CONVENTION REFUSES TO SPECIFY KU KLUX

# CONVENTION REFUSES TO SPECIFY KU KLUX *The Butte Miner, Sunday, June 29, 1924, p. 26 (page number from the Newspapers.com caption; the clipping itself shows only the running head). Read from the page image by claude-sonnet-5-5; proofed by claude-opus-5-5, 4 Oct 2026. The clipping is a four-column region of the page with no single target; this is its main article, the report of the Klan-plank debate at the Democratic National Convention, continued from page one. The article is read through the columns in order: column 1 above the wavy rule, then column 2, then column 3, then the foot of column 4 (below the sports matter); each column break is joined where the sentence runs on. The tail of a different story at the foot of column 1, the baseball tables and the rest of the page are in transcription_claude.md. The clipping ends mid-sentence. Printed spellings are kept as printed.* *Continued From Page One.* don't wear this shroud. It is also true that there are other criminals in the country who do not wear this hood. I am amazed to see this controversy between democrats as to what is wise party policy represented by the press as being a defeat or victory for the Ku Klux Klan. It is neither one nor the other. As for myself I would not knowingly deprive any American citizen, however humble, of his right to worship God in his own way. Draws No Lines. "I have been taken care of by negroes all of my life and I should despise myself if I wounded the feelings of the humblest negro in the land. When Justice Brandeis was made a justice of the supreme court of the United States I admired his great brain and character. I did not care that he was a Jew. From the Jews we received the blessing of the Bible. Our Christian doctrine is founded on the teaching of a Jew. When our sons went to war in America's great battle, we did not ask their race or creed or color. "Shall we now allow the democratic party with the greatest opportunity in all history to be divided on this question of Jew or Gentile?" There were cries of "no" from the audience. "Shall we use this question in any way, directly or indirectly to promote or demote any candidates whatever? My fellow democrats, let us be careful. This is not a question of courage, as a member of the committee said. A member of the committee said we did not have the courage to name the Ku Klux Klan. Well, I've got the courage to name the Ku Klux Klan. I'm not afraid of a ku klux, living or dead. There was not any ku klux in your committee that I know of. In Louisiana, the Ku Klux Klan was charged with killing some people at Mer Rouge. It never was proven and Louisiana passed a law declaring that no man without permission should wear a mask. They did not want to stop the Mardi Gras. Laws Sufficient. "We've got laws in this country to control the Ku Klux Klan. We have those laws in Oklahoma. We can tear the mask off of them. They tried to nominate a man there for governor and the good democrats and protestants and Catholics licked the stuffing out of them. We're not afraid of them politically or any other way. The only issue is will you say by the voice of this convention that the membership of the Ku Klux Klan are guilty of violating the constitutional provisions. "There was no evidence presented before us to that effect. I don't defend the ku klux. I think there are some brilliant rascals among them. But I know, too, there's a large number of good citizens among them who believed, in joining the order that [i?]t was a committee to obey and preserve and protect the constitution and the laws of the country." At that there was a mixture of applause and booes and hisses from the galleries. Senator Owen concluded his address at that point and was succeeded on the rostrum by Senator Pattengall, who spoke for naming the Ku Klux Klan specifically. Merely Supplementary "It was suggested by the senator from Oklahoma that there was little differnce between the propositions before you," began Mr. Pattengall. "We approve and accept every single work that was put in the platform by the majority but we added to it a supplementary declaration. If you had an opportunity to examine the report of the majority you will find that their plan merely reiterated the rights preserved to American citizens under the bill of rights and the constitution. We have done nothing more than add a paragraph which applies those abstract principles to a concrete case." Here Mr. Pattengall read the minority addition to the platform which mentioned the name of the Ku Klux Klan. "We condemn political societies," read Mr. Pattengall from the proposed plank and asked the convention, "does anybody object to that?" There were a chorus of "noes." Applause Sweeps Hall Then he went on to finish the reading of the plank including the name of the klan and a wave of applause swept the hall. "Now, is there anybody," he asked, "who is so ignorant of what is going on in American life today that he does not know that the secret society we name lays down as part of its principles that no man who is Catholic, Jew, or foreign born is eligible to office." "Is there any denial of that?" he demanded. There were more noes. Then Mr. Pattengall read the remainder of the declaration and continued: "Senator Owens says he is willing to name the klan. "Where is he willing? On the platform of this convention in New York? I want to name it all over the United States in this platform. I want to name it wherever the gospel of democracy is preached at all. Every man or that committee approached the subject with the desire to do what was right and we all agreed that something had to go into the platform on this situation. There principal difference of thought was whether the platform would be absolutely frank or not. If it is unwise to name the klan it is unwise to put something in the platform that means the klan. There is something more here than the mere name. There has crept into American life so strong an influence in certain states that certain senators told me last night if they opposed the klan they could not be re-elected. There has crept into the life of the United States an influence so strong that it needs examination. And when we find it approaching the principles of religious freedom it is proper that some great party should stand for the things that we all believe in. Qualified for Membership. "This organization could not discriminate against me — I have the qualifications of membership. I wonder when Senator Owen voted for a draft in 1917 if he only voted to draft boys who were white—protestant and native born. When a society said to me that a man born of Jewish parents or in the Catholic faith can't be able to serve his country in civil life but can be called to serve his country in military life when it needs them, I'll condemn them wherever I meet them." At that the convention went into an uproar of demonstration. "I am a democrat because I was taught to believe that the fundamental creed of the party was that Americans of every section were equal on a democratic platform. "There needs to be sent out over the whole United States," the speaker continued, "a message from democracy that our party hates bigotry, hates intolerance and opposes them because it hates them, and it hates hypocrisy and therefore calls bigotry and intolerance by their right names when it speaks of them." Galleries Noisy. There was a good deal of favorable demonstration on the floor when the speaker continued, but most of the noisy demonstration came frome the galleries. Mrs. Carroll Miller of Pitsburg, who seconded the nomination of Governor Smith, also spoke for the minority plank by Mr. Pattengall. "What would you think of a home in America where the children shuddered nightly in fear of the Ku Klux Klan? There are such places where citizens who are guaranteed constitutional protection are denied the attributes of a free life—places where the foregn born are discriminated against by the shopkeeper, places where the foreign born wife waiting for the husband to return from his work is never sure that he will not be mobbed before he returns to his family. In the mountains of my own state this guerilla organization not only terrorized a community, but three persons were killed. Do you call that America? Do you call that Christianity? You say that political expediency demands our silence on the subject. Since when has the democratic party knelt before the god of political expediency? I'd rather go down to defeat in 1924 as we did in 1920 on a clear-cut moral issue than win on an issue you can't recognize. Let us be democrats. It is better to be a doorkeeper in the house of God than to dwell in the tents of wickedness forever. "If we fight this demon without fear and in the open we leave our children a heritage of honor, sincerity and peace," concluded Mrs. Miller while the convention gave her a roaring demonstration of approval, some of which came from the floor and a lot of which also come from the galleries. Cites Personal Rights. The other side of the question came on again in an argument by Governor Morrison of North Carolina. "I have not risen to speak in defense of the Ku Klux Klan," began the governor, "but I do desire to say something of the rights of the men who mistakenly belong to the Ku Klux Klan. Who are they? About 1,000,000 men who profess the Protestant form of Christian religion, which is not preliminary to thugism in American life. "Are we, without trial or evidence in a political convention, to try, condemn and execute more than 1,000,000 men who are professed followers of the Lord? What do we mean by religious liberty? We mean there shall be no legal test for office, there shall be no discrimination against any man on account of his religious feeling. But has any party ever pledged itself to prevent foolish religious intolerance and bigotry.? We cannot do it. "I love many Jews and I love many Catholics and I have appointed both to office and laughed at the ku klux since becoming governor of North Caroline. These men who can't get into this order unless they profess to be Christians have organized this association into which they won't let a Catholic or a Jew come. How can we help it? If anybody wants to be so foolish and isolate themselves how can we prevent it by the action of a convention. It is a case for the keepers of the Protestant cause in the United States. It is not a matter for governmental action until they violate the law and then the police power should act with the swiftness of lightning and the determination of a just God. "My American brothers, let us deal with this matter in a high, just and wise way as becomes not the followers of political standards but followers of the standards of Thomas Jefferson and above all of the Lord, Jesus Christ. We believe where the great democratic party speaks to the American people in this majority resolution all the people of this country will kneel in front of the constitutino. It will kill the ku klux if we adopt it and the suggestion of the majority will make a half million ku klux in the next ten days in my judgment." Launches Walsh Boom. Governor Morrison finished by launching a boom for Senator Walsh "I'd like to see this great Catholic made candidate for president or vice president of the United States," said the governor. Brainbridge Colby, former secretary of state, then took the platform to speak for the adoption of the minority substitute. "Both these resolutions are aimed at the ku klux." said he, "but one is singularly deft in avoiding the name of the ku klux[.?] One of them said nothing about the purpose. What sort of a committee on resolutions is that? This un-American, this poisonous, this alien thing in our midst, abhorrent to every American, hostile to the genius of our institutions, in the precepts of Americanism—I have no sympathy with a group of gentlemen who move only at the dead of night in the protection of pillow cases and shrouds. Those are not the habiliments of sportsmen or courageous men, and thank God they are not the uniform of any Americanism with which I am familiar. "I am opposed to the majority resolution report. It is an obvious stuttering and stammering and falling thing. It does not satisfy my thought; it does not satisfy my manhood. It is no credit to the democratic party. It is a party that cares for nothing if it knows it is right. I approve the minority report because it is simple, lucid and true and expresses the thought. The Ku Klux Klan is composed of either vicious or foolish people. It is one of those temporary things of history which manifests itself like a distemper. Predicts Collapse "There is not a man here who would not regard a membership in the klan as a reflection on his character. That's why they move at night under cover and shulk away. They are ashamed. I venture to predict that in a short time you will not find K. K. K. members; you will not even find the man who remembers he was a member. "It would be a retreat, a betrayal, a desertion of democracy to do less than adopt this minority report and put this simple and unmistable declaration in our platform." More cheers from the galleries greeted Mr. Colby's closing and then Senator Walsh, the chairman, introduced Senator Walsh of Massachusetts. He spoke for the adoption of the minority report also. "If I allowed my personal wishes I would remain silent," said he. "I would leave to those of other religious convictions than my own the advocacy of this platform. But it is an occasion where silence might be contrued as timidity and therefore I rise as an American, a christian and a democrat to speak from the home of the Pilgrims and Puritans. "The silence of democrats of my religious convictions might be construed as a disposition on the part of my co-religion ists to remain silent and to refuse the verdict on this vital question. "Let there be no mistakes about those of us who vote for this amendment. We will accept the verdict and we expect the other side to accept the verdict. If our fight fails, we will go forth disappointed, but we will not skulk away, we will not waver, we will not desert. We take our posts of duty fighting with you in the front ranks against our common political enemy. Will Not Abandon Cause. "If our case fails, our answer will be the reply of the school boys of Baston common, who replied to the British General Gage that they were Americans. "The cause for which we stand will not be abandoned, even though you hesitate to speak today. The democratic party has always been the friend of the immigrant. In our party Catholic and Jew and foreign born have found asylum and have enjoyed its place and leadership. It has been the party of the downtrodden and the poor on every great question. It has always been the party of those least able to speak for themselves. I speak for those who ask no favor of privilege in time of peace, but only ask the privilege in time of war to die for their country. They demand no protective tariff, no special privileges, no favors—but who merely ask of their government and their party that they be protected in the enjoyment of their inalienable rights. "This issue is not sectional. It is not the north against the south. It is Americans who love liberty everywhere against every Ku Kluxer in every corner of the United States. "It is not a religious issue. This motion is opposed not by those who believe in the principles of this organization. It is opposed by Americans who denounce this organization, but fear the political effect of an open public condemnation. "If you can denounce bolshevism, you can denounce Ku Kluxism. Does any man here question that this organization seeks to deny the right of holding public office to Catholic, Jew or foreign born? "The temporary chairman said in his speech that our country needed a Paul Revere. Then, in God's name, inscribe on his banner as he goes forth from this convention, 'Religious Freedom for All'." E. H. Moore of Youngstown, Ohio, followed Senator Walsh. He said he had been informed that the imperial wizard and the grand dragon had been boasting they had secured twenty votes against the minority plank in the Ohio delegation. "I don't believe it," said Mr. Moore, "but if it's true that wizard can come in here and get us all in his vest pocket, I for one propose to crawl out. Would Nullify Nomination. "I will discuss with you the political aspect of this situation. If you think this minority will beat a candidate, I would not give a penny for the nomination in this convention. You all know that if we don't denounce the Ku Klux Klan, there is no politician in the south but who must go home and ally himself with the klan." In the middle west, he continued, a politician would not dare ally himself with the klan, and he proceeded to analyze the aspects of the situation. Andrew C. Erwin of Athens, Ga., who followed Mr. Moore, said the Ku Klux Klan was the most vital element the party had to determine. Erwin, who apparently was the only delegate in the Georgia delegation to favor denunciation of the klan, stirred up a demonstration he did not expect and turned the convention into an uproar. A big virile young fellow, he strode back to his seat in the delegation after he had finished his denounciation of the klan. A young woman rushed forward from another delegation. Carried in Demonstration. Then a parade of the standards from other states to the Georgia space followed and soon the standards of Alabama, Wyoming, Arizona, Kentucky, Maryland, Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Dakota, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Louisiana, Illinois, South Dakota, Utah and Massachusetts and Delaware were grouped around there. Still the Georgia delegates remained in their seats and refused to rise. The men from other delegations hoisted Erwin to their shoulders and carried him around the hall. The band played the Star Spangled Banner, bringing everyone to attention and the convention went back to business again. During the demonstration Tom Taggart prevented the Indiana banner from going into the demonstration. J. Y. Sanderson of Hammond. La., was the next speaker. "In Louisiana," he said, "we already have gone through what democrats here are going through. We had the bigot and the zealot. We had the honest and dishonest. We had in our campaign men who sought to capitalize the klan and men who sought to capitalize anti-klan. But when a candidate took the field in Louisiana appealing to race and religion backed by the city and state government, practically every newspaper in Louisiana, there were some of us who thought that above anti-klan there was true Americanism. And a candidate ran on the principles of religious freedom and decency and drew the line on no order of any declaration, submitting his candidacy to the tolerant men and women of Louisiana. Precedent Cited. "That man running on that platform with all these influences against him made such an appeal that he won by the greatest majority ever given a democratic candidate in our state. "Remember all the bigots do not belong to one church, nor do all the rascals to one section." C. M. Bryan of Memphis followed with a two-minute speech for inclusion of the minority plank mentioning the klan by name. "You can't kill a snake by taking it in your arms and kissing it to death," said he. Francis Busch of Chicago followed, also speaking for the inclusion of the minority plank. "This is not a religious question," he said. "It is a political question. It is a question of adhering to the fundamental principles of our government so these religious questions will not be recurring." William Jennings Bryan followed and received a standing demonstration from the convention floor and galleries. He was introduced as "that [r?]evered democrat." "They take your applause out of my time, so keep still and let me speak to you," said he. "We'll do it," called back a voice in the gallery. "Let's understand each other, let's eliminate the things that are not in this issue and come down to the thre[e?] words that our friend[s?] would take out and exalt above any others in this campaign," said Mr. Bryan. "We said to them strike out three words of your report and there'll be no objection. But three words were more to them than the welfare of a party. "We have read to you the best democratic platform ever written. But I call you to witness that these men never took the standards of their states and marched when we appealed on great principles; it was only when the Ku Klux Klan came in." Galleries Boo At that point Bryan came in for a great deal of booing and howling from the galleries which stopped the proceedings altogether. In a minute the booing be[c?]ame so loud Bryan could not continue. Chairman Walsh, in angry tones, shaking his gavel at the galleries, shouted that he would have them cleared if they did not desist, indicating the spectators. "The laws protect everyone," continued Bryan, when quiet had been restored. "The Catholic church does not need a great party to protect it from a million men. The Jews do not need this resolution. They have Moses and El[ij?]ah; they have Elisha who is able to draw back the curtain and show on the mountain tops a host greater than the thousands of the Ku Klux Klan. "The Ku Klux Klan does not deserve the advertising," continued Bryan. "Mr. Colby tells you this organization soon will die; if that be true the slogan of the minority ought to be 'hurry up if you would see George, he's nearly gone.' One of the reasons I oppose this minority report is that I am n[o?]t willing to lift up the dying embers and start a prairie fire and carry this issue into every congressional district in the United States. "We have no right to [p?]ermit them to divert us from as great a mission as a party ever had. It requires more courage to fight the republican party than it does to fight the Ku Klux Klan. "You may call me a coward if you will but there's nothing in my life to justify the charge. But I'd rather have the anathema of these misguided democrats than have to answer on judgment day for a trust disregarded. Anybody can fight the Ku Klux Klan but only the democratic party can stand between the common people and their oppressors in this land. Besides that I'm not willing to bring discord into my party. "Religion is more important than politics," said Bryan, unable to resist the temptation to deliver a bit of a sermon. "What the country needs is to get back to God." Clashes Frequent. Tired and keyed to a high nervous pitch by the string of events which had led up to the vote on the klan plank the delegates and convention officials quarreled repeatedly and in one or two cases the police had to intervene to quiet rows on the convention floor. The session had begun at 3 o'clock Saturday afternoon and before reaching the klan issue had passed through [the clipping ends here, mid-sentence]