The Minnesota fiery cross. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1924-19??, 1924-03-07

son already in elections where open
hlan support has solicited opposi-
ton to the man it wanted elected.
Today it's candidates are, when it
seems desirable, as secret as the or
ganization itself. In one recent
case the Khan press openly attacked
the very man for whom "the word"
finally went out. This system is pc
several candidates are running and
will often nominate pro-K1an men on
both tickets. 1t will not be needed
in many places, of course. Probably
in most sections where the Khan
operates its strength will be so great
that it can fight best in the open.
But when the fight is made behind
hood, it will be battling.
Nor is there much chance that the
opposition can find out in advance
what the Khan intends to do, a dan
ger which one politician told me
was enough in itself to defeat the
Khan. They could do this easily If
the Khan plans had to be confided
in advance to the whole membership,
for a leak would be almost certain.
But the Klan takes no such risk.
With it's members waiting for "the
word" that word can be held back
till the last moment, often even till
the last hour before the polls close,
when it will be far too late for any
opposition to act. The Klan's sys-
tenn of passing information has been
perfected to point where, / am as
sured, the entire membership can De
reached in less than two hours after
the machinery is started. There are
more than five thousand offices kept
open day and night to make this pos
sible.
Altogether it seems that in this
very complex situation the great SOL
idity and the amazing organization
of the Khan give it the advantage. If
it does get the nine million members
it may reasonably expect it will al
so have an advantage in numbers.
The one thing that is clear is that
in the coming campaign there will
be a mess of underground plotting,
secret manipulation, hypocritical
candidates and general wool-pullipg
and lying such as this country has
never seen.
The blame for this at first
thought rests on the Khan, which has
caused the crisis. 1t seems, however,
that in fairness the real blame must
90 back to the politicians and
groups which for years have been
dickering openly or secretly, by the
filthy methods described. The politi-
cal crimes committed at the demand
of the German vote, the Catholic
vote, the Jewish, Italian, Polish, Ne
gro, or Irish vote, have been so many
and become so notorious that they
have automatically aroused opposi-
ton. Not all members of the races
or religions named belong to these
group-voting blocs-by any means,
but the blocs are there, and are and
have been active,-often viciously &C
tive. The Khan in politics is only
the more or less accidental vehicle of
the necessary and righteous attempt
to twart them.
In the coming election the power
of the Khan as a mugwump minority,
although subject to the offset of
whatever union the anti-Klan groups
may effect, will be very great. Re
member that the results of any cleo
ton would be changed if half of the
winners plurality changed sides. Re-
member that the Khan now has A.
100000 members, that it is likely to
have 100000 and expects to have
100000 by November. Then con-
slider that in the presidential cleo
tions in this century doubling the
figures before 1920 to allow for the
doubled voting strength under wom-
1,,Gronal tho nlnrQlIfV
of the winning party has been only
little over 3,500,000, so that an
average change of 100000 votes
would have changed every election!
In many cases a change Of 750,ooo
would have been enough.
Consider also that in most congress
sional districts a majority of 10000
is rare, and that in normal years q
plurality of $4,000 for state ticket
is high. Finally, remember that this
is a year when all politicians expect
close vote. 1t is plain that If the
Khan can make even fraction of its
members take it's advice, and can
escape solid and effective opposition,
it may very easily win overwhelming
ly. -,
But this is only a part of the
Klan's political power. AS great, II
not greater, is the effect it can have
privately on candidates, on officials
after they are elected and above all
on bosses. They cannot tell how
many votes the Khan cast, they can
not by any means be sure of any on
setting support, they are open to the
non political pressure which the
Khan can apply so effectively. Their
easiest course will always be to fall
in with the Klan's demands. This
form of terrorism of politicians, OF
threat of reprisal combined with
promise of reward, is a common fea-
ture of our politics, but the hian
uses it with unprecedented force.
1t is already doing so. l have not
yet met single minor politician
who is willing to speak openly
against the Khan, and except for a
few of the Democratic leaders and
Col. Roosevelt possible candidate
in state where the Khan is weak
and alien opposition would be fatal
there is no record of any OF them
taking such stand recently,
though it was fashionable enough two
years ago. The success Of the Khan
inSs SO many local elections and the
preater threat behind it today, mas