Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1924-07-21

into politics and vote for the adj
vancement of Catholicism. l ask
you wherein does a Klansmah
differ in spirit form Catholic
if he carries the Protestant issue
into politics? If Protestants I'M
der the banner of the Kan unite
in politics against the Catholics,
wherein are they better than the
Catholics who have made religion
a test in politics?
1t is futile task to try to
fight the devil with fire. The
devil is a postmaster in the use
Of fire. Two wrongs do not make
right. If you are ever to over
come evil, you must overcome it
with good. If you violate the
American principle of religious
liberty and separation of church
and state, you have no argument
against the Catholics when he is
guilty of a similar violation. II
we are to go back to the Old
World practice of fighting out
our religious prejpdices and rival
ries in politics, then we must
make the sad confession that the
American experiment in govern
ment is a failure. | am not yet
ready to make such a confession.
But maybe the Khan will deny
that it exists for any of these
purposes. Maybe it will claim TO
be merely a group of ordinary
peaceable citizens organized for
the purpose of preaching Ameri-
canism. If that be your whole
purpose, then why is it necessary
to conceal your identity? Why
do you wear masks? Why all
those mysterious "K. X. K"
names and symbols that sound
like they came out of a "funny
paper? Since when did it be-
come necessary for a man to COW
er his face in order to preach
Americanism? Is Ame1icanism
such a forbidden subject that a
man who dares discuss it must
conceal his identity? Theodore
Roosevelt preached American
ism, but l never heard of his
wearing mask. Woodrow Wilson
preached Americanism, but
never heard Of his concealing his
Identity If you are merely adj
vocating the teachings of Christ,
then why all this mystery and
secrecy? | cannot imagine the
Apostle Paul dressed up in a
sheet with a hood over his face
going forth to preach the Gospel
of Christ. No more can | mag
Inc Peter or John Calvin or John
Wesley. These men, like their
Master, spoke boldly and openly.
cannot imagine one of these
men writing an anonymous letter
like the two l received last week
Whenever they wrote letters they
signed their names. In fact, [ can
not imagine any really brave man
writing an anonymous letter.
Ii the Khan exists only for the
teaching of certain sound ana
harmless principles, then wbv
does it adopt the name and re-
gala of the ancient Ku Klux
Khan? That organization existed
for a very different purpose. 1t
came into existence for the pur-
pose of actually executing the
law in a period when we had no
courts controlled by orderly legal
procedure. That Khan did take
the law in its own hands. It's
members did intimidate, they
did Brighten, they did punish by
the use of physical force. Are
you members Of the modern Khan
organized for that purpose? If
SO, then be honest enough to ac-
knowledge it so that we can re-
cognIze you as a common mob
and deal with you ACCORDINGLY
II not, then change your name;
change your regalia, take down
your signs!
But what is our purpose in
this whole discussion ?
Our purpose is to speak to the
christian conscience and the Bap-
tlst conscience of Georgia. The
eyes Of the nation are upon Geor-
gia. Georgia is overwhelminp-
~ Protestant. There are more
Baptists in Georgia than all other
denominations combined, includ-
ing Roman Catholics.
we Baptists have long proclaim
ed to the world that we believe
in religious liberty and sana,a
ton of church and state, that we
believe in the religious rights ~
the minority, that the religious
freedom and religious INTEGRITY
OF the individual is just as sacred
as that of the group. For these
principles Baptists have lived. For
these principles, they have on
many occasions shown themselves
wiling to die. The question for
US TO answer now is this: Do Ran
tlsts hold these principles just as
sacred here in Georgia wbora
they ere in the majority as II,
New York where they are ont
n a oered by the Jews or in New
o;ieans where they are out nnn.
9ered by the Catholics? Does tba
BAPTIST principles of religious iii.
erty function in a comnnn it,
where thf Baptists are on ton9