"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?"