Pocahontas star herald., 1924-09-05
DAVIS AND DAWES
OPPOSE KU KLUX

John w. Davis. democratic nominee
for president and Gen. Dawes, republl-
can nominee for vice president, in ad-
dresses delivered recently put them
selves on record as opposed to the hu
Klux Klan organization.
The fact that Mr.. Davis has called
upon Mr.. Coolidge to state his attitude
toward the Klan, makes it imperative
that the presidnt speak. The attitude
of Gen. Dawes cannot answer for the
attitude of the president on this mat
ter.
Mr.. Davis defined his attitude toward
the Klan in Il speech delivered at Sea
grt. n. j., when he also impaled the
republican party and Mr.. Coolidge for
the attempt to shun responsibility for
the wrongs committed by republicans
in high office during the Harding ad.
minstratiOn.
Regarding the Klan, Mr.. Davis said
"Since my arrival at Seagirt l have
been asked by more than one person now
present in this audience what views l
entertain concerning the organization
known as the Ku Klux Klan. l am
constrained to think that those who
ask this question did not hear or have
not done me the honor to read the
speech of acceptance which delivered
at Clarksburg on the eleventh Of this
month.
"In that speech | took occasion to
declare that nothing would so utterly
destroy our happiness and security at
home and our dignity and influence
abroad as the separation of the citizen
ship of this country into discordant
groups along racial or religious lines.
81 affirmed my personal belief in
the great guarantees of religious free
dom and religious liberation which
have made this country what it Is
and | assert it to be the solemn duty
of every believer in American institu-
tions to oppose any challenge, organi-
zed or unOrganized, of this sacred doe
trine under whatever name or what
ever character it may appear.
ut was my purpose to state these
truths in language plain enough to
leave no room for doubt or misun-
derstanding of my personal views and
in terms sufficiently broad to include
any and all forms of bigatry, pre-
judice and intolerance. On that de-
claratiOn | stand. If any Organiza-
tiOn. no matter what it chooses to be
called, whether Ku Klux Klan or By
any other name, raises the standard
of racial and religious prejudice or
attempts to make racial origins or reli-
gious beliefs the test Of fitness for
public office, It does violence to the
spirit of American institutions and
must be condemned by all those who
believe as do in American ideals"
In his speech at Augusta, Me-, the
following day, Gen. Dawes went on re-
cord as condemning the Ku Klux Klan,
but did so by illustrating conditions
that have arisen i'm Oklahoma, Illinois
and other places, declaring that the
methods proposed by the Klan do not
point the right way to forward law
enforcement; that lawlessness cannot
he met with lawlessness, without final
ly destroying respect for lawful govern
ment.
Mr.. Dawes was more apologize than
Mr.. Davis, using the soft pedal in one
sentence by recognizing Klan ideals,
and condemning the organization and
charging 1t with being the cause of
lawlessness In another sentence.
lie held the Klan at least partially
responsible for conditions that arose
in Oklahoma and Illinois, stating that
in Oklahoma blOodshed was ayerted
only through hard work Of cool headed
men, while the Herrin riots ended in
many deaths.