Page:The Socialist Party and the Ku Klux Klan.pdf/2

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and factional quarrels among the workers, and in this way rendering them hopelessly unable to unite for effective self-defense against their industrial exploiters.

3—The workers will continue incapable of freeing themselves from their exploiters as long as they are thus divided into quarreling factions, unable to use their united power in self-defense in the struggle for freedom; that is, the workers will never be able to struggle all together and victoriously on the great issue of freedom as long as they are struggling against one another on minor issues or false issues.

4—The Ku Klux Klan interferes with the great movement for the freeing of the workers by dividing the workers on false issues and thus confusing the workers on the main issue, which is their own freedom.

As for the sincerity and personal character of the members of the Klan,—these matters need not be here discussed. The Klan is thoroughly guilty because of the methods it employs and especially because of the results of its activities.

The Socialist Party, of course, frankly condemns the secret and terroristic methods of the Klan; yet the Party's attitude of opposition toward the Klan is determined largely by the fact that the Klan raises not simply one false issue but several false issues among the workers:

First—The Klan raises the issue of color among the workers, setting the white workers and the black workers against one another; while the real question, the all-important issue, for the workers as workers, is the industrial freedom of all workers of all colors.

Second—The Klan injects the always ir-