Fiery Cross, Volume 3, Number 18, Indianapolis, Marion County, 29 February 1924 — Page 6

THE FIERY. CROSS

Friday, February 29, iz

FROST SEES SWEEPING VICTORY FOR RLAN

U. (Continued from page 3) bubiness, farming, labor or what not, each without any corresponding group of "antis." Politicians and ofiice holders cater to them all; they

must, for if one is lost there is nothing to take its place. - In the case of the Klan, however, this law of opposition groups works , with full force. The Klan automatically raises up its opponents; more accurately it is an opposition

group itself, its chief object being to i

strike ut certain of the groups already active, so that its balancing blocs are ready made. Many politicians therefore believe that they cari win by defying the Klan and rollvinc all these ermina hehind

them. As this is written there are l)osition lnilw'nfirn thnt thn nnrMiapn Toif 1 ClCCted.

cratic leaders Murphy, Sullivan, ; Taggart and their allies are pre- j paring to do this. Their plan is , certainly logical, for in the cities where their main strength lies the ; bulk of the vote is alien, Jewish or j Catholic, and naturally anti-Klan. j This rallying of alien elements j has been the means of defeating : jiativistie movements several times j since Jefferson first did it just after 1S00. The Democratic party did it ; in the forties, and again in the fifties against the Know-Nothings. With our present large alien elejmcnt the last census showed nearly four and a hulf million alien-born citizens of voting age, to say nothin;j of the children of aliens and the native Jews and Catholics who will nil! m'ally take sides aganist the Klan - il is evident that this policy stands it large chnnre of success nationally, and is certain of success in many localities. The evils of an election based on these group divisions are loo obvious to need reciting! The o: sible result in government by an alien, anti-American alliance, is also clear.

though it waa fashionable enough two years ago. The success, of tie Klan In so many local elections and the greater threat behind It today, has upset the calculations of politicians everywhere, and has thrown local bosses In many places Into a truly demoralized state of mind. "You talk about the Klan terrifying folks," an Imperial officer said, "We don't aim to, except one bunch the politicians. We do that thing. They're scared senseless right now, big ones as well as little ones. They don't know which end they're standing on, and they duck every time anyone says 'Klan.' They're scared, terrified, paralyzed, buffaloed, licked!"

This is Quite true. Thousands of

them are in a state such that if the Klan nffprs thpm salvation on anv

It has learned that tWms thev will seize it eratefullv.

There is, for instance, the case of a man who for a generation has ruled halt a state by the good old system of controlling nominations in both parties, and then allowing the voters to worry about which of his pets

not possibly have, the solid and effective organization of the -Klan, . Their task, then, is a hard one. They must select their candidates from among men who may already be Klansmen, work with groups which may include Klan members, convince the Americans among their followers that the men so selected are good Americans, and the alien groups that the same men are proalien. And they must determine among their followers that the men

so selected are good Americans, and the alien groups that the same men are pro-alien. And they must determine from among all the various candidates offered which one or

ones are favorable to the Klan and concentrate opposition on them. The last problem is the most baffling, for the Klan will not label

its candidates.

lesson already in elections where open Klan support has solidified op

to the man it wanted Today its candidates are,

when it seems desirable, as secret as the organization itself. In one recent case the Klan press openly attacked the very man for whom "the woid'' finally went out. This system is peculiarly effective in primaries where several candidates are running and will often nominate a pro-Klan man on both tickets. It will not be needed in many places, of course. Probably in most sections where the Klan operates its strength will be so great that it can

fipht best in the open. But

perhaps some economy and "good government" gestures, and the barring from office of Jews, Catholics and alien born. On other things the Klan will have no hold on the officials or the legislatures, and must let the winning party program' take its course.

.. ... w

memoes

are! all dangerous ' and

migni ne serious Indeed. Perhaps I am little weary of many, menaces, hut la spite of these things I can not see that it is likely to do any great or irreparable harm.

Saving Sense of Fairness The Klan leaders might, of course, develop delusions of grandeur run wild, meddle with many things and even try to persecute someone. But they will not do this in their present

temper, and they are very unlikely to try. Against excesses stands in the first place the saving sense of

fairness whieh has held America

back time and time again in crises. There is also the well-known fact that responsibility usually makes leaders more sober rather than more reckless. And there is the final fact, already explained, that if they do try to involve the Klan in new issues, it will go to pieces. They will be pressed to "broaden out" by the fanatics and grafters in-

they shall elect. Last fall he woke side the Klan, and by advisers out-

up tlie day alter election to nna side, who will lay before them many

and plausible schemes. Some such

i the fight is made secretly it will be , baffling. j Advantage in Secrecy I . Nor is there much chance that the ' opposition can find out in advance j what the Klan intends to do, a danger which one politician told me was enough in itself to defeat the Klan. They could do this easily if i the Klan plans had to be confided in

advance to the whole membership, ! ; for a leak would be almost certain.

; But the klan takes no such risk

that both of his hand-picked beauties

had been snowed under by a man whose name he had not even heard. His bewilderment and distress were piteous. He is still in a daze, as if the sun had risen in the west, the United States government had gone bankrupt and fire had turned cold

I all at. once. He will listen verv. verv

When nnrpfiillv In siwh arlvife and hints

as the Klan will Dresently give him

i

efforts are already making trouble inside the Klan. The leaders will lose some of their followers with each refusal to support any folly, though less than if they1 adopt it. The result in local elections will be about the same. The Klan record so far shows that these victories will mostly be with reform tickets, and

most of the successes

; aeout oeieeates 10 uie iiauuimi tun- 1 , i i ,.

i ventions and next fall s candidates. m ,aaAAr. ,., tn

lS S-e. f 5 , r I the organization permanent after its The Klan system is just as ef-, immediate issus have passe(li fee t.ve where there are rival bosses , educational and good-

ui i u j j o o v . t i iTdi vuuuiuttbvt,., v iiuci

in the election or the primaries Each knows that to win he must have a few dozen or hundred or thousand votes in addition to his regular strength, and hold all that

i sueiigiii. iu eacn 01 uiese 1110 rvian

AV:th its members waiting for "the 1 word," thaT word can be held back!

i till the last moment, often even till i

Anll-lilaii Groups j tin; last hour before the polls close, When I pointed ont to Dr. Evans w,,cn n wiu be far t0 latc for any that the Klan by uniting these i opposition to act. The Klau's sysgroups was likely to insure not onlv Um of Passing information has been

its own defeat, hut the defeat of t hp I lt.cieu 10 a poim wnere, i am as

goes, saying in effect: Inside Information "We control a large number

(Citizenship program and plans for ! government reforms. This might be I done, but this program, so far, is so nebulous that it presents no basis I for forming any conclusions. It would make of the Klan a very dif -j ferent organization. It appears, then, that the Klan is

Good Sense In Evidence For one thing, we can depend very largely on the general good sense and fairness of the members. They are not a mob, nor naturally cruel or unjust. The flare of prejudice

will die quickly unless fed from out

side. One correspondent declares

that if the Klan is not suppressed it- will be burning convents in New

York, as was done by a mob. in the

thirties. If this is possible, then the decidedly alien government of New York needs overhauling, even as the Klan says. But I ean not believe it possible, even with all allowance for what the mob spirit may do with ordinarily decent folks. And the Klan leaders I have seen would be the first to stop such an outrage, if the city government failed. In the second place, the Klan is getting bettor. Some of its worst

teatures are almost gone, others are going. The leaders are of a more balanced type than at first, are being sobered by power, and the better

class membership that lias recently joined is taking control. As to an "invisible government" that seems sheer nonsense. The Klan is . a reform movement, working largely through politics, using the usual political methods. Any

it has won ' group control of government is a

menace, out wo nave survived a i

good many of them, some of which were invisible, and the Klan is not the worst of the lot. Our system provides the means "by which any group can be ousted if it gets too strong or overbearing, and the Klan

Machiavellian brain among them. On the other hand, they are apparentlyoverwhelmed with their own success, vastly sobered by it, troubled as to what to do with it, fearful of leading but driven on by the force they have raised. Finally, it seems almost impossible that the Klan can be destroyed. The momentum is too great, the demand for some action of the kind it promises too intense. The leaders are leading only in the sense that they-are out in front; they as well as the ranks are in the grip of their

ideas and can not stop. The Klan

has grown from a few thousands to a few millions in the face of ridicule, prosecution, persecution and weakness. Now it is rich and powerful I can conceive of nothing likely to be effective against it until it begins to break down from the inside. The only possibility is to find other and better means of meeting the problems and evils which give it strength, and this method the most bitter of its enemies are the least inclined to follow.

The movement can, however, be guided, the dangers lessened, its

really valuable possibilities put to better use. The leaders themselves are anxious for guidance, they are seeking it everywhere and offering large pay to some of the best brains iii the country to tell them what to do what they can do with their power. They are suspicions, too, having already had such experience with mnch wrong ndvlce of all

kinds. But counsel they believe to be disinterested, patriotic and fair they will follow. It is to this, it seems to me, that Ihbso who fear the Klan movement should now turn their energies.

There is undoubted danger for them in such an effort, for the opprobrium

that promises to have'ltny valued whatever In dealing with the 'movement.' . - - 1 :' - ,tfk Expresses Thanks May I add a'word-'of thanks. to the many Outlook readers who have written to give facts, advice, criticism, and sometimes commendations. All their letters have been helpful, particularly the criticisms, and I regret that it is impossible for me to answer and debate with each one.

My anssser, however, would be' about the same, both to the New Yorker who wrote "the Klan never did anyone any harm,", and to the Florida preacher who declares that "We have had enough of shooting, whipping and burning in the name of the Lord." The answer is that the Klan is so vast and varied an, organization that almost everything that anyone has said about it, good or bad, is true in spots. No fair reporter Tjould do less, nor could he base his reports on the facts in any one locality, or small group of localities, as each of my correspondents has done. I can not

hope that I have been able to be always fair, or always to find the full truth, and the one virtue I can claim for these articles, is that they do tell all the essential facts that my limited abilities and a strong desire for fairness have been able to find.

useii is prooi 01 tnis. since it is a ; which foliowed the Know-Nothings reaction against other groups which ! mnv vprv Hilv attflph to ariv

who give aid or comfort to the Klan

have had much power and used it

unwisely. Its political program may be wrong, but it is negative. If it does stop immigration, for example, and we find the.t we need

very principles of Americanism for I which it is standing, he minimized the danger. He declared that the very characteristics which have pre-; Vented the different national and reliious groups from becoming as- j wimiluted, would also prevent their j joining for any one effective action, j Tins may be true in some ways, but i there is already plenty of evidence!

that they are willing to join at least, to bent the Klan. It is In meeting this opposition

Hint (he klau's secrecy comes to its! hlphest value, for the alien groups , can not unite against Klan candidates nnless they know whom Ihei Klan Is supporting, and they are barred from uniting on openly alien candidates of their own because of , the certainty that this would drive ; all Americans into the Klan ranks, injuring its victory. So thev must i work on the ilpfeiiKif-fTso in i

?ey. But. t.h.r:y--ha"ve not and can

surcd, the entire membership can be reached in less than two hours afler the machinery is started. There are more than five thousand ofl'ces kept open day and night to make this possible. Altogether it seems that in this very complex situation the great solidity and the amazing organization of the Klan give 'it the advantage. If it does get the nine

a large number of

votes. We won't tell you how many; 'you can do your own guessing. But some of them you have counted in our own support and some are against you. We can

throw the whole block either w-ay.

tics, a power whose sudden rise is j more aliens, the lack an very one of the most amazing in history ' easiy be righted, almost incredible. Its methods in ! 11 seems clear, too, that the Klan this field are even more effective is doing much good along with the than in others, but largely because j harm. Its local reforms are likely they are not unusual, are less open j to be as temporary as the fervor to criticism leveled exclusively at ! and prejudices it has aroused, bul

We also know many things about 'the Klan. They are different chiefly j ltiev can at least be set off against your nrivate affairs, and have in-1 in that thpv have heen raised to an ' those evils. And its services in

fiuence with many of your business uncanny efficiency, customers and associates. Here, j ,". , . , then, is a pledge that will satisfy us! I A,ms -mmend Approval Sign on the dotted line." I The Klan's aims, - in local camHow many will dare refuse? And : paigns, must usually command ap of those who do dare, how many proval and are supported nationally will the Klan be able to beat? These i by a very large body of opinion

are the Questions that must be an- i which at the same time condemns

But there is nothing , else in sight

DEAFT RESOURCES IN WAR WASHINGTON, Feb. 20. Authority to draft all material resources and industrial organizations in time of war would be given the president under a bill introduced by Senator Capper (Rep.), Kansas.

The only mine in Austria producing arsenic is one that -obtains about 18 per cent ,ot that metal from its gold and silver concentrates.

j million members it may reasonably swered before one can estimate the the Klan organization and methods,

E. II. COOK KF.W AMD I SKn fiOODS KornMarr, Stnira and Tool HI (beat I'rlr Paid for Vmtd Tool Circle 2145 t5U-(V6S K. Washington St.

expect it will also have an ad

vantage in numbers. The one thing that is clear is that in the coming campaign there will be a mess of underground plotting, secret manipulation, hypocritical, candidates and gi neial wool-pullir,', and lying such a this country has never seen.

The blame for this at first thought j but finds out what to do.

rests on tne Klan, which has caused th? crisis." It seems, however, that in fairness the real blame must go

bark to the politicians and groups f which for years have been dickering j openly or secretly, by the filthy j methods described. The political j crimes committed at the demand of i the German vote, the Catholic vote, ; the Jewish, Italian, Polish, negro, or Irish vote, have been so many and become so notorious that they have

automatically aroused opposition

j stirring up thought and focussing

aueniion on me evus wnicn now Ihreaten Americanism are lery great. This might lead to solutions, even if the Klan does not find them or bring them itself. There is a bitter need of some drastic action to stop the flood of unassimilable immigration, to Americanize the alien groups which arc hostile to Americanism, to meet

INDIANAPOLIS CANDY CO. 225-227 East Maryland Street Indianapolis, Indiana Manufacturers of U-K.no Brands Candies

Klan's chances of victory this fall, i and its standard of narrow and ex-

Only a partial answer is possible I elusive Americanism. It is sharply

now. In local elections where the ! restricted lo its own limited field by ; and defeat the influences whichare party loyalty is weak "and national j the nature ot" its membership, is J definitely trying to pervert and de-

FHONB BELMONT 382

O. T. TATUM PLSSGand

1 106 niVR ATBNVB

Efficient Service

INDIANAPOLIS

issues do not enter, the system should work almost perfectly, for the reasons already given, until or

i unless the opposition not only unites

This sys

tem has resulted in the thousands of victories already mentioned, and will undoubtedly win thousands more. Nationally, it will work far less perfectly. Insofar as the Klan can work in the primaries and conventions of both parties, and succeed in

choosing both candidates, it will i succeed eomnletelv. This will han- i

hardly likely to go outside it, and faces sure and swift destruction when, or if, it does. It-? buccess will be great unless the elements it .attacks contrive an opposition both solid and clever, and can bo assured almost exactly by the ability that apposition show'. Its chance of success, finally, is considerable, but the' victory will have within itself factors likely to lead to disorganization. If I may go back for a brief review

of the previous articles, it seems that the evidence shows that the Klan is

today a great power for good or evil

pen in a good many cases. It will j , every phase of ufe as well as in

HAIR CUT 25c Stubbins Hotel Barber Shop Crntr Ceorgta tnd IlliBt'.t Slrtiti Wm. E. Haywood, Proprietor

Not all members of the races or re- j even win the power to choose who

i:f,ius iiMuieu m-iujiK 10 mese group- si,ail rUn for president on IJbth voting blocks, by any means, but tickets, or at least to say who shall the blocs are there, and are and j nr,t run. its chance of doing this is have been activsj often viciously best in the Democratic convention, active. The Klail in politics is only ; where a third of the deleeat.es can

ine more or less acciuenuii venicie

certainly put a gooa many rvian noliti(.s has miH,e a tremendous

candidates into congress. It may i .,. ,.. ,-ii,im. imnrtnt

A. L. CHARLES rAlKTEIl AND DECOHATOIl V, hmlrr 072O 2227 BHOOKS1DK AVE.

TINNER Oitlfr RrpatrlBK, Flrat-Olaaa Work. RitlmKn Faralafce. Faraaca rlraala aaa) rcaalrlaa;. Rao Sac at ajl klada. ALBERT SCHACKE Irv. M49 U B. afloklgai

JOHN W. WHETSTINE 4S14 East 31st St. Webster oM GROCERIES AND MEATS

Cirri 3N0

Waafctagton 2666

THE UMIVtBSAl CA W. A. WALLER

MINNESOTA GROCERY MEAT MARKET 801 H. Sherman Drive Phone Irving-ton 0364 QUALITT 0.NLY THE FINEST

L.O.TOMEY GROC ERIES, COAL AND FEED Dr. 7M7 University Heights

of the necessary and righteous attempt to thwart thrm. Power Will Be Very Great In the coming election the power : of the Klan as a mugwump minority, j although subject to the offset of ; whatever union the anti-Klan groups ; may effect, will be very great. Re-

; member that the results of any elec- ! tion would be changed if half of the j winners' plurality changed sides. Hcmember that the Klan now has i 4,500,000 members, that it is ilkely S to have 9,000,000 and expects to have ! 12,000,000 by November. Then con- . sider that in the presidential elections in this century (doubling the ; figures before 1920 to allow for the . doubled voting strength under woman suffrage) the average plurality of the winning party has been

only a little over 3,500,000, so that an averaee chance of 1.800.000 votes

j-would have changed every election! ; In many cases a change of 750,000 j would have been enough. I Consider also that in most coni gressional districts a majority of 10,000 is rare, and that in normal 1 years a plurality of 60,000 for a

; state ticket is high. Finally, remem- : ber that this is a year when all i politicians expect a close vote. It ' is plain that if the Klan can make 1 even a fraction of its members take

i its' advice, and can escape solid and iefiective opposition, it may very

easily win overwhelmingly. But this is only a part of the Klan's political power. As great, if not greater,. is the effect it can have privately oh candidates, on officials after they are elected, and above all on bosses. They can not tell how many votes the Klan might cast, they can not by any means be sure of any offsetting support, they are

open to the non-political pressure which the Klan can apply so effectively. Their easiest course will always be to fall in with the Klan'a demands. This form of terrorism of politicians, of threat of reprisal combined with promise of reward, is a common feature of our politics, but the Klan use it with unprecedented force.

Politicians Qniet It is already doing so. I have not yet met a single minor politician who is willing to speak openly

against the Klan, and except for a

few of the Democratic leaders and

Theodore Roosevelt a possible candidate in a state where the Klan is weak and alien opposition would be

fatal there is -no record ot any of

them taking aucb a atand recently,

prevent the nomination of any par

ticular man. But if it wins only half success in the primaries and can nominate men who are satisfactory on one and not on both tickets either for congress or the presidency, further success will be more doubtful. To win then

it would have to induce a vast num

ber of men and women to break their old party ties, which would be one of the greatest feats in political history. It probably could win a close election; it could hardly do so if the issues or the candidates Rot any great grip on the public. Still people are not voting as regu

larly as they used to, and a good

grade American tnougtit and purpose. Has Found No Devil I have been asked by several people whether there is behind the Klan some mighty, Machiavellian brain, controlling the movement and directing it to hidden , and possibly Satanic ends. I have seen no sign of anything like this. The leaders with whom I have talked speak as those having authority in themselves, and there is certainly no

Quality Printing

Legitimate Prices

HENDREN PRINTING COMPANY

(Incorporated) INDIANAPOLIS, IND.

465 Century Bldg.

MA in 0466

eforins. and can no longer be con

sidered a gang of hoodlums, criminals, or a mob. Instead it is respectable, largely composed of very decent, w ell-meanlntr and well-be

haved people of the kind wlio are

the backbone ot the nation, its lunatic fringe and parasitic elements are

large and dangerous, but not typical ;

nor remarkable. It has sprnntr nn because of very

real grievances and evils, in response to a growing demand for reform which was seeking leadership. It offers this brings the movement to a high intensity, unity and fine morals. It presents solutions which appeal in manyways to certain types of

minds, and has grown so amazingly j

largely because there is today, so far as these problems and this demand for reform go, no alternative except to ioin the Klan or be content with

many of the Kluxers are one-time i conversation. It has done mnch good, Progressives, who have learned how both in improving the conduct of Its

to bolt

Kept Guessing These are the factors in- a problem that is making gray hair for national leaders in both parties. They know that the alien groups have little party loyalty, and will swing en masse behind a plank attacking the Klan. They know that the Klansmen, especially in the south, have always been so partybound that even an anti-Klan plank could hardly make them change, but

they can not be quite sure that the Klan influence might not do it this time. They can not guess, either,

how many Klansmen might be led across the party line by a pro-Klan plank that would drive off all the

aliens. The problem is to decide whether pro-Klan, anti-Klan, or silence will be most profitable. The problem, it will be noted, is different for the two parties, because the bulk of the alien vote is now normally Democratic. One more point should be noted.

Although the Klan question will be

uppermost in the minds ot local poli

ticians in over half the country, and will have a vital and perhaps decid

ing effect on the whole situation, it

will be kept in the background as far as possible. Neither the Klan leaders, nor the politicians who ace either with them or against them or

on the fence, want it brought into the open. It will inevitably break out in spots, but on the whole we face an election in which one of the

most important and decisive factors

will be almost invisible and inaudi

ble.

And if the Klan wins? That will

mean in the first place the enact

ment of " its national program; re

striction of immigration and natural

ization, vigorous encouragement and

some reform ot the public schools,

members, In influencing the conduct of others and in cleaning up bad local conditions. Unable to Indict I have been unable to frame any indictment of the Klan for sins which does not cover other secret organizations, based also on narrow

race and religious division. No r?a-4

son has appeared why it must be suppressed so long as they are tol

erated. The Klan may claim, with

out possibility of disproof, that

these threaten Americanism directly

as well as indirectly while its menace is only indirect and its direct action is defensive of the national spirit, that they were first In the

field, chose the weapons ana gave the provocation, and that it has no

choice but to fight them on their

own ground. If that Is true, tne

blame for the situation rests. upon

them, not on the Klan. It may not

be true, but it can not be disproved.

From these facts It may be urgea

that the Klan may do the country

good, like a noxious medicine or a thunderstorm. Certainly- there is

need of a better national digestion

and ot clearer air. It is, I suppose

a matter of nersonal choice whether

one prefers to endure the illness a

little longer or until it gets worse,

or to take such a violent ana ais motive dose.

I should like in concluding this

series to make a few general observations about the Klan which do

not rest on definite proof and which may be no more than personal opin

ions, though I believe them more lm

portant than that

The first is that the Klan Is no very serious menace, it can tlo much

harm, beyond doubt, and will do

some. The nreiudloe it nas re

leased, the turmoil it has aroused,

its wrong principles and wrong

Stllil iiiliHI lillltll llllllll llilllll llililll llllllll Hill Illiilll lllil

6O0OOO

Salesmen are now working for progressive Indianapolis and Indiana concerns and individuals. They reach all the purchasing agents in Indiana, from the executive in the factory, the office and the store to the housewife in the home.

Ada this mighty force to your sales organization by placing your advertisement in the 60,000 copies of the Indiana edition of THE FIERY CROSS,

THE buyers or Indianapolis and Indiana are just as anxious to do business with you as you are to do business with them. Your advertisement in THE FIERY CROSS makes it possible for these buyers to find you when they need your merchandise or services.

A TELEPHONE call will quickly bring one of our representatives to your place ot business and he will gladly "assist you in writing and displaying your copy to- the Jiest advantage. Mr. Businessman, yon will find THE FIERY CROSS one of the best mediums for the promotion of your product or wares.

Phone Lincoln' 5351

Advertising in the FIERY CROSS Surely Gets Results

fill

no lm niiiiii bi mil . minii innni

C

iiitul