The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-09-21
WHITE IN RACE
 FOR GOVERNOR TO FIGHT KHAN
Announces As Independ- ent In Effort To Drive
 Order Out Of Kansas
(By Associated Press.)

.IOIEhA, Null, oePt' -o' mn . his slogan, Free Kansas from the ku Klux Klan," William Allen White, in statement issued today ill connection 1ith the filing of his independent can didacy for governor, declared, Il am in the race to stay and to win"
 1.-The issue in Kansas this year is the klan above everything" the veteran Emporia editor asserted.
 He attacked Ben s. Paulen and Jona- than M. Davis, the republican and dem- ocratic gubernatorial nominees, respec- lively charging that the two major par ties in the state "are led in the race for governor by men who had klan sup port in the primary and who will not disavow that support today"
 Mir. Whites statement follows in part:
 II have filed my petition for gover- nor and am in this race to win. It is the largest independent petition ever titled for any office in Kansas. Nearly three times more names were signd to these petitions for Carr Taylor and myself for lieutenant governor than were needed None of these petitions came from my home town or county. l wished honestly to test sentiment.
 Sure Of Sentiment.
 There can be no doubt about the sentiment. The issue in Kansas is the Eu Klux Klan above everything.
 The Ku Klux Klan is found in near E every county. It represents a small minority of the citizenship and it is organized for the purpose of terror. Its terror is directed at honest, law-abiding citizens, negroes, Jews and Catholics. These groups in Kansas compose more than one-fourth of our population. They are entitled to their full constitutional rights; their rights to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. They menace no one. They are good citizens, law-abid- ing, God fearing, prosperous, patriotic. Yet, because of their skin, or their race, or their creed, the Ku Klux Klan in Kansas is subjecting them to eco pomic boycot, to social ostracism. to every form of harassment, annoyance. and every terror that bigoted minority can use.
 And the leaders of two major par ties in this state lift no hand to de- fend these people. Ben Paulen, the re- publican candidate for governor, ac- cepted the Ku Klux Klan indorsement III the primary and owes his small plurality entirely to Ku Klux vot- ters. Before the primary his party papers urged him to disclaim this un- American crew. After the primary be- fore the party council again his fellow republicans of all factions warned him that public sentiment would not stand for a minority secured entirely by the ku klux Klan. In the republican par ty council there was a strong element intent upon divorcing the republicans from the Ku Klux Klan.
 : Ben Paulen, the republican guberna- torial nominee in the committee on resolutions defeated an anti-klan reso- lution. Then he went before the state party council and with his prestage as party leader, prevented even a debate upon the klan on the floor of the. con- vention and by silence further tied the klan to him and disgraced his party in Kansas. Since then in declaring he was not klansman he used the phrase at this time one phrase that all klans- men use when denying their member ship.
 Attacks J. M. Davis.
 
 nee, Jonathan NJ. Davis, never before the primary CT since. has uttered one syllable which would offend the most ardent klansman. He had the klan indorSement in the primary. His party threw it over but Davis has not dis claimed it.
 T want to be governor to free Kan sas from the disgrace of the Ku Klux I Ao afraid of the klan and ashamed of that disgrace a candidate who shares their fear and shame. So I am in the race 10 stay and to win.
 Kansas with high intelligence and pure American blood of all states should be free of this taint of bigotry and terror.
 T call to my support least of all tnose who are oppressed by the Ku Klux klan. We must have no class issue here. call to my support rather fair minded citizens of every party of every creed, to stop the oppression of the minority of our people
 Tt is nationwide menace this klan 1t knows no party. It knows no coun- try. It knows only bigotry, malice and terror. Our national government is rounded on reason and the golden rule. This klan is preaching and practicing terror and force. Its only prototype is the Soviet of Russia So I feel that l am walking the path of duty in going into this race.
 T ask my fellow Kansans to come with me and to stand with me for free government and the righteous guaran- tees of our Constitution to all it's cit izens."
 EXCHANGEITES ARRIVE