The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1924-09-03
review OF
Current EVENTS
Ku Klux Khan Denounced,
Defeated and Threatened
With Machine Guns.
PAGE SIX
By EDWARD W. PIcKARD

by EDWARD W.. PtCKARO
IN ONE way or another the Ku KIux
4 klan was an important feature of
the news Of the past week. Here and
there over the country the sheeted or
gaaizatlon was denounced, defeated
snd threatened with machine gun fire.
Taking up the challenge issued to
President Coolidge and himself by
John ". Davis. General Dawes went
down into Maine, where the khan is
supposed to be a strong element OF
Ge Republican party. and boldly con
Geuned 1t by name, despite the plead
2ngs Of the state Republican leaders.
Agreeing with the Democratic candi-
Sac tIat the khan has no proper place
IN this or any other campaign, Mr..
Dawes said government could not last
II the klan way was the right way to
enforce the law, that lawlessness can
MOI be met with ~lawlessness If civiliza-
ton Was to be maintained. He sof-
t"""" 'hiS II bit by declaring that In
t. E'"n in many localities he recog-
nileI IN "in~t.uetive cropping for lead
e1S!..p toward law enforcement which
was not iouna a. ~c0Wardly politicians
ANA O.i:ehOI&"rr." But, ne said. to
inject r'i!" rad racial issues into
politics Wis -ontrary to the welfare
OF all the prppi" ana to the letter and
spirit Of tie Constitution of the United
Stat -.
Fclo owing th' Lead Of Presidential
'N"oai ate Davis, the Democratic state
.c"Ive.tiOn Of Ohio declared against
I'll. 'Jan by adopting this resolution:
Nv Whenever any organization, no
matter what 1t chooses to be called,
whether Ku Klux khan or any other
name, raises the standard Of racial or
religious belief as a test OF fitness for
public Office, It does violence to the
spirit Of American institutions and
must be condemned by all who believe
In American ideals"
In Texas the khan suffered defeat
when Mrs. Miriam Ferguson, wife Of
a former governor who was i'm
peaChed, won the Democratic guberna-
torial nomination IN the run-off pri-
mary, beating Judge Robertson. who
was the khan ~cuudidate, by about
$1,000 votes. Hers WAS mainly m
anti-k.an campaign. and she says no
member Of the orI-r viii he appointed
20 Office by her, nor will any recent
IIpO,ntePs be retained In office IL they
are known to be affiliated with the
SIan. Since her nomination is virtu-
ally equivalent to election, Mrs. Fer
gGson Will be the first woman to hold
tEc position of governor In the United
States. Republican leaders in Texas.
who say their party there has always
been anti-klan though tolerant. will
Try to make prohibition the issue and
profess to see a chance TO elect a V
ernOr.
Kluxers of Michigan set up their
8ery cross and held meetings on a hill
within the boundaries of Camp Custer
Military reservation with the apparent
intention Of gaining recruits from the
1000 men In military training there.
Brig. Gen. George Van Horne Moseley.
camp cOmmandant, was aroused to
wrath and issued an order f~orbidding
Guch meetings and warning the men OF
the camp to keep away from them. He
directed that the hill be covered with
~machine-gun fire and that it be swept
with bullets If another meeting Of the
khan were held there.
Henry Ford was quoted last week
by the Montreal Star as saying that
the rlan is the victim OF lying propa-
gsnda and II the truth were known II
would be looked upon as a body of
patriots concerned with nothing but
the future of the country and the SUI
premacy OF the true American In bis
Own land. Mr.. Ford, who was on his
yacht en- route to Detroit, at once de-
MED positively having made these
statements and asserted he had given
no interview to anyone while In Mont
real and had not discussed the khan.
GENATOR NATHANIEL b. DIAL OF
~ South Carolina was defeated for