Muncie Post-Democrat, Muncie, Delaware County, 2 January 1925 — Page 2

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PAGE TWO.

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THE POST-DEMOCRAT.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 2,1925.

THE POST-DEMOCRAT. A democratic weekly newspaper representing the Democrats of Muncie, Delaware County and the Eighth Congressional District. The only Democratic Newspaper in Delaware Co. t

Entered as second class matter January 15, 1921, at the postoffice at Muncie, Indiana, under the Act of March 3 ,1879.

Price 10c a Copy—$3.00 a Year.

Office 733 North Elm Street. * Telephone 2540 GEO. R. DALE, Owner and Publisher.

Muncie, Indiana, Friday, January 2, 1924.

Prosecutor Ogle has decided not to prosecute two residents of the city of Detroit, who happen to be stockholders in the Hub company. The two men were indicted by the “all women” grand jury and the decision not to push the prosecution came after the attorney general’s office gave Sheriff Hoffman the haw haw when he attempted to secure requisition papers. Ogle is quoted as saying that he thinks the attorney general was in error in refusing to permit the extradition of the indicted individuals. If the attorney general only had a bright lawyer like Van Ogle to advise him he could avoid all these unnecessary mistakes.

Horrors! That perfervid oration of Dr. Botkin was wasted on the desert air. The city building is to be erected after all. Well, Doc got it off his chest, anyhow, and that’s something.

The city council batted a thousand as usual when it met to elect a new member to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Fred Fromouth. The new man is said to be a one hundred percenter. If he’s not he ought to feel lonesome in that crowd of republican kluckers.

We note in the current issue of the “Fellowship Forum” the national mouthpiece of the Ku Klux Klan, published at Washington, that Worley Cortner, a former Muncie street car motorman, is now lecturing in the west for the klan. The Forum gave a “heart renderin” account of the way Worley presente a flag and a bible to a bunch of benighted kluckers in a little red school house out in Idaho. Well, what they don’t know out in Idaho won’t hurt ’em, and since it seems to be easy money for Worley, and since he seems to be keeping his face straight and getting away with it, far be it from us to give him away. John Brady is in jail for contempt of Lance Coons’ court. John is the fellow who said he burned D. C. Stephenson’s yacht and then skinned it back. He took part in the prison vaudeville at the jail Christmas eve, reciting “The Boy Stood on the Burning Deck” in a manner that brought tears to the eyes of even the most hardened bootlegger in the gallery. ENEMIES OF THE NATION. Discussing the aftermath of the Ku Klux Klan in Buffalo, N. Y., when it ran its course in a short time,, ending in two murders and the publication of the Klan list of memberships by the chief of police. The Catholic Union and Times of that city asks: “What has the klan of Buffalo accomplished? Friendships have been divided and enmities made; deceptions have been practiced and perjury committed; suspicions have arisen and lies as black as the hinges of hell have been told; division, strife, discord, murder, blackmail, espionage, threats—these are the evil fruits that have grown on the evil tree called klan. Tts honor rooted in dishonor stood, and faith unfaithful left it falsely true.’ Conceived in sin and bom in iniquity, the Klan proved itself

to be the spawn of hell.”

But this is just what was planned by those who conceived the klan as an agency for dividing the American people, and particularly as a means of breaking up labor unions. In Buffalo it has done the work it was planned to do. In other places it is accomplishing it more gradually. Most of the organizers who are making easy money, the poor “suckers” who are paying the initiation fees and the public that is harried by the antics of the klan usually think that the klan is an anti-Catholic movement. It is that because—and only because—it can create dissension and division more easily by utilizing religious prejudice

than in any other way.

The Klan is lawless, un-American and dangerous. It leaves its victims a prey to fanaticism and wild halucinations. The pity is that there should be so many people who are simple enough to fall victims to its propaganda. And a greater pity it is that there should be found men so depraved as to seek their own selfish purposes by taking advantage of ignorance and prejudice among the people of this country. They are enemies of the nation that shelters

them.—True Voice.

representatives, joint senators and joint representatives and will notify you of the meeting in order that you can notify these officials.” Reading further we find this.: “You know we have a program which w r e propose to launch in the legislature that is causing OUR COMMON ENEMY and certain other antagonistic elements much concern. * * * You can help us protect and save our program by giving this your immediate attention.” Thus we have the documentary evidence that the Ku Klux Klan, ruled by a Texas dentist, is preparing to make the laws of Indiana. Evans gives orders to Bossert, the latter passes the order on to “all exalted cyclops,” and finally the representatives and senators are to take their orders from the cyclops. In his letter to his flunkies, the “cyclopses,” Bossert speaks of “our program which we propose to launch in the legislature. “Who is the “we” referred to and what is this program ? The “we” is one Hiram Evans, an obscure dentist from Texas, who rules in the “imperial palace” at Atlanta, Georgia. If the “program” referred to is put through the legislature, Indiana laws will not be made by the chosen representatives of the people of the state, but by the edict of the spawn of rebellion and secession. As to the “program,” the Evans crew makes no pretension of concealing its purposes. Assuming to control the legislature, this treasonable gang hopes first of all to abolish the parochial schools in Indiana and to enact a law making it compulsory for all children of school age to attend the public schools. If this law is passed it will be a criminal offense to send pupils to private schools. The klan caused such a law to be enacted in the state of Oregon, a short time ago, which was immediately declared unconstitutional by the supreme court of that state, but it is a part of “our program” in Indiana, and it is tq be enacted in this state provided a sufficient number of klan senators and representatives will take orders from the imperial wizard. The “program” also calls for “white supremacy” which directly calls for jim crow legislation patterned on Texas lines and is ultimately to result in the practical disenfranchisement of colored voters. The conspiracy further contemplates a complete reorganization of all state departments by the appointment of men and woman to all executive positions who are pledged to take orders from the imperial palace. It is hardly likely that the “program” will go through. It is true that a majority of the legislators are klansmen and former klansmen, but there is ample reason to believe that enough of them will rebel to defeat the ambition of Hiram Evans, to make Indiana a mere chattel of an invisible empire.

Elsewhere in this issue may be found the story of Judge Ben Lindsey’s most recent election, written by himself. Ben Lindsey delivered an address here a few months ago. Judge Lindsey fought the klan in the last election and the klan fought him, but as us^? * 1 he came out victorious. Read what Judge Lindsey has to say about the klan.

THE JURY BOX. Jury Commissioners John Hampton and Jake Cavanaugh met Monday and drew the grand and petit jurors for the January term. The petit jury is composed of six men and six women and the grand jury is also evenly divided, three men and three women. The law requires that the names of citizens shall be placed in the jury box and drawn out by the jury commissioners. The law doesn’t say anything about drawing out an equal number of men and women. This has been done so often by Hampton and Cavanaugh that it has ceased to excite much comment. It is not even regarded strange any more that so many “repeaters” find their way on juries. We notice, for instance, that Ephriam McConnell has been drawn on the jury. We remember distinctly that this ancient bird was on the jury that convicted the editor of the Post-Demo-crat of “libeling” the fat slob Roeger. The names of such people as McConnell easily find their way in, and out, of the jury box.

CONGRESS FACES NUMER00STASKS Many Bills To Be Considered Before House, Senate Ad-

journ March 4.

MUSCLE SHOALS PROBLEM

THE EVANS CONSPIRACY. The Post-Democrat has in its possession one of the original documents mailed out December 9 by “Grand Dragon” Walter F. Bossert to the “exalted cyclops” of the Ku Klux Klan of each county in the state of Indiana. This document refers particularly to the klan’s legislative program, and the part the klan is to take in the work of the Indiana state legislature, which convenes next week. It is headed “Official Document, Knights of Ku Klux jKlan, Realm of Indiana” and is addressed to “All Exalted ’Cyclops and Chiefs of Klokann.” It is signed, “Walter F. Bossert, Grand Dragon, by W. Lee Smith, Chief of Staff.” Bossert urges these various klan leaders to send him an immediate report on the klan members of the legislature from their counties and casually writes: “We, of course, will in due time call a meeting of such senators, *■

Washington, Jan. 2.—With the Cirlstir.as recess at an end, Congress faces legislative tasks that are expected to keep the House and Senate working at top* speed until the close of the present session, March 4. The Muscle Shoals problem, vexing as ever, still has right-of-way in the Senate, which also faces a showdown next week on the question of sustaining the presidential veto of the postal salaries bill and is pledged before the windup of the session to take action on the Isle of Pines

treaty.

On the House side, appropriation bills continue to have priority, with leaders planning to dispose of the McFadden bank bill and pertiaps the rivers and harbors authorization measure during January. Supply Bills Passed. The House already has sent three of the dozen annual supply hills to the Senate. A fourth—the treasurypost office measure carrying more

than three-quarters of a billion dollars and incidentally the largest peacetime appropriation bill in congressional history—will be disposed of this week, clearing the way for the army supply bill, which next will have right of way. Thus far, the Senate has failed to take up any of the appropriation bills. With less than ten weeks remaining before Congress must adjourn sine die, leaders recognize the/ necessity of speeding action on these proposals and it is expected that the next few weeks will see several of them on their way to the President

Reformatory’s Needs $996,644

Anderson, Ind, Jan. 2.—Joseph E. Hennings, chairman of the executive board of the state reformatory, Saturday announced that $996,644 was the estimate placed by Superintendent Miles of the institution at Pendleton on the cost of completing the structure. The legislative budget committee that inspected the institution included Senators Robert Moorehead, Indianapolis and Walter Chambers, of Newcastle; Representatives, L. A. Pittinger, Muncie; Thurman Gottechalk of Berne.

DISSILUSIONMENT (Continued from Page One) good feeling that existed before Bill Cahill began vending his hate pills has been restored in some measure. This is as it should be. There is no reason on earth why people should go on hating each other forever. Personally I have no feeling of hatred toward any man living. I would step out of my way today to perform a personal service for my bitterest enemy. That does not mean, however, that this newspaper will not continue to attack dishonesty and malfeasance in office, or that it will abandon its policy of naming names and exposing to the public the identity of those who are exploiting them for selfish purposes. It is simply an expression of my personal feelings, for the benefit of both my friends and enemies, who may have gathered that the policy of the PostDemocrat has been dictated by personal animosity, rather than a desire to perform a service for the community.

JUDGE LINDSEY AND THE KLAN.

Ben B. Lindsey is famous throughout the country because of his work for civic betterment as Judge of Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court of Denver. In an article written for the New York World and St. Louis Post-Dispatch, he tells of his recent campaign to succeed himself. It was the most exciting election in Denver’s history and Judge Lindsey won. The following are copious excerpts from his article: After the hardest battle I have ever had, even in the days of the beast and the jungle when both political machines were against me because of the part I took in the exposure of the crimes of privilege, I won out for the tenth time in 25 years. The particularly bitter character of the contest I have just passed through was due in large measure to the fact that I chose to openly and actively oppose, the Ku Klux Klan that became an active political factor in this state during the present year. The Klan celebrated its first victory in August with the election of a Klan Mayor, whose recall had been attempted. I took part in that fight because, among other reasons, I felt it was the beginning of klan domination in this city and state. The Ku Klux Klan had swept like a prairie fire. It is said that this is the way of the klan when it is first introduced into some localities and we certainly got our fill of it. It was like the stampede of the herd fulltilt, and it seemed almost as useless to try to stop its mad, head-on rush. There was not rhyme or reason in it. I was the only candidate for any office that bucked this rush by appearing at anti-klan meetings. At some of these meetings, the lights were pu£ out or there were noisy demonstrations, cat-calls, hisses, boisterous and idiotic laughter and every form of insult that could be devised to interfere with the right of free speech. The conduct of the women at one or two of these meetings cannot be likened to anything outside of that of women before the tribunal at the French Revolution, demanding the blood of their victims. In 25 years I have been on the bench, I have had the honor, with the help of our people, to write and place on the statute books some 52 items of law for the protection of women and children. All of this service for women hadn’t the slightest effect in stemming the fury of klan women who appeared at some of these meetings. I recall one woman, who was screaming in my face, and thus addressing me: “You cur, you dirty cur, you dirty cur!” I encountered this woman outside of a hall and I said: “Madam, why do you call me a dirty cur?” having in mind all that I had done and helped to do for women like that. She screamed in my face: “You are not 100 per cent American, you are against the klan.” It was utterly useless to reason with such people. They had simply gone stark mad over the klan. They had paid $10 a head to hate somebody and they were getting their money’s worth. Although I am a Methodist and a thirty-second degree Mason, I was accused of being a Jesuit and in league with Rome to overthrow the Republic, all because I would not keep silent about the klan. I was falsely accused of filling the House of the Good Shepherd Laundry full of Protestant slave-girls or otherwise relegating them to a fate too filthy to mention. And then there was the poison-squad of women pole-cats, who knew no limit to the whispering of scandals and lies against both myself and my devoted wife. Thousands of the dim-wit and moronic type that go so much to make up the klan—especially the hoodlum element—in which it so largely abounds— readily accepted all of this filth as gospel truth and they delighted to peddle it from door to door. In no campaign have I ever seen such stark madness, such bitterness, such hatred. It was mostly working people to whose interest I have devoted so much of my life and whose children have profited most by our legislation, who became the victims and dupes of the klan and therefore did most perhaps to crucify me. Of course they did not know what they were doing. They are the ready victims of that inferiority complex that gives them the feeling of exaltation with its accompanying delusion of grandeur when they read the klan literature and are called “men of the most sublime lineage the world has ever seen the only sure fire 100 per cent Americans.” They went into the klan by the thousands and of course furnished the strength that enabled the charlatans to capitalize their ignorance into money and political offices. It is a clean-cut victory over the klan, whose monstrous unAmericanism I have no apology for opposing in the past as I always shall in the future.