Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-08-26
DAVIS DENUNCIAT|ON.
Of XII KLUX FORCES.
ISSUE ON COOLIDGE
Characterizes Methods of
Order as Wrong Ones
in Maine Speech
By DAVID LAWRENCE
BY Radio TO The Atlanta Journal and Chi
caGo Daily NeWs-COpyright. 1921

(By Radio TO The Atlanta journal ana Chl-
cago Daily NeWs-COpyright, l924.)
WASHINGTON, Aug. 23.-Thc
Ku klux Khan issue. which rocked
the Democratic national convention,
and has kept the party quiverin@
ever since, has been deposited by
John w. Davis on the doorstep OF
President Coolidge and the Republic
an party,
The speech of Mr. Davis at Sea-
grit, N. j., in which he denouncei
the khan by name, is full OF slgnlt!-
canoe and may be said to mark, even
at this early date, a turning point
in the campaign. There are few. OBJ
servers here who doubt that Presi-
dem Coolidge will meet it singularly,
in fact, the expectation has been all
along that the President would, at
tn proper time, cone out in denur-
citation of the khan.
Senator La Toilette has already
condemned the khan, and Mr.. Davis,
in his invitation to the president to
Join him in removing the trouble
some khan issue from this campaign
has taken a step which many Re-
publcans and Democrats now feel
will serve to eliminate the whole
controversy, so far as the pres,'
Dental candidates are concerned.
But it will not squelch the issue
locally. There are many states IN
which the khan is conducting an &C
tive campaign, and there is no doubt
that the national ticket will be, to
some extent, affected by the local
uuarrels Until Ny. Davis denounced
the khan by name he was regarded
bv some of his own Democratic
friends as inclined to avoid being
specific. His speech at Clarksburg
declaring he never would apply
RELIGIOUS test in making appoint
ments, if elected, was satisfactory 10
many of the Democratic leaders, but
the rank and file would not be sat
isfied with anything less than an eX-
Dlicit denunciation in uneQulVoc3l
terms.
New Jersey Anti-kIan
The state of New Jersey just now
is seething with khan discussion
The Democratic party in New Jer-
sew is bitter anti-klan and showed
it's feelings plainly at the Madison
Square Garden convention. Mr.. Da-
Wis selected New Jersey as the place
for his anti-klan speech because II
would have the greatest effect there
and would be received favOrably too
in the neighboring state of New
York.
Mr.. Davis decision to name TIE
khan specifically was not uneXpect-
ed. This correspondent referred to
his intention Immediately after the
CIarksburg notification speech. in
that address Mr. Davis felt he must
conform to the letter of the party
platform adopted in NV York which
did not mention the khan. He made
no secret of the fact that before the
campaign was over he planned to
deal comprehensive with the khan
issue in all it's aspects.
President Coolidge has told friends
who have asked him about it from
time to time that he saw no reason
to express himself on the Khan issue
until the occasion required 1T. Inc
Republican national platform avoid
ed the mention of organizations OF
the khan type, declaring in general
terms for the constitutional Suaran-
tees of religious freedom. The Dem
ocratic platform condemned organ
izations which had for their object
the promotion of racial or religious
hatreds. Mr.. Coolidge watched the
development Of the khan fight at the
New York convention and it was
suggested at the time that before
the convention was over he would
write a letter making his position
clear.
Democratic leaders today felt sure
that Mr. Coolidge would accept the
suggestion of Mr.. Davis and de-
nounce the khan because avoidance
of the khan, they argued, would be
promptly construed in the big, east
ern states as fear of antag OnlZlnS
the khan.
The main sources of Coolidge
strength are just now in the eastern
states, where the Khan prOmisestO be
a vital issue in local campaigns.
Should any of the Khan organiza-
tons attach themselves to the Cool
idge banner, even though unlimited,
they would tend to throw votes of
the opponent of the khan toward Da-
Wis and La Toilette.
Mr.. Davis move, however, was
not so much concerned with what
President Coolidge might dot was
really a stroke in self defense-for
Senator La Toilette and Senator
Wheeler have begun to appeal to
the anti-klan groups, many of which
are normally Democratic, especially
in the eastern states. Whether Mr..
Coolidge comes out against the khan
or remains silent, the Democratic
strategists feel that their nominee
at least has prevented thousands of
Democratic men and women from
deserving their ticket TO support La
Toilette.
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