~ --1 he Sunday Bee: Omaha, September Z, l»Z-J------7*A
Spirit of Prejudice Bred by Klan to Embitter Political Battles
_ a __
^lain Idea
Opposition
to Aliens
Movement May Blow Up, Says
Mark Sullivan, but Its Intol
erance Will Leave Deep
Scars on Public Mind.
Called a Bad Influence
My MARK SULLIVAN.
It may not be agreeable to admit
It, but If you are dealing with po
litical realities it is necessary to take
into account the fact that the Ku
Klux Klan may be a. considerable
factor in the presidential situation
next year. At least either the Ku
Klux Klan as such may be a political
factor or the spirit animating the
Klan Is likely to be.
The Ku Klux Klan ns a country
wide organization Is always in danger
of blowing up. There Is an actuarial
law which affects every organization
of this kind favorably at the begin
ning, but adversely after a time. So
long as there is a country wide vir
gin territory in which 10 sell member
ships the agents are able to do very
well. The Intricate system of asents,
superintendents, district managers
and so on apply their h gh-pressure
business methods and the organiza
tion expands very rapidly. But there
always comes a time -when the terri
tory is more or lesa saturated and
there develops what people in tills
line of business call "sales resist
ance." At that point unless there has
^J»en the most expert actuarial wis
l^^om and the most car ful conserving
of financial resources there is danger
of the agents dropping out and the
whole system of driving salesmanship
breaking up.
Something like this has happened
in the past to many organizations'
formed on the same basis as the Ku
Klux Klan, and experienced persons
have learned to look for this kind of
an end to the kind of organiznt.on
that the Ku Klux Klan on a business
side is.
Something Back of It.
But even If the Ku Klux Klan a;;
an organization and as a business in
stitution should blow up, there will
still remain the spirit which animates
it. Also many of the local groups
might continue with undiminished vi
tality.
This brings us to tbs point where,
merely for the sake of clearness, we
ought to take a look at the Ku Klux
Klan In a ststo of mind completely
divorced from prejudice. It 1s a tact
that some of the principle* of the
Klan are utterly inconsistent with
the theory of democratic government.
It is a fact that some of its practices
are as odious as possible. ,It is true
that much—in fact, most—of what
been said in condemnation of the
W^Sn and its activities is entirely jus
tified. Nevertheless, if we are going
to be clear let us stop to inquire Just
why it ts that so many people join
the Klan.
From the beginning there was a sit
uation at the very heart of the high
er organization of the Klan so bad
that under ordinary circumstances
the Institution could not possihly
have lasted. That alone would have
destroyed the Klan unless there had
been somewhere in It, or in the ideas
behind it, a good deal of vitality.
Furthermore, the wide publicity it
tending some of the specific outrages
committed by local branches of the
Klan would also have been enough
to destroy the whole institution un
less thera had been In it something
that appeals to large numbers of per
sons. From the beginning the Klan
aas been under attack and criticism
from newspapers, from the courts,
from governors, legislatures and con
gress. The fact that these attacks
ha^e not destroyed the Klim must
cause any clear minded person to
pause a moment and seek to find out
what is in the minds of those who
Join the Klan that keeps It alive tn
spite of the well justified attacks up
on if. There must be some curious
element of vitality In an Institution
which persists In spite of so much
ttjat is evil In itself and in spilo of
eo many attacks upon It.
histrust of Foreigners.
One is justified in guessing that in
broadest sense the spirit which
beeps the Ku Klux Klin alive and
growing is a widespread distrust of
all things foreign—a suspicion that
aliens and alien influences have pen
etrated to a degree not wholly un
derstood. but vaguely suspected, into
places of power In the t'nited States.
Tt Is not meant to assert that this
suspicion Is true, tt is merely meant
to say that the suspicion exists and
that this suspicion accounts to J
large degree foe the vitality of the
Ku Klux Klan.
One of the reasons for this wide
spread suspicion and one of the prin
cipal conditions that gave rise to the
spread of the Klan was the cam
naign of 1920. It is true that the
Klan had been’ formed some five
\ i »ars before. Rut. up to 1920 It had
I nerely struggled along feebly In on*
southern state, had acquired only
nome 5,000 members and had con
ern“d Itself wholly with the specific
oca I southern problem of the negro.
More nsrrowdy, the principal motive
•or the local existence of the Klan
II the south up to 1920 was the fact
t,.it negro soldiers, having heen to
■Vance and having found there a
lain of fieling about, the relations
>• the races very different from wh.it
• x.sts In America, returned to their
oulhern homes indisposed to fall
,ack into the traditional social and
political position Insisted upon by the
•outhern white. It was under these
' circumstances that, the Klan got 'ts
Jltt local Impetus In the south for
Ida purpose of maintaining the old
lolnl standards about the, relations
* v*f the races.
w If the Ku Klux Klan had heen con
'Ined to this activity It would n»xcr
iav# got far beyond the aotith and
aould not have become a political
Victor of any consequence.
miter I nderctirvenf.
It was In 1920 or thereabouts th.it
ilia kldri ceased to be a local organ I
Omaha Masonic Lodges Presented
With Historic 24-Hour-Made Aprons
I i 7i—i 1 i i-1-- ■ ...... . - i . i i - ■ '
t-.vC. ml trom (he left is .Maj. Gen. .Mason M. Patrick, chief of the l’. 8.
air service.
Sixth from the left Is Gen. William Mitchell, assistant chief of the air
service.
Each Blue lodge of Masons In
Omaha now has one of the Masonic
aprons which figured In the Shrine
convention In Washington, t>. C. last
June. Two hales of cotton were trans
ported hy airplane from Augusta, Ga„
to New Bedford, Mass., the cotton was
spun Into thread, the thread woven
Into cloth and the cloth was made into
uprons and taken by air from New
Bedford to Washington, all In the
space of 24 hours.
Last Tuesday night at a meeting of
the Masters and Warders' club of the
Masonic lodges of Greater Omaha
Col. J. H. Parker, under direction
from the War department, presented
the aprons with appropriate cere
monies.
zation and got its impetus on a nation
wide scale. This impetus, one may
reasonably estimate, was associated
with the nature of the 1920 campaign.
That campaign revolved about the
propcsal that America should Join the
league of nations. Those who op
posed the league fell into a mood
where they were suspicious not only
of the league, but of all things for
eign. It was a mood that expressed
itself frequently ns an isolated Amer
icanism. It was a determination that
America should stand aloof. Argu
ments brought up for our refusing ‘O
Join the league laid emphasis on the
fundamental d fference between Amer
ican ideals and the practices of other
countries. It became almost a slogan,
and it certainly was a part of the
atmosphere, that America was in
danger of losing its independent iden
tity. Those who advocated our Join
ing the league of nations were charged
with having permitted international
ism to overcome their native Ameri
can patriotism.
Out of all this grew a fear and a
distrust of everything foreign, a sus
picion that persons, some in Europe
and some in America, were engaged
in an effort to undermine our older
Americanism. That campaign of 1920
on the part of the opponents of the
league of nations was frequently
savage and reckless. Those who mere
ly read the metropolitan newspapers
may not have known it. But some
of the minor anti-league orators and
organizers who went Into local com.
munities were extremely unrestrained
In the suspicion they cast upon the
motives of those who favored our
joining the league of nations.
Built l pon Suspicion.
It was out of this that there arose
a widespread suspicion—a suspicion
which was the stronger in proportion
as it was vague—that America and
Americanism were In danger . It was
this suspicion which the promoters of
the Ku Klux Kiuti exploited and built
upon. Some of them did it for purely
business reasons becuuse there was
profit to them in the expansion of the
membership of the league. Rome
others did it for motives which, while
Ill-informed or narrow, were entirely
sincere. This is the thing which It
is necessary to admit about the klan
Jf wo are to deal with It In the spirit
most likely to cure It.
It is a fact beyond any doubt that
In many of the small communities
throughout tip south and w»st the
local membership of the Ku Klux
Klan includes some of the best men
in the community. This fact ha*
I, n recited to the writer again and
again by persona whose Information
and judgment arc not to be ques
tinned. And this i« the fact about
the klan which we must deal with in
a spirit of tolerance. The chief In
dictment against the klan Is that
It Is Intolerant, that It promotes In
tolerance, exploits intolerance Those
of us who are against Intolerance,
who are on the side of tolerance,
rnuci consider the Idea of beginning
by being tolerant about the klan It
self, or at least of being tolerant to
the extent of inquiring what are the
honest motives of some men who
join It. The best disinfectant of In
tolerance is tolerance. Not neoes
rarity and not at all tolerance of evil
practice, hut rather a tolerant and
open-minded spirit of inquiry to find
out just what are the mistakes of
Information and understanding which
cause some honest men to become
members and advocate of the klan
If we are to offeet successfully an
Institution which is really threatening
to our American theory of govern
ment it Is better to go about It. not
with a club and not with a spirit of
hate as great as that of the klan It
self, but with a spirit of understand
lng.
Opposed |o Immigration.
One of the concrete expression* of
the spirit hack of the Ku Klux Klan
Is opposition to Immigration. A great
many Americana, many of them lead
crs. many of them men of the highest
und< ratandlng, have come In recent
sears to believe that the amount of
immigration we have hern receiving
ha* been auch a* to create in many
communities a balunce of power
politically, economically and socially
on the side of the alien. The thought
ful person* who believe this have
stated their belief so earnestly that
throughout all America It hue come
to be shared by large masses of peeo
pU ,
The spirit of opposition (o Immlgra
lion lias already expressed Itself |p a
darstlr Immigration restriction law,
the first genuinely restrictive law we
e\er adopted No more popular meas
ure ever passed congress than Ibis
law. XX hen It > nrnn up In the sennl"
It was passed by a vole of go to 2
and l lie two senator* who voted
against it were men who, like Heed,
of Missouri, tend to take the position
of a small minority in such a way
as to suggest an eccentric individual
ity rather than a normal response
to average public opinion. It is very
rarely that any measure passes the
United States senate by a vote whose
proportions are as 30 to 1. Similarly,
in the house the vote which carried
the immigration restriction law w»*
in the proportion of about 10 to 1.
When any law passes through con
gress by such a vote as this it must
be accepted as expressing accurately
a sincere and widespread state of
public feeling. Perhaps it ought not
to exist, but that fact is it does exist.
Whether you believe in it or not. you
must accept it. And since it must be
accepted, it is best that it should
be accepted in that sprit which is
fundamental in American democracy,
the spirit that the majority shall
prevail.
Prohibition Enters in.
•Another aspect of the spirit which
causes gome men entirely sincere to
Join the Ku Klux Klan Is prohibition.
Prohibition is an American institution.
To European—botli Europeans in
Europe and Europeans In America—
prohibition is Incompi ehens.ble. Eu
ropean newspapers and statesmen
either laugh at it or express amaze
ment at it. To the extent that our
prohibition laws affect Europe they
express the strongest resentment and
complete determination to resist it.
From this it follows that many Amer
icans in those rural communities of
the south and west which believe
strongly in prohibition have come to
think that all aliens are their
enemies.
They have come to believe that the
Kuropean groups who ure suff clently
large In certain American communl
ties to more or less dominate them
politically constitute the chief danger
to prohibition. They see that the
principal centers of opposition to
prohibition are In those large cities
where the alien population Is great
enough to compose, a majority, or
at least to have the balance of pow
er. From this these older Americans
who live In smaller towns and on
the farms have come to think that
the alien groups In the large cltic
are a menace to prohibition and to
other Indigenous American wavs and
haniits of thought.
Suspect Courts and legislatures.
In connection with all this there ts
one conimounly held prejudice which
probably would not stand the test o(
examination. It Is frequently said that
most of the bootlegging, must of the
successful evasion and opposition to
prohibition, comes front aliens There
are communities In the south and
west where the chief cause for start
Ing local branches of the Ku Klux
Klan, and the chief reason why good
rr*n join It. Is The determination to
enforce prohibition. There are corn
munitles where the courts and legis
iat tires are under suspicion of not
being wholehearted in their deter
mlnatton to carry out. the letter of
the law. and In such oommunlMe:
the local Klan arise as an Institution
for the extra legal enforcement of
prohibition and for direct polities! r
tlou In the shape of getting rid of
public official* who fall to enforce
the law to the satisfaction of the
community.
I am not sure that the charge that
moat of the bootleggers are aliens
would bear examination. In many of
the cities doubtless it Is trur But It
is only necessary to remember that
one of the chief centers of opposition
to prohibition and one of the chief
sources of supply of Illicit liquor Is In
communities which are more purelv
Anglo-Saxon than anv other portion
of America; namely, the mountain
valleys of the south, which for genera
Hons have been producers both of
moonshine whisky end determined
opponents of the regulatory laws of
the federal government. This excer
tlon, however, does not alter the fact
of the existence of a widespread feel
Ing that most of our illicit liquor
comes from foreign countries and that
most of the defiance of the law on s
large scale la practiced either by for
elgners or by those who maintain
close relations with foreigners It Is
hardly necessary to expand further on
this. The fact Is that European
aliens, both In Europe and In Amer
ica, do not sympathize with the sttl
tude of the majority of Americans
about liquor, and this fact Is at tbs
bottom of much of that anti alien
spirit which is the biggest part of the I
foundation of the Ku Klux Klan move )
ment.
Tbs purposes of the Ku Klux K'nn
In politics are pretentious. Some of
them vlsualze It as sontelhlng like the
Kaseigtl movement In Italv. which
actually took possession of the gov
ernment by force There Js nothing
In this, of course There Is not much
analogy between the Fascistl and the
Ku Klux Klan except that the Klan
has in a crude. Indefinite way the
same spirit of extreme nationalism
that the Fasclstl have. Moreover, the
more apparent and less forblvable as
pects of the klan, the proscription of
specific groups of Americans be
cause of race or religion. Is so repug
nant to fundamental ways of Ameri
can thought that the Ku Klux Klan
can never possibly attain the power
or vogue that the Fascist! movement
aid.
But, short of this, It maybe antici
pated that In many local elections for
the senate and lower house of congress
the Klan will have a determining
balance of power. In both the great
rational convetlons a considerable
body of the delegates will be men who
will have the point of view of the
klan In respect to principles and can
didates within the scope of the klan's
violent prejudices. Further than that.
It can be taken for granted as surely
as anything in future politics can be
that there will be a further change in
our immaglnatlon laws, and that that
change will be in the direction of
greater restriction.
Admit all the room for honest dif
ference of opinion, but the fact re
maines that this country as a whole
is In a strongly anti-alien mood. To
fight that mood blindly, Instead of
looking on it with tolerance, Is
merely to Increase the Intensity of
the prejudice. When the United
States Chamber of Commerce asks
that the immigration nuota be raised
from 3 per cent to 5 It Is safe to guess
that any particular newspaper clip
pings relating to that will be pasted
In the prospectives of the agents who
are in the business of seeking mem
berships in the Ku Klux Klan for siz
able commissions.
_ ^Copyright, lS28->
Unions to Hold
Labor Day Picnic
at City Parks
Central Labor Llnion to Have
Contests and Speaking at
Krug Park—Carpenters
at Elmwood.
The Central Labor union will hold
It* Labor day picnic Monday at Krug
park, while the Carpenter'* union will
have a separate affair at Elmwood.
Both picnic* will be featured oy
•port* and games.
Vice President Nickerson of the
International Association of Machin
ists will deliver the principal address
at Krug park.
The committees In charge of the
Central Labor unions outing are aa
follows;
General Committee—J. J. Kerrigan
chairman; George Steiner, secretary.
Harry Strosser, treasurer.
Grounds—C. E. Clark, chairman:
M. Courtney, Frank Mansell, A. T.
Clark, G. A. Steiner, Joe Robinson,
Zella Cottrell.
Sports—Otto Niederweiser, chair
man; Henry Bruening, Mrs. Charles
Baker, Joe Robinson, William T
O'Hearn, Mrs. J. M. Gibb, Zella Cot
trell.
Speakers—J. M. Gibb, chairman;
George Norman. George Steiner.
Printing—Monty Collins, chairman;
Charles Rles, J. A. Lochray.
Law arid Order—C. H. Wyckoff,
chairman.
The following contests have been
arranged:
Girls' shoe race: Age8 8 to 12. Shoes
are mixed. Girls must find their own
shoes, put them on and finish race.
Prizes: $3. $2 and $1.
Sack race, boys and girls: Age 8 to
12; 50 yards. Prizes: $3, 82 and $1.
Boys’ race, 50 yards: Age, 8 to 12.
Prizes: $3, $2 and $1.
Boys’ race. 100 yards: Age, 12 to 16
Prizes: $3, $2 and $1.
Ladies’ slipper kicking contest:
Three valuable prizes to the three
ladies kicking slippers farthest.
Fat men's race: 50 yards, 200
pounds or over. Prizes: $3, 82 and $1
Men s race: 100 yards, free for all
Prizes: $3, 12 and 1.
Ladies' race: 50 yards, free for all;
three valuable prizes.
Fat ladles' race: 50 yards. 170
pounds or over. Three valuable
prizes.
Watermelon eating contest for chit
dren under 16. Prizes: $3, 82 and 81
Blackberry pie eating contest for
children under 16. Prizes: 83, 82 and
4t.
Omaha man with paid-up union
card, displaying most union labels on
clothing a cash prize of 85 will oe
given.
The Grain Exchange, banks and
local freight houses will close all day
Labor day, while stores will close at
1 The Consolidated ticket offices in
the Union Pacific building will close
at noon Grocers and butchers will
close at Id.
Equal parts of vinegar and linseed
oil applied to ink stains on wood with
a soft cloth will effectually efface
them.
Sham Battle for
G. A. R. Veterans
at Encampment
j Every Feature of Modern
Warfare to Be Brought
Into Aetion at
Milwaukee.
By Associated Press.
Milwaukee, Sept, 1.—In sharp con
trast to the now obsolete methods
of warfare which remain so vividly
in the rninds of tlie veterans of the
Grand Army of the Republic, a hug
and spectacular sham buttie. in which
all of the modern implements of both
land and naval warfare will be em
ployed, is to be presented as one of
the entertainment features nt the 5T:h
annual encampment of the organiza
tion here September 2-7.
This will be the second time that
Milwaukee has been so honored for
many veterans still recall the good
times they had in this city 34 years
ago. Nearly 20,000 of the veterans
visited Des Moines during the 1022 j
encampment.
A minimum of 35.000 persons wil'
attend the encampment, according >o
James H Williamson, executive secre
tary, in charge of arrangements The
local committee, however, had made
preparations to house 50.000 persons
during the week, every available ac
commodation In the city being util
ized. The colored population of the j
city has arranged ih/mugh the Urban j
league to entertain the colored vetei-l
ans. The sham battle will he staged in
the natural amphitheater on the
Lake Mich gan front. Participating tn
It will be a contingent from the Great
Lakes naval training station, with
.their hydroplanes, bombing planes
subchasers, and other modern naval
paraphernalia; several detachments
from the I’nlted States army and a
large force of Wisconsin guardsmen
| Daily Prayer 1
Let ua offer the sacrifice of pratie to
God.—Heb. J 3 ;t 8
As the morning breaks gently upon
us, O Lord, awakening ua to con
sciousnt ss and opening our eyes to
the light and labor of ea li new day
before the blood-sprinkled mercy seat
we bow. Here w-e would leave out
sins, and loose and lose our weights
and llnd and cherish the full, assur
ance of Thy favor. May Thy face
be unobscured to us today Give u
grace to set our affections where
Christ sitteth, that so we may be
saved from all sordidness of thought,
or word, or deed, and that our lives
may draw their inspirations from
high and holy springs. Help us to
cherish a tender regard for all the
rhlldrtn of God of everv name.
Our eyes are unto Thee. O God
Our hearts would find repose in th<
assurance of our acceptance in the
Beloved. We would yield our mem
hers as Instruments of righteousness
unto Thee, that, by the gracious
power of Thy Spirit we may ourselves
this day grow in grace and knowl
edge and. by our ministry vo others
In Christ's name, brine some into an
experience of His abounding grace.
Hear us. O Lord, because we pray
in that sweet Name in which all Thy
exceeding great and precious prom
Ises are sure. Amen.
REV. THOMAS T SHIELDS.
Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
These coal bulletin*
are being published
to better acquaint
you with the detail*
of the Retail Coal
Situation in Omaha.
Watch for them
Froir> Seventy to Seventy-Two Per
Cent of ihe Mine Price of a Ton
of Coal Goes to Pay Mine Wages
If coal did not have to be mined, but could be
hoisted into freight cars without other labor,
there would be a decided saving to the
consumer.
And if the freight “charge” did not more than
equal the combined costs of coal and mine labor,
again there would be a decided saving to all
Omaha coal consumers.
But, remember—Omaha’s coal supply all comes
from far away points; that 70 to 72 °o of the mine
price of a ton of coal goes to pay mine wages
and that it is sold in Omaha on a smaller margin
of retail profit than in other cities.
Ask your coal man to explain coal costs—he will
he glad to tell you about mine prices, freight
charges, delivery costs and the many other
items which go to make up the retail price on
your favorite fuel, because he wants you to
know every angle of the retail coal business.
THE ASSOCIATED RETAILERS
O/ OMAHA
