New Britain herald., 1924-08-23
DAWES ANSWERS
 DAVIS SPEECH
,copliausa From First Fassl

ANh0At MtSsAtafs=sHfa sttN hAeAs meR-maTehed i0 ihs sfiles of ihs
 sheriff of Williamson county ta RFe ' test agsinst lhs lsNlessRsss in thsi , section, If a secret organization tt | uphold laN and order ls justiasbis
 anywhere in our country, Il was lasli' liable there,
 "liui what happened lmmediaieis
 the iawless element termed ,hs
 Knights af the Flaming Circle, and 1 then heth sides were afraid 10 go enl
 al night and condition was aseatsa
 which actually eliminated in eisl
 war and the loss Of life, And hos again was peace esishlisheds By ,hf
 only proper way, in the sending ef
 the militia of the state of Illinois te
 the scene of the trouble, as proVr
 provided hy law in such eases, The
 critical situation was settled by l' , without shedding drop of blood and the troops were quickly removed
 Appeals to Youth
 There is much in ihs K, k, N,
 which appeals 10 the adventurous
 youth. I memeher once. when travel ing over Illinois speaking for law enforcement. the constitution eAeeu- ton and the American isg some of the American Legion men with me talked 10 other legion men who had joined the k. k. K, al one of the towns visited. These latter young men believed that they were acting in the interests Of law enforcement. They told those who were with me what they were planning 10 do. They said there Is a bootlegser in our country who Is in cahoots with the sheriff and everybody knows it. Now. we are not going 10 hurt the man but some night we arc going for him and his still. We are going to gag him, carry him and the still up to the courthouse yard and tie him to it SO that the sheriff and the whole town will see them when they come down to their work in the morning.
 This may appeal to adventurous youth. but. my friends. government cannot last If that is the right way to enforce law in this country. Law lessness cannot be met with lawless- ness and civilization be maintained. What will happen if law is not en- forced by government, but taken In hand by individuals and by minority organizations, Is what happend some years ago on Bloody Corner in Chica- go. Over 100 murders were commit ted there In one year and not one single murderer was brought to jus tice. The black hard was at work and the witnesses to the murders re- fused to testify against the murder CTS because they felt their own lives were in danger if they did.
 Now, society contains within r. self the clements of its own self puriflcation. It has always been SO, or civilization, which is an evolution, would not now exist.
 After a time in connection with these continuing murders, two new words crept into the press of the city of Chicago-the words white hand. In other hands the brothers, fathers and the friends of the murdered men sawed off their. own shotguns and killed the murderers from behind the same corner and thus peace was final ly established at the cost of blooshed and misery through that entire sec ton of Chicago.
 'The same thing happens when minority nizatons-whatever the high purpose they claim-whatever they may be called--take the law into their own hands. Force rise to meet force; lawlessness rises to meet law lessness and civilization to disinter- grate into the savagery from which through the ages it has evolved. I
 Appeals to racial, religious, or class prejudice by minority organiza lions are opposed to the welfare of all peaceful and civilized communities. Our constitution stands for religious tolerance and freedom. This happy . has never been through d war such as those which devastated Europe in the centuries past and brought untold misery to of its inha bitants. We have in civilization beyond that possibility but to inject religious and acial issues into politics is contrary 0 the welfare of all the people and 0 the letter and spirit Of the constitu- ion of the United States.
 Josiah Quincy was right when he aid Society is never more certainly Il the path of destruction than when | trusts itself to the guidance of se- ret societies.
 q have told you why am opposed 0 the klan. Take what I say into our hearts and conscience and think over calmly. However 1t may ,e with the mind there is no acrimony n conscience"
 An answer to John ". Davis ac- e eptance, some comment on the tariff, nd definition Of his own trade union pinions were delivered by the nom- nee.
 He said Mir. Davis speech indicat- d personal high purpose" but was he kind of oratorical presentation designed to put to sleep practical lrinking." It was unfair. Dawes said. 0 maintain that individual dereliction T great organization "aone just. es the demand that an administra- ion should be thrown to one side" Ie referred to Davis "Oratorical ppeal" to install in power "a party mich has demonstrated In the past usiness inca pacity."
 Of Davis' attitude on foreign rela-' ons, he remarked: Tt sounds well } say. as Mir. Davis does-1f I be- cme president. America will sit as n equal among equals. whenever she Is at an This has been true. of purse, at all times"