The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1937-09-17
Mr.. Justice Black

that Senator Black was member of the Khan
if he s-when he appointed him to the Supreme Court
Even those who dislike the President will believe this.
It would be bad politics to knowingly appoint Kans-
man to the Supreme Court, and Mr. Roosevelt is not
o, Dou,,,oo clumsy politician. Senator
HOe'S O"e D0'0o Moore of New Jersey says that
1he FTeSI0eM he wouldn' have voted to con-
firm Black if he knew Black member of
the Klan but he did vote to confirm him knowing that
Black had once been a member 'because sinner
can be cleansed of his sins"
Senator Bankhead, from Blacks home State of Ala
bama says that the Khan issue revived to help
Senator Copeland's campaign for mayor of New York
This is possible though we don't how it will help
Copeland in view of the fact that he Endorsed by
Imperial Wizard Evans of the Kan who says he also
supported him in 1928.
We know that this Khan issue doesn't belong in the
New York City campaign at all. We all three
candidates will treat the members of all religions
. fairly. That is what Mayor
A''''S'O' 40" LaGuardia has done in the last
An EIecIIO" ISSUE four years. 1t is customary to
try to get religion into political campaigns a whis
perng proposition and to try to get people to vote their
emotions in this regard The issue is good government
in New York City. We're for LaGuarda because he
has given this city the best administration it had
In regard to the Klan ISSUE Senator Black told Sen
ators Borah and Bankhead that he is not
Der of the Klan. We think it fair to assume, until
proven otherwise that he is not member and was
TO- n n..., not a member at the time he
was confirmed by the Senate.
@1OO"' "'e A''"' That he was member of the
Klan in times past, i'll the 192O's, is undsputed; he
does not deny this But we might we'll face the fact
that most Southern politicians and great many South
business men, at the time the Kan on top
members for practical The politicians couldn't
get elected if they weren't; the business men would
lose money if they stayed out.
These resurgences of religious prejudice seem to come
somewhat in rhythm. They rise, and then die out.
They rise again. and then die out again. In the past
we have lived through Know Nothingism, the A. P A.
and the Kan all of which reused lot of religious
passion and then subsidized.
The counsel of perfection of course is to be tolerant
tolerant to the intolerant. The trouble is that
when you preach such sweet doctrines, you're apt to
procch To1oun,,.oo get the rejoinder: "What!
NY. ,,,.,, -. Am a man or am I a worm?''
~ ~ With one war across the At
lantc and another across the Pacific, both threaten
ing to spread there is no immediate need to get into
scrap among ourselves religion, particularly
since such scraps never convince ANYBODY
Let's be frank in discussing the reason why Roose-
welt appointed Black to the Supreme Court. He ap-
pointed him to vote for the reforms the President
thinks are needed Talk about Blacks lack of legal
depth' is bunk else why should legally deep Justices
like Butler and Cardozo or like McReynolds and
Brandeis reach opposite conclusions in cases involving
liberalism vs. conservatism We suspect that, legal
depth no, Mr.. Justice Black will exercise his priv
lege Of staying on the Supreme Court bench
New York; News.