“The unmasking of the Klan, which will take place on Washington Birthday is welcome new whatever its sig? of explanation” ## the New York “H? Tribune” in an editorial on Friday. “The hood as a symbol of in? and terrorism, deserves its ## reputation. With the action of the Klan it will lose its last ## of popular sanction. Good–superlatively good–riddance.
“But we cant persuade perceives that this excellent reform will rehabilitate the ## or that it marks anything in the forums of that discredited order except consciousness of defeat and des?. The hood in all probability, has constituted the Klan’s greatest attraction in the eyes of the kind of persons from whom it recruits its membership. Its implied promise of power without responsibility, of the satisfaction of sewage impulse without discovery, makes a powerful appeal to intolerant natures and undoubtedly helped to build the Klan up to the peak it attained only a few short years ago. Its leaders now would not abandon it if they had the power to forestall the anti Klan legislation which an aroused public opinion is threatening.
“In other words, the Klan expect in a few widely separated sections where its grip though relaxing is still maintained is virtually important, and hence is making haste to be good. And in being good such is the irony of fate that dogs an organization founded on race and religious prejudice it is further weakening itself. We car foresee no future stampede of fire-eating native white Protestant 100 per cents to join at $10 a head an order whose only remaining inducements are the nightgown uniform and an opportunity to gnash the teeth in chorus at the mention of Al Smith.
“It may be that Emperor Hiram Evans entertains the nation that the Klan by putting its house in order at this time will find itself in a stronger position to exert some influence on the presidential campaign. If so, he is laboring under a delusion, Except as one of a host of fraternal orders based on dark oaths and fancy ritual The Klan, we should say, is through”
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
