oc-plain-dealer 1924-10-03

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1924 THE Invisible En DIST. AT At a meeting overflowing one of the largest auditoriums in about like a football by men, some of whose motives are not attacks upon the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, now come forw Attorney, and since his speech is before us verbatim, we take District Atty. Nelson says: "I have been asked by a committee of representative citizens of your city to give a short talk, etc." We ask Mr. Nelson to publish the names of these representative citizens. We venture that he is ashamed to do so. Nelson says: "A condition exists in your city which is intolerable and that condition exists by reason of the activities of the Ku Klux Klan in your midst." We ask Mr. Nelson to publish in detail the actions of the Anaheim Ku Klux Klan which have rendered the situation intolerable. Mr. Nelson knows the Klan is not responsible for any disturbance. He cannot name one unlawful act of ours. If he cannot then he stood before our citizenship and deliberately lied. If he can name one unlawful act of ours we invite him to immediately able and that condition exists by reason of the activities of the Ku Klux Klan in your midst." We ask Mr. Nelson to publish in detail the actions of the Anaheim Ku Klux Klan which have rendered the situation intolerable. Mr. Nelson knows the Klan is not responsible for any disturbance. He cannot name one unlawful act of ours. If he cannot then he stood before our citizenship and deliberately lied. If he can name one unlawful act of ours we invite him to immediately prosecution. Nelson says: "There is no room for any organization, hooded or otherwise, that seeks to take the enforcement of the law into its own hands." We ask Mr. Nelson to name one case where the Anaheim Knights of the Ku Klux Klan has taken the law into its own hands." This is lie No. 2 in this speech. Nelson says: "When the local Klans began to look after their own affairs, acts of violence began to be perpetrated from one end of the country to the other, wherever the Klan was active. My time is too short", he goes on to say, "to outline to you the long list of outrages which have been committed under the guise of the Ku Klux Klan as it exists at the present time. The crimes range all the way from assault and battery, threatening letter writing, intimidation, up to and including murder itself." Now, Mr. Nelson, the above is a serious charge. We wonder that you would take so much time in telling about Hen Battus and his fighting bulldog when your audience would have appreciated one statement of fact about these numberless crimes which the Klan, as you charge, committed. We defy you to name one case in Orange County, or in California, or in America where the Klan has ever endorsed an unlawful act. Mr. Nelson could tell, if he would, how the Santa Ana Klan made it impossible for District Attorney Nelson to settle out of court, the now notorious Dr. Whitted case, of infamous memory. Perhaps there is a reason for Mr. Nelson's attack upon the Klan. There usually is. Unless Mr. Nelson will name a case of murder for which the Klan is responsible, Anaheim must name this as Lie No. 3. Mr. Nelson says: "At the recent primaries the Klan put forth a ticket seeking to place in nomination a Klansman for every office which is to be filled at the coming election but the people of Orange county were aroused to the situation and the entire ticket was defeated." This is the most glaring lie yet. For with the ticket before him including such names as Senator Kline, Phil D. Swing, C. E. Barr and others. Mr. Nelson says he has the Klan list for Orange county. Then the lie is still more glaring for if he will Mr. Nelson says: "At the recent primaries the Klan put forth a ticket seeking to place in nomination a Klansman for every office which is to be filled at the coming election but the people of Orange county were aroused to the situation and the entire ticket was defeated." This is the most glaring lie yet. For with the ticket before him including such names as Senator Kline, Phil D. Swing, C. E. Barr and others. Mr. Nelson says he has the Klan list for Orange county. Then the lie is still more glaring for if he will look over that list he will find twelve others seeking office, who secured the nomination in this county at the hands of Orange County voters. This goes without question as Lie No. 4. Mr. Nelson says: "When I desire to say that I stand for the purity of womanhood and the sanctity of the home I don't have to say it behind the cover of a hood. I have been perfectly free and open, as has every other good citizen, and perfectly willing to proclaim it from the housetops." Noble! fine sentiment Mr. Nelson, but will you shout from the housetops your attitude in the case of the little girl outraged and insulted by Dr. Whitted, now in San Quentin to expiate for his crime, and made an alleged attempt to make a financial settlement with this father and mother and how that same terrible hooded order stepped in and gave you 24 hours to put in motion the prosecution of this case in the Orange county courts? Is this your idea of saying that you stand for the sanctity of the home and the purity of womanhood? Mr. Nelson says: "The Imperial Wizard was fined $5000 for violation of the Mann Act." Imperial Wizard Evans of Atlanta, Ga., is a member of the Christian Church, and is a thorough Christian gentleman, and is not and never has been guilty as you aver. This is Lie No. 5. Mr. Nelson says: "The Constitution of the United States says: 'All men are blessed with certain inalienable rights,' and THE PLAIN DEALER, ANAHEIM, CALIF. Empire's Answers ATTY. A. P. NELSON at auditoriums in Anaheim, Anaheim Klan No. 16, having hither to remained silent notives are not the very best, and whose personal lives are such as to leave no doubt now come forward with their defense. Since the Hon. A. P. Nelson makes the atrbatim, we take this opportunity to quote from his speech and make such comments "That all men are created free and equal!" Now, one would suppose that a district attorney would know the difference between the Constitution of the United States and the Declaration of Independence. But Mr. Nelson, knowing that the Constitution, which is the basis of our government, does not state the above, and anxious to base his statement, "Now the Klan is out to intimidate and suppress the negro," upon constitutional grounds thinks to get by with his audience depending upon their ignorance of such matters to secure for him their approval of his effort. The people, however, are not so ignorant as might be imagined. Besides, Mr. Nelson knows if he knows anything about the Klan, that where the Klan is strongest the negro is best satisfied with his portion in life. The Klan believes in white supremacy alright but also believes in lending a helping hand to any worthy, though inferior people, such as the negro. his audience depending upon their ignorance of such matters to secure for him their approval of his effort. The people, however, are not so ignorant as might be imagined. Besides, Mr. Nelson knows if he knows anything about the Klan, that where the Klan is strongest the negro is best satisfied with his portion in life. The Klan believes in white supremacy alright but also believes in lending a helping hand to any worthy, though inferior people, such as the negro. Mr. Nelson defies "any man to show him one single constructive act, one single constructive thing which the Klan has ever accomplished." Is compelling District Attorney Nelson to prosecute Dr. Whitted constructive? Perhaps not from Whitted's point of view. In Los Angeles you will find a home for crippled children in operation under the auspices of the Ku Klux Klan. Is this constructive? In Kentucky the Bible is now read in the public schools; also, in several other states. In California the Klan will be found helping with all its power to assist the Christian people to place the Bible in the schools of the state. Is this constructive? Is helping to put the late immigration bill into the law of our land constructive? The Klan did that. Mr. Nelson well knows that his position is false. This is no. (well what is the use of numbering them. The entire address was one misrepresentation after another.) If this is the strongest that can be put forward against the Klan then, indeed, citizens should have no alarm about this order. Mr. Nelson says: "Sooner or later every movement of this kind founded upon such principles has wound up in bloodshed and war." Here Mr. Nelson sees red. However, he need not be alarmed for to date every drop of blood that has been shed has been the blood of a Klansman shed by his enemies. An example is in Carthage, Pa., where a Klansman was shot down in cold blood while marching in parade. He was carried out by his friends and the lines were not broken, but his companions marched forward singing "Onward, Christian Soldiers." Mr. Nelson says: "By their system of boycott they stir up business unrest." Mr. Nelson is mistaken here. The Klan does not boycott. They do practice klanishness. That is, they seek to assist each other vocationally. On a Sunday night not long ago, Dr. Geissinger asked his members who were in business to stand up and state their business. Thus he encouraged his members to observe remedy: Holy Bible ledge of the remove ther from the beam out o the mote o the quotat attitude to Mr. N peace and and that is Nelson ass any kind that the S all the San them out b of kindnes proval." frowned o An i n received h withstanding officer sto for signature out of the diction, an hero who w district att though ther applause, s of the atto there was had finished of 1600 w person there audience o people ma they still h the statement mony with forces. E comes from above these co-operate e Mr. Nelson says: "By their system of boycott they stir up business unrest." Mr. Nelson is mistaken here. The Klan does not boycott. They do practice klanishness. That is, they seek to assist each other vocationally. On a Sunday night not long ago, Dr. Geissinger asked his members who were in business to stand up and state their business. Thus he encouraged his members to observe so they might more readily assist vocationally those of like faith. This is a well known practice among all fraternal orders. The Klan encourages vocational assistance for each other. But to organize a boycott against anyone they do not. Mr. Nelson says: "I know I have been district attorney since the inception of the Klan in Orange County and I do know that I never got one single scintilla of constructive information of any character from the Klan as an organization or from any individual member thereof." Mr. Nelson knows the above is false and his records will fail to verify his statement. He has one warrant issued from his office and served by the sheriff on a man for possession of liquor the name of a well known exalted Cyclops, with whom Mr. Nelson held several consultations in his office. However, when a district attorney acts as he did in the Dr. Whitted case he can expect the Klan to hesitate about giving him their information. Mr. Nelson states: "That he knows of four Klansmen boot-legging, just as well as if he stood in their place of business and saw the transactions take place." He further states: "I know of a druggist who boasts that he joined the Klan for protection." The Klan invites Mr. Nelson to expose these Klansmen. The Klan will encourage his prosecution of the above four boot-leggers by offering him a bonus of $25 for each conviction. The KKK would be only too glad to kick out from their midst such unworthy people. However, this is only to add another number Answer to NELSON remained silent while their good name was kicked as to leave no doubt about why they are making their makes the attack upon us officially as District such comments upon it as we deem proper. to the already large list of lies. The Klan will join hands with any group of citizens to assist in running to earth the law violators of Orange County. They will join hands with the Jews, the Catholics and the Negroes to accomplish this purpose. Will this challenge be accepted? And now comes the remedy. Mr. Nelson offers as the remedy: He starts his remedy by attempting to quote from the Holy Bible. But his knowledge of that is similar to his knowledge of the constitution. He gets it twisted. Says he: "First remove the mote from its own eye before it seeks to take the beam from the eye of the public." The Bible says: "First cast the beam out of thine own eye, and then thou shalt see clearly to cast the mote out of thy brother's eye." There is enough difference in the quotations if actually practiced to change Mr. Nelson's whole attitude toward the Klan. Now the remedy: He starts his remedy by attempting to quote from the Holy Bible. But his knowledge of that is similar to his knowledge of the constitution. He gets it twisted. Says he: "First remove the mote from its own eye before it seeks to take the beam from the eye of the public." The Bible says: "First cast the beam out of thine own eye, and then thou shalt see clearly to cast the mote out of thy brother's eye." There is enough difference in the quotations if actually practiced to change Mr. Nelson's whole attitude toward the Klan. Now the remedy: Mr. Nelson says: "There is one way and only one by which peace and harmony can be restored in this and other communities and that is by driving the Klan from our midst." Just here Mr. Nelson assured his audience that he would allow no violence of any kind in performing this. Perhaps just here he remembered that the Santa Ana Register carried an article which stated that all the Santa Ana police were Ku Kluxers. But he says: "Drive them out but use no violence." Perhaps he will advise the use of kindness. But he says: "Place upon it the stamp of disapproval." In other words Mr. Nelson asks that the Klan be frowned out of Orange County and the Nation. An interesting sidelight upon how his audience in Anaheim received his suggestions (a certain newspaper to the contrary notwithstanding) is to be found in the fact that when the presiding officer stood to present Nelson's Anti-Klan organization cards for signature the audience arose as one man and literally swept out of the building like a gust of wind, not waiting for the benediction, and when the few that were left looked about for their hero who was starting to "drive out the Klan" he was gone. The district attorney had vanished. Another interesting fact is that, though the attorney paused suggestively at rhetorical intervals for applause, significant silence prevailed. Not once was a sentence of the attorney approved by the usual handclapping. At the end there was a scattering applause as if there was some joy that he had finished. The Klan does not flatter itself that that audience of 1600 were all Klansmen, but it does feel confident that every person there frankly disapproved of the presenting to an Anaheim audience of a message of nothing but outright lies. Anaheim people may not always agree with each other but, Mr. Nelson, they still have a sense of honor. The audience knew well that the statements were not true. Every activity in Anaheim not in harmony with peace and goodwill has emanated from anti-Klan forces. Every resolution passed anywhere against the Klan comes from the same ugly source. The Klan has held itself above these petty topics and will continue to do so. They will co-operate with every constructive effort for the betterment of our city. However, they will resist any effort looking toward the people may not always agree with each other but, Mr. Nelson, they still have a sense of honor. The audience knew well that the statements were not true. Every activity in Anaheim not in harm mony with peace and goodwill has emanated from anti-Klan forces. Every resolution passed anywhere against the Klan comes from the same ugly source. The Klan has held itself above these petty topics and will continue to do so. They will co-operate with every constructive effort for the betterment of our city. However, they will resist any effort looking toward the restoration to power and influence that group of men who were ousted as a result of the Judge Brown episode. The Klan stands organized with determination to see that this country's laws are properly enforced. It proposes to do this through the regularly constituted officers of the law. If an officer is found who seeks to thwart justice as in the now infamous Dr. Whitted case, they very frankly will seek to support a more worthy man to prosecute cases. For years the same people now in the Klan fought with the anti-Saloon League to outlaw the organized liquor traffic. Now those same forces are organized in the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan to co-operate with the anti-Saloon League and other similar organizations in fighting for proper law enforcement and will fight, win or lose, until the last officer who winks at crime is driven out of office and men who love justice are put in their places. We expect that here and there we will lose a battle. In Anaheim and Orange county we are fighting the same men we fought when the liquor traffic was outlawed. Now, as then, we will drive them from the sacred temple of the law. We are asking for no quarter and expect to give none. Let him who is on the Lord's side stand forth and let them who are cowardly return to their tents for Christian soldiers are on the march, and the battle cry is forward! ANAHEIM KLAN NO. 16 (Over 1400 Members)