight on the platform where President Coolidge was nomi- mated by the republican na- tional convention, and inter- preted what he said was the one issue of the presidential election contest-"the record of the Republican party dur ing it's present lease of power"
 The candidate began his analysis by referring to the control of the legis- lative power which he declared was assumed by the republican party in 1918.
 Mir. Davis, however, was not permit ted to proceed far before heckler in the audience demanded to know what his attitude was in regard to the ku Klux Klan.
 "I cannot believe" Mir. Davis
 answered, ''that there is any man
 or woman in the United States
 interested In the outcome of this
 election who does not know my
 position"
 For the information of the ques- tioner, though, Mir. Davis departed from the subject he had been discussing to add: ..gF.
 .I stand for ths fnndameasai guaran. tees .ifi favor of religious faith and practices in the United States and against any threat to diminish the right of any man because of his choice to adopt tue religion he learned at his mothers knee."
 If ever the time came when he would not be willing to speak in defense of these principles, MT. Davis said: q hope my arm will fall palsied to my side and my tongue will cleave to the roof of my mouth"
 Would Resign At Once
 The candidate said he was a member of two secret organizations, the Elks and Masons, and asserted If the day should ever come that they should seek to enter the political field, would feel it my duty as a man and citi- zen to severe my connection with them instantly"
 Replying further to the questioner, Mir. Davis added: "I do not believe and in my judgment history will bear me out, that any lasting good ever can be accomplished by the inclusion in politics of any secret order whatever"
 "And I say so," MT. Davis continued, because it is the long history of such things and I am speaking now in terms of historical centuries, that no matter with what lofty purpose it is initiated or what high principles professed, soon or late and more often soon than late they fall under the dominion of self ish men who use them for personal aggrandizement. And that meantime, they SOW suspicion and discord by their mere intrusion between man and man, neighbor and neighbor, friend and friend, and inevitably divert public at- tention from the great questions of gov policy and administration that should alone guide the people in the election.
 "Has the time gone by when Ameri- can citizens can no longer look each other in the face and in the immortal language of Lincoln's first inaugural say to each other: We are not enemies but friends; we must not be enemies. The mystic cords of memory from every patriot grave and battlefield in all the land will yet swell the chorus of the union touched as they will be by the angel of better natures
 And no matter from what quar- ter It comes, let us never forget this that intolerance of any sort cannot be beaten back by intOlerance-it never has been said that no man can define his own convictions by decry- ing or 'belittling the convictions of his fellows.
 Now, sb much my friends, and lsk your apology for inter-" pting, but t has been greatly on my heart to give expression to these views, and I thank you for affOrding me by your patient attention the opportunity to do so."
 Returning to his discussion of pOli- tical matters, Mir. Davis, amid the loud applause that greeted his statement on secret organizations, said Tn 1918 the republicans took to themselves a ma jOrity of one in the senate and that majority of one as some one has re- marked was at the time out on bail. But nevertheless the control of both branches of the national legislature rested with the Republican party"
 And there was laid before it a pro- ram of reconstruction following the var of reduced taxation and of progress i've policies which was absolutely ig- lored.
 And then in 1920 there swept this country a great political landslide. All he discontents and discomforts of the var were marshalled to give it impetus md impulse. All the dissatisfaction of hat trying period came to the fore,
 (COntinued on page TwO.)