The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1924-09-05
NEWS REVIEW OF
CURRENT EVENTS
Ku Klux Khan Denounced,
Defeated and Threatened
With Machine Guns.
By EDWARD W. PlcKARD


BY EDWARD w. PicKARD
TN ONE way or another the Ku Klux
4 khan was an important feature of
the news of the past week. Here and
there over the country the sheeted or
ganizatien was denounced, defeated
and threatened with machine-gun fire.
Taking up the challenge issued to
President Coolidge and himself by
John W. Davis. General Dawes went
down into Maine, where the khan is
supposed to be strong element Of
the Republican party, and boldly con-
demned 1t by name, despite the plead
ings of the state Republican leaders.
Agreeing with, the Democratic candi-
date, that the khan has no proper place
In this or any other campaign, Mr..
Dawes said government could not last
If the khan way was the right way to
enforce the law, that lawlessness can
not be met with lawlessness If civiliza-
ton was to be maintained. He sof-
tened this bit by declaring that in
the khan in many localities he recog-
nized an Instructive cropping for lead
ership toward law enforcement which
was not found in cowardly politicians
and officeholders." But, he said, to
inject religious and racial issues into
politics was contrary to the welfare
of all the people and to the letter and
spirit Of the Constitution of the United
States.
Following the lead Of Presidential
Candidate Davis, the Democratic state
convention Of Ohio declared against
the khan by adopting this resolution:
Whenever any organization, no
matter what it chooses to be called,
whether Ku Klux khan or any other
name, raises the standard of racial or
religious belief as test of fitness for
public Office, 1t does violence to the
spirit of American institutions and
must be. condemned by all who believe
In American ideals.p
In Texas the khan suffered defeat
when Mrs Miriam Ferguson, wife Of
a former governor who was i'm
peached, won the Democratic guberna-
torial nomination in the run-off pri-
mary, beating Judge Robertson, who
was the khan candidate, by about
$1,000 votes Hers was mainly an
anti-klan campaign, and she says no
member of the order will be appointed
to office by her, nor will any recent
appointees be retained in Office if they
are known to be affiliated with the
khan. Since her nomination is virtu-
ally equivalent to election, Mrs Fer
guson will be the first woman to hold
the position of governor in the United
States. Republican leaders in Texas,
who say their party there has always
been anti-klan though tolerant, will
try to make prohibition the issue and
profess TO see chance to elect gov
ernor.
Kluxers of Michigan set up their
fiery cross and held meetings on a hill
within the boundaries of Camp Custer
Military reservation with the apparent
intention Of gaining recruits from the
1000 men in military training there.
Brig. Gen. George Van Horne Moseley,
camp commandant, was aroused to
wrath and issued an order forbidding
such meetings and warning the men of
the camp to keep away from them. He
directed that the hill be covered with
machine-gun fire and that 1t be swept
with bullets If another meeting of the
khan were held there.
Henry Ford was quoted last week
by the Montreal Star as saying that
the khan is the victim of lying propa-
ganda and If the truth were known 1t
would be looked upon as body of
patriots concerned with nothing but
the future Of the country and the SUI
premacy of the true American in his
own land. Mr.. Ford, who was on his
yacht en- route to Detroit, at once de-
MED positively having made these
statements and asserted he had given
no interview to anyone while in Mont
real and had not discussed the khan.
G ENATOR NATHANIEL B. DIAL OF
~ South Carolina was defeated for
denomination In the Democratic pri-