To the Editor of The Star.
Thomas Dixon, our young loyal Southerner, wrote his book “The Clansman” as a strike-back at the reconstruction of the subjugated south in defense of the klan. It struck the popular chord. Then he dramatized and commercialized it, keeping up its sectional interest, and worked it for all it was worth. Now a new set of promoters have taken it up in an attempt to nationalize it, to cover all sections of the country. In this new enterprise some popular prejudices must be appealed to, and in casting about, they selected Catholics, Jews, negroes and all foreigners, and for moral support, they appealed to Protestant religious intolerance. This is calculated to catch the masses of ignorant, thoughtless people in and out of the churches. So far it has been such a financial success that the wizards and dragons are fighting each other over the spoils and are appealing to the courts of Georgia to protect them from the thievery of their fellows.
This is the first instance we know of a fraternal secret order to wash its dirty rags in the face of the public. No lower motive can be found for anything than a policy founded on prejudice and hate. It is un-democratic, un-Christian and un-American. Statesmanship promotes peace, good will and the happiness of the people. The demagogue stirs up class prejudice, hatred and dissatisfaction of the people. It is the policy of weak selfish minds that lead to destruction “whom the gods would destroy they first make mad.”
They have intimidated the politicians and the secular press. Only a few preachers and religious papers have sounded a warning voice. Our legislature was afraid to even unmask them and put them on an equality with other secret orders. If this thing covers the country to a large extent it will cause civil war that will wipe out our freedom of political and religious liberties. The worst wars of history have been in the name of religion.
From the front page of the Cleveland Star, Shelby, N.C., March 24, 1923
No comments:
Post a Comment