The Charlotte News

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 1939

EDITORIAL

*Over Polite

This Carries Courtesy To Toughs A Little Far

The City Council at Greenville, S. C., has asked Police Chief J. E. Smith to "use his influence in forestalling future Ku Klux Klan parades in the Negro districts." Which, from this distance, looks like a prod for the chief.

The idea seemed to be to have the chief go to the head of the Hooded Hoodlums and ask him, pleassir, not to parade quite so often in the Negro districts, since some of the Negro citizens found it disquieting.

But one wonders if that is all that can be done. After all, the only conceivable reason why this organization, which subsists on racial hatred and which certainly is not open to Negroes, should parade in a Negro district is for purposes of intimidation. And it seems to us that there ought to be ways to protect peaceful citizens from that sort of thing other than polite requests to the man who leads it.

The reappearance of this infamous organization in the South is a disquieting phenomenon of the last few months. It has been particularly active at Greenville and in that vicinity. A few nights ago hooded men went so far as to strip a Negro World War veteran and leave him bound on the door of a white man.

A little vigorous action by the authorities ought to be the best medicine for curbing it before it gets into full swing again.

Framed Edition

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