The next day after Stover's arrest the town was in a furore. The man
who had for years been looked upon as one of Wilford Springs' most
successful business men had been charged with a felony. Groups of
excited people met on the street corners discussing the case. The
Eagle stated the facts in connection with Stover's arrest without any
editorial comment. The Journal stated that the arrest of "Jim Stover,
Wilford Springs' most distinguished citizen, was spite work by Klan
leaders and a girl who had been discharged from Stover's employ."
The Reverend Earl Benton had just finished reading of Stover's arrest
when his door bell rang. Mrs. Benton went to the door and admitted a
young lady who asked to see Rev. Benton. Mrs. Benton showed the young
lady into the pastor's study.
"Rev. Benton, I am Pearl Gardner," she said by way of introduction.
"Have a chair, Miss Gardner. What can I do for you?"
"I wanted to talk to you about a certain matter. I came to you because
you are the only person I know whom I was sure belongs to the Ku Klux
Klan. I wanted to talk to a Klansman."
"I have stated in a number of public lectures that I belong to the
Klan."
"I had heard that you said that you belong to the Klan and as I wanted
to get the help of the Klan, I came to you."
"I will be pleased to carry your message to the Klan if it appears that
that organization can be of any service to you."
"I think it can. I have been keeping company with a young man by the
name of Chester Golter. We are engaged to be married but he refuses to
keep the engagement."
"What did you want the Klan to do in the matter?"
"I thought if a letter were written to him telling him that if he
didn't keep his promise to me he would be visited by Ku Kluxers that he
would marry me."
"Has he actually refused to marry you?"
"Not in so many words. He used to keep company with another girl who
worked in the bank. Her name is Ruth Babcock. Since we have been
engaged I have seen a letter she wrote to him. I discovered by the
contents of this letter that he had asked her for her company after
he had told me that he did not care for her and would not go with her
again. She told him in this letter very positively that she would not
go with him. Of course I was offended and refused to go with him to
a show the following night. Since then he has gone with another girl
several times and has said that he does not know whether we should get
married or not; that he is afraid we are not compatible. He is afraid
of the Klan and if he had a threatening letter from the Ku Kluxers he
would keep his promise to me."
"My dear young lady," said the minister, "you do not understand the
work of this organization. The Klan does not write threatening letters,
nor visit anyone for the purpose of coercing them. That is a mistaken
idea that many have. Not long ago a woman came to me asking that I get
the Klan to chase her husband out of town. She said he was worthless
and she wanted to get rid of him. A man came to me and told me that he
thought that if the Klan would give his uncle a right good whipping it
might improve his conduct. It isn't strange that so many people have
this mistaken idea of the mission of the Klan. The newspapers have
printed so much of alleged threats and punishments by Klans that many
have believed them. The Klan is not a punitive organization except
as it assists officers in the enforcement of the law by furnishing
evidence and giving the officers its moral support. If this young man
positively refuses to marry you, of course, you have recourse in the
courts. You can sue him for breach of promise."
"Then the Klan won't write a letter to him threatening to visit him if
he doesn't many me?"
"I am sure it would not. Maybe a little more sweetness and
graciousness on your part would bring the young gentleman around all
right?'
"Well, I will be going. I thank you."
The clergyman walked to the door and as she passed out he said, "I
trust your affair with this young man may terminate satisfactorily for
you, but remember this: there can be no true marriage relation except
two hearts are bound captive to each other with a golden chain of love."
After his caller had gone Rev. Benton informed his wife that he was
going to town.
"Remember, dear, that you have to conduct a funeral this afternoon. You
must be back promptly at noon for your lunch."
"I remember the funeral and will be here at twelve. These funerals are
sad, gloomy occasions in the life of a minister."
"A funeral is always sad whether one is in the ministry or not, isn't
it?"
"Usually, but a funeral service might bring a great deal of pleasure to
a minister."
"What do you mean?"
"It would afford me a great deal of pleasure to preach the funeral
sermon over the remains of some of the brothers who are continually
knocking, or of the sisters who are always suffering from the 'hoof and
mouth disease.'"
"Tut, tut, my dear," his wife replied, shaking her finger at him, "to
hear you talk one would think you have some members in your flock whom
you do not love."
"Well, to tell the truth," he said, laughing, "I have a few members who
would be so much more lovable dead."
"What a boy you are." She lifted her face toward his and he kissed her
fervently.
As she stood watching him walk down the street she noticed that his
step was not quite so sprightly as it had been when they were married
thirty-five years before and that his shoulders were beginning to bow
under the burdens of life. She rejoiced that while his body was aging
his heart and spirits retained their youthfulness.
As the minister passed Isaac Goldberg's place the little Jew called to
him from his door. "Shust a minute, Reverend, I vonts to speak to you."
"All right, Mr. Goldberg. What is it?"
"I understand dat the Klan is going to build a beeg klavern. Is dat
right?"
"Yes, the plans are all drawn and work will begin at once."
"How much the cost?"
"Ten thousand dollars."
"Vel, vel, dot is lots of money. If the Klan vants to borry some
moneys Isaac has it to loan. And I shust ask only 10 per cent."
"Isaac, would you loan money to the Klan?"
"I loan money shust as quick to the Klan as to the Knights of Columbus."
"I thank you for the offer, but I am quite sure that the Klan will be
able to finance this building without any outside help."
"Vel, remember Isaac has moneys to loan--on goot security, of course;
alvays on goot security."
A little way farther down the street Rev. Benton met Mr. Jackson.
"Good morning, Reverend."
"How are you, Jackson?"
"Reverend Benton, what do you think of Stover's arrest?"
"Well, I have never had a very exalted opinion of Stover, but I had not
suspected him of being a thief."
"It looks bad for him, but he may be able to come clear. I hope he
does."
"Well, I do, too. While I have never been an admirer of Stover I would
regret very much to know that he had robbed a man who has become an
invalid and dependent on his daughter for support."
"If he did defraud Babcock and then discharged his daughter who was
supporting her father and aunt because she was keeping company with
Harold King whom he had a personal grudge against, as reported, there
aren't adjectives strong enough to use in condemning him." Jackson
spoke with feeling.
"I know that he discharged the girl because she was keeping company
with Harold King but, of course, I know nothing about the charges of
fraud."
Springer now came by and Jackson stopped him with the question,
"Springer, what do you think about this Stover affair?"
"I think just what I stated in the Journal, that Stover's arrest is a
piece of spite work."
There was quite a crowd collected now and someone asked, "Who was the
girl you referred to in the article in the paper?"
"Ruth Babcock who had been discharged by Stover."
"Oh, yes. Wasn't she the girl that published the affidavit in regard to
the Rastus Jones affair?" another man asked.
"Yes, she has been playing into the hands of the Klan all along."
Springer showed embarrassment in his voice and manner. His feeling was
of the same nature as when that affidavit was published.
"Who is back of this prosecution?" another asked.
"Harold King," Springer replied.
"If Harold King is responsible for it you can rest assured that it is
not spite work. Harold King is every inch a man, and while he may not
be friendly to Stover he would not stoop to do a dishonorable act. If
he was instrumental in causing Stover's arrest he has some proofs."
Rev. Benton spoke in a positive voice.
"Some of the other Klan leaders may have made him think that there was
some evidence against Stover and used him as a tool. They have to make
a goat of someone," Springer remarked.
"Harold King isn't the kind that they make a goat of," said Jackson,
"he has a mind of his own."
"This is one of the consequences of that detestable Klan. It is causing
trouble all over the country. I have repeatedly warned the people of
this danger through the columns of the Journal."
"Springer, in just what way is the Klan causing trouble?" Jackson asked.
"Haven't you been reading in the paper about the riots that have
occurred in many places where Klan meetings are held?"
"Yes, I have been reading of some attacks being made on Klan meetings
and Klan parades. It seems that in every instance the Klan members were
assaulted, and that the Klan did nothing to provoke the riots."
"Well, it doesn't make any difference who the aggressors were, the
Klan is to blame; if they had not been holding meetings and having
parades there wouldn't have been any riots and bloodshed. This Klan
organization arouses such bitter feeling that the only sane and safe
thing is for them to disorganize."
"Springer," said Rev. Benton, "if I understand you correctly you take
the position that the Klan antagonizes certain groups and for that
reason the Klan should disorganize?"
"Yes. That is about right. This Klan movement stirs up so much
bitterness that its very existence is a menace to the peace and safety
of the country. It doesn't make any difference what the principles of
the Klan are, it stirs up strife and for that reason has no right to
exist."
"Springer, I am surprised at you. You, who are supposed to be a leader
of thought and a molder of public opinion in the community." It was
the Rev. Benton who now addressed Springer. There were by this time
forty or fifty men in the crowd and all listened attentively while the
minister spoke.
"I want you men to see just how reasonable or unreasonable this
argument of our friend Springer is. He says that the Klan should be
disorganized because it stirs up bitter opposition. If this argument
is good then the Christian Church should have been disorganized in the
first centuries, as it was bitterly opposed by the pagans and the Roman
government. Christians were burned at the stake and made to fight with
wild beasts in the arena. The Masonic order should have been abolished
in the days of its youth if Springer's argument is good, for certainly
the Masonic order stirred up opposition. Then, there have existed
various temperance organizations that should have been suppressed
because they stirred up bitter opposition from whiskey dealers and
manufacturers. According to your argument all of the cats should go out
of business because the rats don't like them to guard the pantry."
This last remark was greeted by uproarious laughter from most of the
crowd. Hisses from a few. "Eat him up, preacher," a large man on the
edge of the crowd shouted. "That's right, we're for you," came from a
number.
Springer turned to Scripture to defend his position.
"I believe it's better to use love and forbearance. Didn't Paul say,
'If meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world
standeth, lest I make my brother to offend'; and didn't Christ teach
the doctrine of non-resistance and say, 'Resist not evil: but whosoever
shall smite thee on the right cheek, turn to him the other also'? I
believe in the policy of non-resistance in the spirit of love. Since
the Klan gives offense to my brother--if I were a Klansman I would
give it up." ("That's right, Springer, you've told it to him right," a
fourth degree Knight of Columbus exclaimed.)
"I believe in the doctrine of love and forebearance, too, but I
also believe in loyalty to principle. (The minister spoke in a well
controlled voice but with great earnestness.) When Paul spoke of not
eating meat if it caused his brother to offend he was speaking of meat
that had been offered to idols. It would give offense to some to eat
this meat and would do no violence to the conscience of any Christian
to refrain from eating it.
"When Christ said, 'Resist not evil, but whosoever shall smite thee
on one cheek turn to him the other also,' he was repudiating the
doctrine of 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' Nowhere did
Christ or Paul teach that one should surrender principles of truth and
righteousness in case someone became offended because of his advocacy.
Christ knew that His principles would stir up bitter opposition and
said, 'Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to
send peace but a sword.' Christ himself used force to clear the temple
of the money changers, and I haven't any idea that those grafters whose
game was interfered with liked it. It is the fellow whose game is
being interfered with by the Klan who is raising a big hullabaloo. I
am a lover of peace, but if my advocacy of the tenets of the Christian
religion, of the separation of church and state, free schools, pure
womanhood, freedom of speech and the press, the up-holding of the
constitution of the United States is an offense to any individual or
group of individuals--native or foreign-born--let them be offended. I
repeat it--let them be offended.
"As a method of judging the genuine from the spurious, Christ said,
'By their fruits ye shall know them.' What are the fruits of this
organization which you despise? It has done much benevolent work
in the way of assisting individuals and worthy institutions. It is
establishing hospitals and orphan homes. It has assisted in enforcement
of law in many localities; it has created more respect for law and
encouraged church attendance and----"
"Let me in here," someone demanded. The minister stopped in the middle
of a sentence and turned in the direction of the authoritative voice.
He saw McMichael elbowing his way through the crowd to the center of
the ring where his friend Springer and himself were facing each other.
"Benton, your damn Klan has played hell in this community." The lawyer
spoke in a loud, harsh voice.
"You seem to be excited. What is the trouble?" the minister asked.
"Trouble enough. Now that we have Dan Brown as sheriff, Stanton as
county attorney and Rider as judge, all of them Klansmen, life and
property will not be safe in Wilford Springs and there will be no
justice."
"You are mistaken, Mr. McMichael. Bootleggers and gamblers are
objecting now because they are getting justice."
"No one can get justice in a community where there are Klan officials.
If I were governor of this state, do you know what I would do?"
"No, I don't have any idea what you would do as governor," the minister
replied.
"Well, sir, I'll tell you what I would do. I'd put every town that has
Klan officers under martial law until the people of the town forced the
Klan officials to resign."
"Well, Mr. McMichael," said Benton, laughing, "if you were governor
and should attempt to coerce the people and trample upon their sacred
rights in such a despotic manner, I fear that you wouldn't long remain
governor; but would soon join the ranks of the has-beens along with
ex-governor Slydell and others who made fools of themselves." The crowd
laughed and applauded and the minister made his way through the crowd
and started for home.
As Rev. Benton and Mr. Jackson walked up the street together they met a
dapper young man and a girl of the flapper type.
"That is Chester Golter, Stover's nephew," Jackson volunteered.
"I have heard of him but have never seen him to know who he was before.
And who is the young lady with him?"
"Her name is Gladys Glendenning. She has been here for a few weeks
teaching dancing lessons."
The following day Rev. Benton saw in the paper an account of the
marriage of Gladys Glendenning to Chester Golter and a few days later
notice of a breach of promise suit brought against Chester Golter by
Pearl Gardner who asked twenty thousand dollars as heart balm. Later he
heard that the case was settled out of court for three thousand dollars.
"I wouldn't think that a heart that has been wounded through misplaced
love could be repaired by payment of money," remarked Mrs. Benton.
"My dear, money can not heal a heart wound that is very deep," replied
the minister, and then added, "a girl who would ask to have her fiance
frightened into keeping his engagement is entirely lacking in true love
upon which real homes are built and which binds hearts together through
both sunshine and storm."