Show KU KlUX KlAN i iI IS I DENOUNCED LA-FOLLETTE LA BY lA I II I Progressive Candidate for Presidency Goes on Record Record Rec Rec- ord in Letter Authorized Authorized Authorized Author Author- for Publication Says White Hooded Order Has Within Its Own Body the Seeds of Death and I Cannot Long Survive w WASHINGTON ASHI Aug 8 Senator S.-Senator Senator I La Follette of ot Wisconsin independent I ent exit candidate f r president in a aletter aletter a. a letter made public today declares he is unalterably opposed to the I evident purposes ot of the secret organization organization or I known as the Ku Klux I Klan as disclosed by its public II acts ts It cannot long survive e continued continued continued contin contin- the senator Relying upon the sound sound judgment judgment and good sense o of our people it is my opinion that I such a movement Is foredoomed It It has within Its own body the seeds of it Its illS death The letter addressed to Robert P. P Scripps newspaper publisher was given out for publication ai fit Senator La Folette's office Declaring De De- De- De daring claring it unfortunate that q qUestions ques questions es- es involving religious opinion and other questions unrelated to toi i vital ital issue of ot the restoration I of ot the government to the people I haye have been raised in this as in other I critical years of our national his his- II tory The letter added INFLAME PASSION Such controversies contro feed upon andIn and In inflame prejudice and passion to the Ute exclusion of issues involving the very life Ufe of ot the government it itself Senator La Follette declared at the outset of ot his letter that the one dominant ail embracing issue in inthis inthis this campaign is to to break the combined comI com corn I power of or the private monopoly monopoly I oly system m over over the political and economic Ute life of ot the American n peo peo- pIe I This power ha e continued con ev every nt branch of hil In In- d st g and ana l It 11 con controls and credits cr and dictates tho the price rl of- of every product necessary to feed teed I clothe lothe warm and nd shelter the the- h haman hu human ha man family To control that which sustains life lite is to control life Itself I This is Is' economic slavery Free government government gov gov- government cannot long exist s side de by byI side with economic e despotism I With reference to the Ku Klux i Klan issue senator said Anyone familiar with my record especially in Sn my own state knows that T r have hav always stood without r reservation against an any discrimination tion between tween b races classes and andI creeds I hold that every citizen I Continued on page page 6 KLUX KU-KLUX KU KLUX KLAN IS DENOUNCED BY LAFOLLETTE LA FOLLETTE Continued from page 1 is entitled to the full exercise of his constitutional rights I TEXT OF LETTER The complete text of ot Senator LaFollette's La LaFollette's Follette's letter dated August 3 3 1924 follows I Mr Robert P. P Scripps I New York City Dear Mr Scripps Your Your letter of of August first received You ask where I stand on the Ku Klux Klan Similar Inquiries have come to me from others I take the lib liberty lib of ot making malting my answer to you public This will Inform all those interested In knowing my attitude on this I question I But first and nd before all else T r nm era hound bound to say say sav that in mv my view I I th the one one dominant all I embracing 1sT issue is- is sue In this campaign is to break J i T the combined power of the private monopoly system over the political and economic life ute of ot the American l I people I This power controls every Important important Im im- T branch of Industry mining Industry mining manufacturing and transportation It controls markets and credits and andI andr I r dictates dictates' the price of ot every prod product ct necessary necessary- to feed clothe warm and andi i shelter the human family To control control control con con- that which sustains life lite Is to c control life itself This is economic slavery Free government cannot long exist side Ide by side with economic econom econom- ic le despotism To this Issue insofar as I amable am amable amable able I shall hold the attention of ot otI the voters of ot this country From I this position 7 shall Sl all not be turned I aside TAKES FIRM STAND I Hence I deem eni it most unfortunate ate that questions Involving ing religious i ious sous opinion and other questions unrelated to the vital issue of the I of ot gov government to the people have hive been raised in this as IlS asin asin in other critical years of our national national national na na- na- na history Such controversies feed upon upon and Inflame prejudice and and passion to the exclusion of is issues issues issues is- is sues involving ing the very life Ute of government government government gov gov- itself This brings me to say In re response to your your inquiry as to my stand on on the Ku Iu Klux Klan that I have met this question in various forms durIng my my public life Anyone familiar with my record especially In my own state knows that I have always stood without 11 I reservation against any against any discrimination i tion between n races classes and creeds I hold that every citizen Is I entitled to the full tull exercise of ot his constitutional rights s I am unalterably opposed opposed to the evident purposes of the secret acts It cannot Ion long survive Relying the sound judgment Judgment judgment Judg judg- ment and good sense of ot our people It is m my opinion that such a movement movement movement move move- ment is foredoomed It has within its own body the seeds of its its its- death QUOTES LINCOLN I Abrah Abraham m Lincoln nearly seventy years jears ago set forth his views on ort this question in a letter to his friend Mr Joshua F. F Speed dated Springfield SprIngfield Spring SprIng- field Ill August 24 24 1855 1856 you inquire where I Inow Inow Inow now stand stand- That Tha Is a disputed point I think I 1 am a a Whig but others say there ther are no Whigs and that Iam I Iam am an Abolitionist I I am not a nothing know-nothing that thatIs Is certain How c could uld I be HoW can anyone who abhors the oppression oppression op op- of ot negroes by degrading classes of ot white people Our progress progress progress ress In degeneracy appears to me tobe to tobe tobe be pretty rapid A As a nation we began b by declaring that all men are created equal 1 Wo We now practically read it all men are created I equal except negroes When the know nothings s get control it will read Men are are- created equal except negroes and foreigners and Cath Cath- Catholics olics When it comes to this Ishall I Ishall Ishall shall prefer preter emigrating to some some country where they make no pretense pretense pretense pre pre- tense of loving liberty liberty to to Russia for instance where instance where despotism can be pe Ie taken pure and without the base alloy of hypocrisy Your friend forever A tA LINCOLN With this statement from Abraham Abraham Abra Abra- ham Lincoln I would Join also a I passage from a a lett letter r written by Thomas Jefferson to Edward Dowse in 1803 I 1 never never will by word vord or act bow to the shrine of ot intolerance or ad- ad ml a right of inquiry into the religious religious religious re- re opinions of ot others others' Upon these statements oT oI Jefferson Jefferson Jefferson Jef Jef- ferson and Lincoln expressing the sentiments which I am happy to believe be believe believe be- be lieve the vast ast majority of our citizens citizens citi citi- L zens cherish and t to which they they- willever will willever willever ever rigidly adhere and upon my myown myown myown own views expressed In this letter I am content to stand without qualification qualification or evasion I Sincerely yours ROBERT M. M LA F RODERT M. FOLLETTE I |