The Minnesota fiery cross. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1924-19??, 1924-03-07

| whole political world into spasms
1t has already shown power, in short
about three times that of the Non
Partisan League and double that o.
the Populists in their best days.
But this is only the beginning. Al
the coming elections the Khan ex
pects-not "hopes" but confidently
expects-to win more than twenty
states, most of the local elections in
side those states and hundreds out
side, and considerably more thar
half of the congressional districts. II
even expects that the next president
will be a man of whom it approve:
and who sympathizes with it, even il
it can not pick him singlehanded
Impossible, you say? Quite likely, yet
the Khan could fall far short of thi:
and still very justly claim that il
was in a position to rule the coun'
try.
1t is not impossible, however. The
Klan's present political power ha:
| been won with far fewer members
than answer its roll-calls today. Two
years ago in the congressional cleo
tion it had less than 100000 votes
Last fall, when it scored so heavily
it had about 100000. Today it has
some 100000 and by election time
it confidently counts on having r.
900. 900. This doubtless includes
many unmatched chickens, but even
if the Khan growth continues at the
average rate of the last three
months-and the rate has increased
steadily during that time-it will
have close to 100000! And nine
million votes is more than a third
of the largest vote ever cast. Clever
ly used it can get almost anything.
When we recall the influence that
has been exerted by the two million
German hyphenates or the three
million Jews the possible power of
nine million Klansmen, or even of
eight, or seven, or five-begins to be
clear.
The Khan intends to win. Its lead
ers believe that a victory will give it
freedom from the prosecutions and
prosecutions which have plagued it
so far, give it a chance to consolidate
it's power and trim off it's excres-
censes and to make certain reforms
they dare not attempt just yet, and
let it prove the worth of it's theories
and programme. More, they believe
that they will have difficulty in even
holding the organization together
without a victory, and that it is ABB
solutely necessary if they are to
keep growing. They realize, too,
how fast their mushroom growth will
crumble under adversely. For all
these reasons they are gambling
heavily on this one card.
So they have focused all their eff
forts on politics. They do not admit
it, but l am convinced that this is the
true explanation Of several of the
present abuses of the Khan; the &C
ceptance of riff-raff members, the
carelessness about collecting dues
and even initiation fees, the toler-
ance of grafters and self-seeking
leaders in minor places. All will
help at the election, therefore all
will be tolerated till then. Then
the Khan will clean house.
This explains, too, the present tre-
mendous pressure behind kluxing,
which is absorbing most of the funds
of the Order, the devotion of the
great secret information service to
the collection of political dope" the
transfer to Washington OF most OF
the high executives Official head
quarters remain at Atlanta but lit
tie is done there,) the busy establish
ment of the Klan-controlled press,
and a dozen other lesser symptoms.
If the Khan fails to achieve its poll
tical ambitions, it will not be for
want of using every ounce OF
strength it possesses.
All this, however, does not mean
that the Khan intends or wants to
rule the country in the full sense,
in the sense in which a political
party takes over control. On the con-
trary it's aims are very strictly linn
tied, at least for the time being.
DIR. Evans states it's position in an
apparent contradiction.
"The Khan is not in politics" he
and other leaders have said over and
over again. Yet he goes on: ut is
clear that the Khan programme must
result in political action and can be
carried out in no other way"
His meaning is that the Khan
operates in politics, not as a party,
but as a non-partisan, mugwamp, op-
pOrIunlSI panu Oh BuerllldS- IL uocS
not want, at least not yet, the full
responsibilities Of government, it
does not want to face the need of
dist ributing patronage, it does not
wish to have to find solutions for all
the controversial issues now in poll
tics, and try to unite its members on
them, and ii does not have to hold
it's organization together, as a poll
teal party does, by the use of place,
pork or pie. What it does want IS
to free itself from government OPP
position to put into effect its pro-
gramme of native, white, protest
ant, Americanism," to make some gen
eral reforms, and to be able to claim
a victory. 1t is playing for results
alone, while the ordinary political
party must play for offices.
In this sense it is not in politics.
But 1t must be able to control Off
Gals and legislatures if 1t is to put
into effect any Of the policies on its
national programme, or II it Is even
to make more than temporary sue