The Minnesota fiery cross. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1924-19??, 1924-02-22
FORMER MEMBER
MAKES CHARGES
AGAINST KLAN
Dorr Says He Joined When
Mind Was Immature"
Three Years Ago
NOT AWARE OF AIMS
Makes Baseless Allegations As
to Aims and Purposes Of
American Movement

business, seems to be the tone OF a
letter received by the Des Moines
headquarters of the Knights OF the
Ku Klux Khan from a local business
man, withdrawing his membership
from the organization.
1t is quite evident that during the
time the gentleman in question was
affiliated with the organization he
failed utterly to understand the aims
and purposes of the Khan. He says,
sto an immature mind, such as mine
was at the time was initiated three
wears ago I thought the or
ganization could accomplish good.
Probably it was because his mind
was immature, that he failed to see
the real purpose Of the Khan.
In the communication the charge
Is made that "unscrupulous persons
take the law into their own hands in
the name Of the Khan. Newman Dorr,
for he Is the author Of the communi-
cation, can not bring forth one proof
that the Knights of the Ku klux
Khan, as an organization, or any OF
its members, ever assumed the au-
thority of the law and carried it into
execution.
Took Law.Order Oath
The Khan is forever back of the
duly constituted authorities Of the
community in which it exists. Three
wears ago, Mr.. Dorr took an oath to
uphold them in the execution of
their duty. And unless Mr.. Dorr has
himself taken the law into his own
hands, there has been no such at
tempt in the name of the Khan, for
no true Klansman ever has done
such.
Neither has the Khan at any time
placed "slur of un-American" on
Catholics and Jews. The Klan's en-
emies have endeavored, time and
again to make the organization ap-
pear as an anti-Catholic and anti
Jewish order. This, because 1T re
serves unto itself the right to select
its own membership.
Were there chaos throughout the
land, says Mr.. Dorr, there might be
a need for such an organization as
the Khan. He does not seem to real
ize that there is mental chaos" ram
pant in the nation. And that is the
next thing to physical chaos. The
Khan is a movement of patriotic, ma
tiye-born Americans, who seek to
prevent condition in this nation as
recently came to pass in Italy, for
instance. 1t seeks to do this solely
through legal, constitutional chan
nels. If the United States was in
condition similar to that of Italy a
few years ago, the Khan might be a
violent order and take the law into
its own hands as did the Facisti, and
as Mr.. Dorr falsely claims it now is.
as Mr.. Dorr falsely claims it now is
and does.
But the author of the letter has
failed to get the vision of his native
land today. He has failed to see
what there is in store for the future
of America. There is no failure.
but failure to serve the purpose"
saws The Iowa Fiery Cross slogan.
And that purpose is restoring the
United States to the plane where its
founders hoped to have it, and from
which it has, in recent years, fallen
away.
The full text of the letter is as
follows:
Newman Dorr
SOC Croker Bldg.
Des Moines, Iowa
Associated with
H. E. Rumsey, General Agent
Penn Mutual Life
Dear Mr.---------
From the letter I received from
you the other day, / take it, that In
spite of never having paid any dues
to the organization, / am still consid-
cred as having some sort OF member
ship in the Ku Klux Khan.
81 am writing this to inform who
ever il NAV concern that / do not
feel that | have any connection what
ever with the organization, and that
/ regret exceedingly that ! ever had.
'To an immature mind, such as
mine was at the time / was initiated
three years ago, it would seem from
the high sounding expressions OF pur-
nose that your society could accom-
plish a great deal of good. And l
have no doubt that in certain chart
ties, and in causing the rank and tie
to wake up and think, you have done
some good.
"But a maturer mind contemplates
the very serious evils that are apt to
result from the activities of your so
ciety.
"Unscrupulous persons taking the
law into their own hands in imita-
tion, class and creed hatred, and dis
agreement of the processes of our
constituted government. Further
more, a mature mind resents the des-
oicable slur of un-American thrown
upon thousands and thousands OF up
right, law-abiding, thoroughly patri-
otto Catholics and Jews who have
helped make our country mt to live
in. -,
"Were our States face to face with
chaos. such an organization as yours
might be the last hope and worth
trying, but until that time comes
there is no room in America for the
Ku Klux Khan.
NJ (SignedD Newman Dorr."
POCAHONTAS, VA.-Klansmen in
full regala recently visited all the
Sunday schools Of different denomi-
nations in the surrounding territory