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

Christ tOfgiYeS the SiHlleI freely
when he repents. The Catholics
believe that the earthly priest
hood has authority to mediate be-
tween God and man and that the
sinner must confess his sins to
the priest; | believe that Jesus
Christ is cur mediator and high
priest and that we should make
our confession directly to Him.
The Catholics believe that when
the Pope speaks ex-Cathedra, his
word is infallible; | believe that
infallibility belongs only to God.
The Catholic believe that the
Virgin Mary is a mediator be-
tween Christ and the sinner; I
believe that Mary was merely a
good woman saved by grace, and
that Christ is directly accessible
without the mediation of any
body. The Catholics believe in
union of church and state where
the Pope shall exercise authority
on civil rulers; believe in sepa-
ration of church and state, and
refusal on the part of govern
ments to negotiate with the Pope
as with civil ruler. The Catho-
lies believe that the public chool
system should be abolished; / be.
lieve that it is the solemn and
inescapable duty of the state To
educate its children. BY inheri-
lance, early training, education
and firmly grounded connection;
l am forever opposed to the Re-
man Catholic system Of religion.
But does the Ku Klux Khan Of
fer an adequate solution to the
problem of Roman Catholicism
in this country? In order to an
swer that question we must ask
that further question: What is
the Ku Klux Khan?
Is the Khan an organization
formed for the purpose of taking
the law into its own hands and
Furnishing criminals? Is it organ
lied for the purpose of sending
masked groups to the home Of
wicked men to brighten them?
If so, then the Khan is mob, and
all mobs are criminal. There is
no evading that issue. We are
living in a civilized country where
we have regularly constituted
counts and long established pro-
'cesses Of law. Any group of
men who disregard the authority
of our courts and who undertake
to execute the laws for them
selves are guilty of anarchy. If
such conduct as that were follow
cd by other groups where would
it lead us? If we cannot keep
our courts pure when we have
authority to elect their officers
and prescribed their methods of
procedure, how in heavens name
can we expect to keep this organ
ization pure when its members
conceal their identity, when no
body knows who its officers are.
and when its acts are subject to
no constitutional or legal regu-
lationsS
Or is the Khan organized for
the purpose of opposing the
Jews? If so, then I lay at its door
the sin of flaming the flames of
racial prejudice and hatred. The
Klan loudly boasts that it is q
Christian organization. If I read
the message of Christ Alright,
then | am ready to agree with
Paul that he came to break down
the middle wall of partition be-
tween Jew and Gentle. How is
it that after these nineteen CEN
turtles an organization rises up
in the name Of Christ to rear
that wall again? The spirit Of
Christ and of Christianity is for
ever opposed to the whole pro-
gram of racial and religious
hatred.
Or is the Klan organized for
the purposes of frightening
negroes. 1t was for that purpose
that the original Ku Klux Klar
was organized Immediately fol-
lowing the war of the sixties. The
situation then was entirely diff
ferent from that which exists to-
day. Our civil courts were
abolished and we were under the
,1Ox1ya,, Cf y,,o,.+ioI low :, J,,,i,,;c +s..
ed by hostile army. Our homes
were unprotected in the face of
large population of ignorant
and newly-liberated slaves. The
Khan was temporary expedient
adopted by men whose courts Of
justice We're abolished. No such
situation exists today. The hum
blest citizen in the land has re-
course to our courts where his
case can be tried. With regard
the negro. | speak in all serious
to our general attitude toward
ness to the conscience of nv
Southern brethren when | say
that we are under most solemn
obligations to be fair and Chris
tan in our treatment of this
weaker race Of men who in the
providence of God have been
placed at our doors. The time
has come for the best citizeas
among native-born southern white
men to demand that the negro
shall have fair treatment. We
ought to wipe from the fair name
of our state the stain which mas
been placed there by our lynch