The call of the North. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1923-1924, 1924-01-09

THE EDITORIAL
(From Northwestern Christian Ad-
vocate," Nov. 81, 1929
A Fair Analogy
Those ministers who are either
members of or sympathizers with
the shrouded, masked, invisible and
intangible order of X. X. X. (and
the number is inexplicably large) we
desire to ask: How would they feel
and what would they do were they
to discover a similar organization
within and confined to their local
church memberships company OF
men banded in secret to pass judy
ment upon the remaining members
of the church, including the pastor
himself, and to execute their judg-
ment by whatever means they deter
mine? For instance, suppose some
Sunday morning family in good
standing, on coming into their pew,
were to find a note within the leaves
of their hymn book informing them
that their actions before and after
service were unbecoming of Metho-
dists, and that unless they mended
their ways they would be summarily
dealt with.
Then, on the next Sunday morn
in, as the pastor began to adjust his
pulpit papers, he should find note
from the same self-constituted Sec
ret organization informing him that
his pulpit utterances had been the
subject of consideration and it was
agreed he should stop preaching on
certain theme, or take the conse-
quences; or that he had better cease
calling upon a certain family if he
knew what was good for him, each
note signed by the mysterious letters
of the organization. Pray, what
would a pastor do when member
after member had come to him ex-
hibiting such strange and myster-
ious warnings? We fancy we know
exactly what he would do. He would
call the official board together, lay
the situation before them, and en-
deavor to secure their cooperation
in correcting or eliminating the hid
den order, or failing in that he would
resign.
How long would church exist
with such a self-constituted group?
Three months would be a liberal
time to allow. A church thus divid-
ed against itself and in such fashion
simply could not stand. It would
fall apart and disintegrate, and the
place that knows it now would know
it no more. There is really no need
of pursuing the analogy. between a
local church membership and an en-
tire community. We raise the ques-
ton; that is all.
The Protest
DR.. Ebert Robb Earring,
Editor Northwestern Christian Ad-
vocate,"
Chicago, Ill.
Dear Sir:
AS a Methodist and a Klansman,
I am saddened at reading your edi-
torial, "a Fair Analogy" in last
weeks issue of the Northwestern"
I know that the daily secular press
adopts the methods of misrepresen-
tation and abuse, but surely we
Methodists have a right to expect
better journalism in our church pa
pers.
Do you make your charges against
the Ku Klux Klan from the results
of personal investigation? Surely
you do not merely accept the asser-
tions of Jewish and Catholic DOM
mated daily newspapers as the basis
of your editorial. And, in the event
of your having discovered from
your own carefully directed inquir-
les that the Khan is guilty of out
lawry, have you laid your indisput-
able evidence before the Chicago
grand jury, or presented it to SINH
lar bodies in those regions where you
have proved Khan crimes to have been
committed?
I once belonged to a Methodist
church in which a fight took place
before the chancel rail between two
members of the official board-over
the question of whether a piano
should be installed in the church. One
insisted on having it there, and the
other opposed the use of such an in
strument of the devil. Yet nobody
thought of accusing all Methodists
of being fond of pummeling one an
other at the mourners' bench. In an
Iowa town where I once lived, the
pastor of our Methodist church be-
trayed the servant girl in a home
where he was being entertained.
How dreadful it would have been for
all ministers to be accused of being
alike unfaithful to their vows on the
strength of that tragic happening!
1t has not been possible for me to
find dependable proof of Khan out
lawry. An Oklahoma man, guilty
of incest with his young daughter,
was whipped by band of Is men,
three Of whom were Klansmen. There
also were four Masons in the party,