The Modern Ku Klux Klan Part 20

Not yet. By the eternal G.o.ds of justice, she is not alone and defenseless, as every mother's son of true Southern manhood and those of every other section of this country is aroused! We issue the bugle call to all of you to buckle on your armor, and defend this good lady, even with your lives!

"To you American patriots, we address ourselves! Unleash your dogs of war and make these hounds of convict stripe pay penalty for the great injury done. To you we appeal! Southern womanhood has been slaughtered! No woman's good name is safe from the glaring spotlight of a pernicious newspaper and its set of hirelings. Your mothers, sisters and daughters are unsafe from the millionaire newspaper owners, who prost.i.tute their columns by crus.h.i.+ng to death the fair name of a woman. They hesitate at no methods, regardless of how low in order, to carry out their designs as a means to their ends!

"Who is back of the d.a.m.nable juggernaut which extinguishes a woman's life, character and reputation, in order to carry on the fight against the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan?

"Who is back of William Randolph Hearst's local paper, the _Atlanta Georgian_, which lifts from the _World_ the false charges against our beloved woman, and defames her in her home?

"Whose tremendous influences, with their serpentine poison, inflames the negro of the North and East against the whites?

"Whose hands are seen beneath the cover of this murderous and slanderous propaganda?

"What manner of man was he who came into Atlanta for the _World_ and wired back lies of the falsest and basest sort against an honest woman?

"By what license does a newspaper use its news columns to a.s.sert false charges as true?

"Who are the cowardly a.s.sa.s.sins in the background, who are pus.h.i.+ng forward the fight against real Americans, by using weak-kneed Protestants and others?

"Who are the real murderers before and after the fact in the case of the fair woman murdered?

"Patriots, I take pleasure in tearing from their demoniacal faces, the masks!

"Patriots, _view the h.e.l.lish countenances of Hundreds of Thousands of Knights of Columbus and millions of members of the Roman Catholic Church_! The latter despise real Americanism, hate our government, hate you, Patriots! They cla.s.s your mothers, sisters and daughters as harlots, while the former is the monstrous iron wheel upon which the Roman Catholic Church hopes to crush America, American government, American inst.i.tutions and purity of our women for the sake of the Dago on the Tiber--the hope of the Roman Catholic Church!

"Patriots, if ever red blood ran through your veins for pure American womanhood, innocent and undefiled Southern womanhood, for the purity of your home and household, let it run now with a warmth that knows no quenching! Yea, let your blood spurt fire!

"If there must be war with the Roman Catholics, the Knights of Columbus, and the hireling newspapers, editors and reporters, let it come! We are ready!"

The theft of the records from the police court occurred about ten days after the _World_ had printed the Clarke-Tyler story. The representative of the paper, in getting the evidence of the arrest of the two persons had procured certified copies of the record, and had personally seen the original entries in the books. Upon going back again to look over the books, he found that all traces of the original record had been obliterated, the pages having been cut out and removed. The records were supposedly in the custody of the proper public officials who were responsible for their safety and their preservation from mutilation. No other organization aside from the Ku Klux Klan would have had the slightest interest in destroying the records.

CHAPTER XVII

THE KLAN BEFORE CONGRESS

Congress was not in session when the _World_ began the publication of its articles, and did not resume its sessions until the close of September, 1921. Many of the members of both houses were in Was.h.i.+ngton, however, and they followed the exposure of the Kluxes with close attention. Senators and Representatives expressed themselves as being gratified that the work was being carried on, and it became evident that when Congress resumed its session, there would be several resolutions introduced demanding an investigation of the Ku Klux organization. This proved to be true, and resolutions were introduced immediately after the two houses a.s.sembled by Representatives James A. Gallivan, of Ma.s.sachusetts, Thomas J. Ryan of New York, Leonidas C. Dyer, of Missouri, and Peter F. Tague, of Ma.s.sachusetts.

As these resolutions were very much alike, the following, introduced by Representative Tague will be the only one reproduced:

"WHEREAS, There is being organized within the United States an anti-American organization known as the Ku Klux Klan, the objects and purposes of which are the exile and suppression of persons, members of certain races and religious sects, and

"WHEREAS, The accomplishment of such objects and purposes is in direct contravention of Articles I, XIII and XV of the Const.i.tution of the United States, and

"WHEREAS, The organization known as the Ku Klux Klan has in more than one hundred instances been charged with unlawful seizure, abduction, trial and punishment of certain free citizens and residents of the United States, and

"WHEREAS, Such seizure, abduction, trial and punishment is a usurpation of legally const.i.tuted authority and in direct contravention of Articles IV, V and VI of the Const.i.tution of the United States; therefore be it

"RESOLVED, That the Speaker of the House of Representatives be directed to appoint a special committee of five members of the House of Representatives, which committee is authorized and directed to proceed at once with an investigation of the organization, purposes and all matters connected with the Ku Klux Klan and to report its findings to the House of Representatives at the earliest practical day, together with such recommendations as it may see fit to make concerning the Ku Klux Klan, if any, and for this purpose the committee is authorized to send for persons, books and papers; to administer oaths; to employ a stenographer at a cost not exceeding $1.00 per printed page to report such hearings as may be had in connection with any subject which may be pending before said committee, the expenses thereof to be paid out of the contingent fund of the House of Representatives, and that said committee may sit during the sessions or recess of the House of Representatives."

All of the resolutions were referred to the Rules Committee of the House for the purpose of making a preliminary examination as to the advisability of appointing a special committee to investigate the Klan. This committee, of which Representative Philip P. Campbell, of Kansas was Chairman, met on Tuesday, November 11, 1921, for the purpose of examining witnesses.

"Emperor" Simmons had been previously invited, and appeared with counsel.

Rowland Thomas, appearing in behalf of the _New York World_, was the first witness examined. He placed before the committee the entire facts that had been collected by the paper, showing specifically that the Ku Klux organization in some portions of the country had been guilty of circulating anti-religious and anti-racial propaganda; that in some cases acts of violence had been admitted by the local Klans; and that the proposition was in all essentials a money-making scheme. Covering every phase of the system, Mr. Thomas concluded his statement as follows:

"We found also that they boasted or declared that they were setting up an invisible empire here in the United States. We found that their chief man had taken the t.i.tle of emperor and that he issued imperial and secret decrees from an imperial palace. We found also, having secured a copy of their oath, that every man who joined this order pledged himself to obey without question all the instructions of the emperor, who had been elected for life. We found that severe penalties were threatened to him if he failed ever in obedience. We found that part of this oath was a pledge of impenetrable secrecy surrounding all the doings of the Klan. We found that each member promised to keep at all costs, even that of life, in the face of any coercion, persecution, or punishment, all secrets of the Klan and all knowledge of the Klan committed to him, with only four exceptions. He was not obliged to keep to himself a violation of the oath of the Klan, treason against the United States of America, malicious murder, and rape. Those four secrets, apparently, he could give up to other persons, three of them the crimes, supposedly, he was at liberty to reveal to peace officers and judicial officers of the United States Government. All others, as far as the phraseology of the oath can be read, he was to keep to himself. They belong to the Klan and to the invisible empire and not to the United States of America.

"We found them boasting that they had succeeded in securing as members bound by this oath and made citizens in this invisible empire many men who are also officials of the visible, const.i.tuted Government of the United States.

"'Emperor' Simmons more than once made statements that Members of the Congress of the United States--both Representatives and Senators--belonged to his invisible empire, and therefore were under his imperial orders. He boasted that governors, mayors, and other administrative officers, members of city councils, were citizens of this invisible government, and that sheriffs, policemen, police chiefs were citizens of the invisible empire and that judges on the bench were members of it.

"The statement has been made publicly in print that it amused a Klansman when he read in the press that a judge had charged a grand jury to investigate the Klan, because all Klansmen knew that a substantial part of the members.h.i.+p of that grand jury would be Klansmen; that the judge was a joke in making such a suggestion of investigation."

C. Anderson Wright, who had formerly been a King Kleagle, was also examined and verified in many instances the facts that had been presented by the _World_, although his testimony in some respects lost its value by exaggeration of financial estimates of the Imperial Palace. He a.s.sisted, however, in verifying the fact that the Atlanta organization had never undertaken any charitable or public work, and appeared to be more of a financial scheme for the benefit of the insiders of the movement.

Post-Office Inspector O. B. Williamson furnished the committee facts and figures relating to the financial and business side of the organization.

Mr. Williamson had been to Atlanta, talked with Clarke and Mrs. Tyler, and had gone through the books of the Klan. Among the first bubbles to burst was that of the purchase of Simmons $25,000 home on Atlanta's fas.h.i.+onable Peachtree Street. It had been claimed by Simmons & Company that this home had been presented the "Emperor" by admiring members of the Klan, the money const.i.tuting the purchase price having been "donated" in small amounts ranging from twenty-five cents to one dollar. According to the real facts, Mr. Williamson showed the arrangements for payments to have been as follows:

"Ten thousand dollars was paid in cash, and one note maturing October 15, 1921, was given for $15,500. The deed was made in the name of E.

Y. Clarke. The ten thousand dollar cash payment consisted of $1000 secured by subscription from Klansmen, $5000 from the Klan treasury, and $5000 advanced by Clark and Mrs. Tyler."

It appeared from a statement of E. Y. Clarke, quoted by Mr. Williamson, that this use of Klan funds for private purposes was part of a press-agent scheme to add to the dignity and apparently high standing of Simmons, as the latter was living in an unpretentious part of the city in a house not in keeping with his important position as "Emperor," and it was "therefore in the interest of the Klan to put him in a better home and one that would reflect credit on the organization."

Mr. Williamson also showed how Klan funds were diverted for private purposes in the purchase of Lanier University, introducing a statement of Clarke as follows:

"The Lanier University has existed for only a few years. It has been a Baptist inst.i.tution of learning, operating under a charter granted by the State of Georgia and controlled by a board of trustees of fifteen men. Some time in July, this year, representatives of this university approached Colonel Simmons and myself with a proposition to purchase the university outright and a.s.sume, of course, its debts, which amounted to $50,000. We had our attorney to investigate the matter fully and we found the indebtedness much larger than claimed.

We therefore rejected the proposition to purchase and submitted a counter proposition. The counter proposition was accepted and was in substance as follows: First, that the managing board elect Colonel Simmons president of the university. Second, that they agree to make it nonsectarian. Third, that the present existing board elect new trustees, as named by Colonel Simmons, the present board resigning in their favor.

"Now, following that is other information, the material part of which is that the Klan paid to this university $22,474.32, a part of which was out of the Klan treasury and which is not secured in any way."

Mr. Williamson testified that he had gone over the books of the organization and had found that while the financial records of the organization had been accurately kept since June 15, 1921, there had been no accurate record kept prior to that time, embracing a period of one year during which time the Klan had been propagated under the contract of E. Y.

Clarke, printed in a previous chapter. The gross receipts of the organization, according to Mr. Williamson were $1,148,710.97; the books showed 85,126 members; and statements of Clarke placed the members.h.i.+p at 126,000. The Post-Office Inspector stated that prior to June 15, 1921, about $151,000 had been spent by the organization, but that he had been unable to secure any statement as to the manner in which it had been disbursed. In utter disproof of the claim that the organization had been established for benevolent purposes, it is interesting to follow a part of the testimony of Mr. Williamson in detail:

"MR. CAMPBELL. The ritual of the order and the proclamation hold out the order as one for benevolent and high purposes?

"MR. WILLIAMSON. Yes, sir; and not for selfish profit.

"MR. CAMPBELL. What did you discover with respect to the use of money for beneficial purposes to the public?

"MR. WILLIAMSON. Well, when I went to Atlanta I found that the imperial palace itself, which had been bought in part with Klan funds, was in the name of Mr. Clarke. I found that the home of Mr.

Simmons, which had been bought in part with Klan funds, was in Mr.

Clarke's name. I found also that some $21,000 of Klan funds had been given the Lanier University without security. And in that connection I might say this: That whenever anybody pays his $10 for the purpose of joining this Klan, he is given a receipt which says that this money is received in trust for the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan (Inc.). That is printed on each and every receipt.

"MR. CAMPBELL. What is the amount that has been paid out for salaries of officers in Atlanta--out of the money that has been collected, if you know?

"MR. WILLIAMSON. Well, I can tell you that, from the propagation department alone, $15,247 has been paid as executive salaries.

"MR. CAMPBELL. To whom has that been paid?