Evening star., 1924-08-24
Action Of Davis, La Toilette
and Dawes Relegates KIan
to Local Politics.
DAVIS MOVED TO SPEAK
BY FEAR FOR IRISH VOTE
influence of Order May Be Felt
by Candidates in Border
States Vote.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

Mention of the Ku Klux Klan by
presidential and vice presidential
candidates by name--not by infer
ence- has at last become popular, 1t
appears.
Senator La Toilette. head Of the
Independent Progressive ticket
broke the ice couple of weeks ago.
when he denounced the Khan by name
In letter he made public.
And now John w. Davis, standard
bearer of the Democrats, has added
his denunciation Of the hooded
order. Gen. Charles G. Dawes. vice
presidential nominee of the Repub-
lican party. going into the State of
Maine. where the Republican nomi-
nee for governor is called a klan
candidate, has used the Klan's name
and declared his opposition to 1t.
The up-shot of these developments IS
probably will be to take the. Klan as
a national issue out of the campaign.
1t likely will remain a local issua,
however, in a number of districts.
and may have it's effect, therefore, on
the outcome of the national election
in November.
Effect for Davis.
The statement by Mr.. Davis will
give to Catholic supporters OF the
democracy in the North and East
where they have been, perhaps. the
backbone of the party-an excuse for
remaining regular. 1t will have it's
effect on some of them. But whether
it can at this date-six weeks and
more after the ructions- in the Demo-
cratic national convention-be entire
ly effective is another matter.
To some who watched the hight in
the Democratic convention, where the
issue was to name or not to name
the Khan in the party platform, this
latest development in the Khan row
must seem strange. Senator Under
wood OF aba ma. candidate Tor the
Democratic nomination for President,
demanded that the Khan be named in
the platform. And the demand uaell
nigh split the party. Who believes
today that had John w. Davis, while
candidate for the nomination In
New York made the statement which
he made at Seagirt. N. j., Friday
about the klan,. he would have re-
ceived the nomination?
Action of La Toilette.
But considerable water has run
under the bridge since the Democratic
national convention. And not the
least important of the more recent
political events-so far as the Demo-
Gratis, particularly were concerned
was the frank announcement of the
Klan by Senator La Toilette, coupled
with the Endorsement of La Toilette
by the executive council of the Amer
lean Federation of Labor. 1t is no
secret that .the Democratic leaders in
industrial States of the North and
East saw the Democratic strength
the Irish Catholic voters, who have
been mainstay of the party-slip-
ping away. The clash over the khan
in the convention, the refusal Of the
convention to nominate Gov. Al Smith
for President. had started the trouble.
And La Follette's appeal had added
to the trouble.
This Is the word that was undoubt-
edly brought to Mr.. Davis-it was
brought to Washington by persons
who had sounded out sentiment in
New York, New Jersey and New Eng
land. At Clarksburg, w. Va, when
Mr. Davis made his speech of &C
ceptance, there were important men
in his party who wanted him to name
the kIan. But he did not do SO there
Denouncement by Dawes.
Now the Republicans, through Gen
Dawes, are on record as opposing the
Klan--though Gen. Dawes made II
clear that he did not denounce ali
KIansmen. but merely the fact that
as an organization the Khan sometimes
attempted to take the law into Its
hands.
President Coolidge, 1t is under.
stood, will not be forced into making
statement in regard to the Kiar
by either Mr.. Davis or Senator l.
Toilette at this time. He will take
his own time.
He may merely indorse Gen. Dawes
statement. In some quarters las,
night it was suggested that he Nigh,
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