The Ku Klux Klan in Pennsylvania; a study in nativism

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STATE LIBRARY OF PENNSYLVANIA 363.973K95ZL92

main,stks

Ku Klux Klan

in

Pennsylvania;

THE KU KLUX KLAN IN PENNSYLVANIA A

Study

in

Nativism

BY

EMERSON HUNSBERGER LOUCKS

The Telegraph Press

New

York-Harrisburg, Pa.

—1936

Copyright 1936, by Emerson H. Loucks

rights reserved, including the right to reprodi this

book or portions thereof,

in

any form

363.973

K95Z —

^

Printed in the United States of America by The Telegraph Press, Harrisburg, Pa.

——

Preface M' Chapter

I

Some Beginnings of Nativism

:

1

Nativism as a phase of cultural adjustment— The colonial background of nativism— Its expression during the early years of the Republic The Brutus Letters— The Native American Party: its principles and influence— The Rise of Know-Nothingism— The effect of the slavery controversy upon nativism— Post Civil War foreign immigration— The School Policy of the Roman Catholic Church— The founding of the American Protective Association— Its propaganda and political history.

)^Chapter

II

The Revival

:

the

of

Ku Klux Klan

15

Xhe-i>Fcr-e qu i&^ tie s- o f nativ i^sm--ami-4bei-g--i^««^Ge--in-4h&-post-'World W-a-F-f>€fied— The re-establishment of the Ku Klux Klan- Its founder The role of the Southern Publicity Association in its growth The spread of Klan violence— Press exposures and governmental in-

—

vestigations.

Chapter

III

The Klan Moves Into Pennsylvania

:

...

25

—

—

Atkins and Rich Provincial organization The use Kleagles— Early difficulties— The northern conspiracy against Atlanta Progress in eastern Pennsylvania Freeman's administration—Trouble with the "Dutch" Estimated membership Reasons for its growth Characteristics of Klan literature The strategy The handicaps of its critics— Belief in the Klan of Klan "lecturers" as an instrument of reform Emphasis on personal rather than in-

Early organizers of local

men

:

as

—

—

—

— —

—

—

—

stitutional reform.

Chapter IV: The Klan Changes Hands: Progress in Pennsylvania Under the Evans Regime ....

45

plan to oust Simmons from administrative control of the Order D. C. Stephenson's cooperation and his reward The successful culmination of this efTort The efifect of Evans' control upon the South The Evans-Stephenson regime in Pennsylvania Increased use of demonstrations The Carnegie, Scottdale and Lilly riots The local press and Klan publicity Cross burnings The types of people who joined the Order.

The

— —

—

—

)/

The Organization

Chapter V:

—

—

—

of

the Klan

62

—

a written constitution The subdivisions of the "imperial" government The organization and powers The Kloncilium as a judicial and adof the national Klonvokation visory body The centralization of power in the office of the Imperial Wizard The "Realm" organization Provisional and chartered stages The control of the Kloreros by the Grand Dragons Provincial organization The organization of the local klantons The Kleagle's

The adoption "empire" The

—

—

—

—

of

—

—

—

—

iii

289981

— —

Oath

of Loyalty te IraporiaJ-

Wizafd Evans— The advantages of secur-"sraod" Tribanals^Subadiary organizations The Knights KameHia and rCiiights of the Great Forest— The mihtary order: Klavahers— The mihtary line of communication— I-inancing the Order— Klectokens— Imperial and realm taxes— Local dues—An estimate of the total expense of maintenance. ing charters— The

Iceal- anor?. vol.

I-

11.

3A^^or^e

l^^'^^h

1,

136.

Pt'o

t?e

of

T-j„,„,j

Miiipr

K C

resident of Scottdale.

c. ^. Testimony of Joseph G. tlemmer,

ui

j

Chief

of

Police

McGuckm,

l^i^emeiifohohn

14.

S?pfoT Testimony

J.

(ibid)

ii/364

;

T.timony

at

Bristol.

of Mrs.

1,

p.

3.20.

The Kourier Magazine,

iq=^ p. n February, 1953,

:>

Van A. Barrickman

Mamie

l-ilS:^^.S^-M.S?e-: mony, Vol.

(above),

Klavern. b'/j't-K^lt^l'/lecJ^Ur^y-of the Scottdale

II-

18.

Oyer and Terminer.

in Equity Bar^Uy-'tr^nfcrip-t'of testimony. Case 1897

.

wrr

SfeghTnVc"unty Court

mcidents^^

Bittner.

Transcript

of

Testi-

;

CHAPTER The Organization

5

of the

Klan

'The government of the order shall ever be military in character, especially in its executive

and

and no

control,

amendment hereafter change

this

Empire."

—

legislative

or

management constitutional

shall encroach upon, affect or

fundainental principle of the Invisible

FroTii Article 1, Section 2 of the

Klan

Constitution

There should have been little doubt in the minds of the "citizens" of the "Invisible Empire" about the general type of organization they had joined. It had a written constitution which was

Drawn up and

distributed widely. of

Simmons/

published under the regime

was largely written by him although the body of the Order was vested by the charter with the power to "adopt and amend Constitutions and By-laws," and a committee of that body did work over the instrument prior Col.

supreme

it

legislative

to its publication.

This constitution set up a highly centralized "Empire" which was subdivided geographically into "Realms" or states and these in turn further divided into "Provinces" (groups of counties) and into local districts called "Klantons." This last division might include a township or small city or a few wards of a larger city. It represented roughly the area from which the

Klavern drew its members. Each of these geographical areas had its own set of officers.* The Klanton officers with minor exceptions were duplicated in local

the Province and were differentiated by the prefix "Great." Similarly the state officers were designated as "Grand" and the national officers as "Imperial."

*The Klanton otHcers were: the Exalted Cyclops, president; Klaliff, vice-president; Klokard, lecturer; Kludd, Chaplain; Kligrapp, secretary; Klabee, treasurer; Kladd. conductor; Klarogo, inner guard Klexter, outer guard Night-Hawk, in charge of candidates and three Klokann, board of investigators, auditors and advisers. ;

;

-

The Organization

of

63

the Klan

-

the national ''I-Pj^^ts largely centralized in d visions geographical the that It has been noted organization the geographical divisions Klux Klan parallel somewhat o The The similarity between th government. o the United States

Power was

Ku

Federal Constitution of

The there. two governments ends U S sets up three distinct departments check each were dSned to balance and

^

Ae

of government which The Klan con other. _

deoverwhelmingly powertul executive tution provided for an and legislative weak

pirent'and,

subordinate to

^"TL^\egt^^^^^^^^

the

branch of

Klon^kadon was made up

relatively

it,

of

Klan government

called

•

the

toge"

imperial o^cials and one elected delegate

all

officer the highest administrative local Klans province, and all heads of er) from each realm and held biennial meetings were who cared to attend. Regular made it a comparatively simp e The procedure of these meetings The ^^P^ to control them. „.atter'for the Imperial Wizard were appointed by the officials

who

Wizard and

presided over

all

action taken

its

meetings

was subject to ^^^^^^^

.

he Klonvo a three-fourths vote of veto could be overridden by Vot ng almost impossible to obtain. kation but in practice this was each was allowed one vote for was proportional. Each realm fraction thereof who were^ hundred Klansmen or majority allowed a Cyclops attending was eood standing. Each Exalted strength was remainder of the realm voting p sonal vote'and the present at the other representatives divided equally among the ^ few Klans Klonvokation.3' Since comparatively

r

from two hundred members and many had

to

^

hundred

th obviously gave the bulk of bers, this voting provision realm and provincial officers strength into the hands of

mem

vc.mg

whom

appointment^ through his power « he Wizard could control Wizard would ^ave o be Under such conditions an Imperial per cen^^^^^^ control the twenty-^ve weak indeed not to be able to being necessary to prevent his veto of the Klonvokation the votes

Klonlegislation passed by the ""^Bl^deT'this veto power over power enjoyed in his own "g^* ^he vokation, the Imperial Wizard not f u ly orthe governing of realms to furnish all laws for Kloreros were estabhshed and ganized * Even after the Realm

The Ku Klux Klan

64

in Pennsylvania

own legislation, none could become effective unless by him. This was true also of the rules and by-laws formulated by each separate Klan. These, too, had to be sub-

voted on their ratified

mitted to the Imperial

In Kloranic and to

the

office

ritualistic

and await

its

approval.*

matters the Constitution

Emperor complete charge

of

"creating"

as

»

delegated

well

as

of

"promulgating" the "Kloranic, ritualistic and philosophic work of the Order." This extensive legislative power included the right to "design or cause to be designed, all paraphernalia, regalia,

uniforms, costumes, emblems, insignia,

flags, banners, and jewelry for individual wear, honorary and official jewels, hoods, pamphlets and literature of the Order." When Col. Simmons withdrew

from the Order giving up his title of Emperor, his office was combined with that of Imperial Wizard and this latter office made even more potent.

The

judicial

Kloncilium. officers called

body

up by the Constitution was called the Consisting of the Imperial Wizard and fifteen other Genii and appointed by the Wizard, this body served set

as the court of appeal in all matters of a judicial nature. Its decisions were final but, according to the constitution, only "when same are ratified by the Imperial Wizard."^ The Kloncilium

not only had the above mentioned judicial function but was also the advisory council and executive staff of the national organization. Included in its membership was the Klaliff or vice-president of the Order, the Klazik or head of the Department of Realms, the Kligrapp or secretary, the Klabee or treasurer, the

Klonsel

or attorney, the Night

Hawk

or head of the Department of In-

Klokard who was responsible for publicity and for disseminating the ideas which the national organization wished

vestigation, the

spread

among

officers of

group

the membership.

lesser responsibilities.

It

included, as well, seven other It

was required

to

meet as a

in July of each year

and could be called in special meeting by the Imperial Wizard or by five of its members. These formal meetings were not particularly essential for a majority of the

members of the Kloncilium had their offices along with the Imperial Wizard in Atlanta. There was also a vague grant of legislative power given to the Kloncilium by Section three of the seventh Article of the Constitution which read: "It shall have

full

»

The Organization power and authority

...

of

the Klan

to act in the interim

65

between sessions

of the Imperial Klonvokation."

organization was noticeable feature of the National Wizard. the office of the Imperial the centralization of power in In view with virtual dictatorship of the Order.

The most

He was endowed of

the

Klan

criticism

of

monarchial organization of

the

which the Order gave

Catholic Church and the lip service to find democratic government, one is surprised

Roman to

the

its

m

own

or-

practice.

in principle and ganization extremely monarchial both charbe mihtary "The government of this Order shall ever Constitution " first Article of the is plainly stated in the acter un-amendable, there follows the statement,

m

and as

if

to

make

this

constitutional amendment hereafter "no' legislative enactment or change this fundamental prmciple shall encroach upon, afiPect or of the Invisible Empire."

As commander-in-chief

of the Order, the Imperial

Wizard was

departments of the orgamzagiven supreme supervision over all appoint all "He shall have full authority and power to tion«

...

^» to remove from Imperial officers and Grand Dragons station this Order of any rank or office at any time anv officer of whomsoever, on the ground ot or capacity, or any employee or for unbecoming incompetency, disloyalty, neglect of duty

conduct."

became Klonvokation "original jurisdiction" given to the The control exercised by the Imperial a rather empty grant. In practice it could Wizard over that body was determining. which was not acceptable to pass no legislation for the Order executive council, acted as him. His appointees, members of his committee chairmen." The controlits president, secretary, and delegates who were his appointees, ling vote was in the hands of He appointed and controlled the Klondirectly or indirectly. its act in the interim between cilium which was empowered to placed Moreover, all residual power was biennial meetings. not provided for "Whenever a question arises his hands. power Imperial Wizard "shall have full in this constitution," the and his decision, which and authority to determine such questions Klonvokation. if requested, shall he shall report to the Imperial

The

m

...

be

final."

The Ku Klux Klan

66

The Kloncilium in its judicial to the Imperial Wizard whose But while

decision.

in Pennsylvania

capacity

council

this

judicial capacity without the

was

similarly subservient

was necessary for a

ratification

was powerless

not restricted by the necessity of securing effective constitutional checks of

He, alone, had the power

to act in the

Wizard's approval, he in turn was its

approval,

or by

any kind.* on which

to "specify the conditions

charters shall be issued," to issue them, to suspend, or revoke

He

them.^"

of

name

financing, fix

was given the

officers regardless of

all

the

alone

Order

shall not be divided."

^«

for

its

extension,

In short, "the Imperial au-

shall ever center

and be vested

it

is

true that provision

for a just cause. ^°

office

such action

is

him and

evident,

The

however.

was the Wizard

evident that there

constitutional hindrance to as autocratic a rule as It is

in

"

wide grant of power,

this

might wish.

from

members

of this Order, with other

thority of this

little

to "construct, in

management, operation and business interests" and "to

the compensation therefor."

With

privilege to "specify the duties

rank or station,"

was made

for his removal

small chance of ever effecting

A

three-fourths vote of the

members of the Kloncilium together with the approval of the Grand Dragons was necessary for his removal and all of these officers

were

his

own

appointees and could be immediately dis-

missed for "disloyalty."

Nor need office

the

Wizard

expired.

Klansman

fear removal

when

his four-year

In the quadrennial election

term of

for this office any

good standing "as determined by the records of the was eligible for election. But the voting was carried on by the Grand Dragons (Wizard-appointed) who met in

Imperial Palace"

power proportional to the memrealms. Since these Grand Dragons own membership and voted without

in executive session with voting

bership of their respective

were uninstructed by their

Klansmen of their own Realms, it is difficult to how any Imperial Wizard who wished re-election could not

obligation to the see

W.

*At the time of the litigation between Col. Simmons and H. Evans over the latter's seizure of control, the Superior Court of Fulton County, Georgia, decreed "that so far as the Constitution gives the Imperial Wizard the power to veto an act of the Imperial Klonciliui", the same is contrary to the charter." This meant that, if the Kloncilium in its e.xecutiye capacity acted affirmatively on any matter, the Imperial Wizard was bound by its action. When it is remembered, however, that any member of the Kloncilium could be dismissed "at any time" by the Wizard, open defiance of his wishes merely meant the elimination of such a member rather than a change in the 'V^'zard's policy.

v

The Organization

of the

67

Klan

Evans, in spite of much dissatisfaction the ofhce to maintain himself within the Order, has been able Wizard to the present time (1936).

obtain

Indeed,

it.

H.

W.

m

of Imperial

how

this

self-

seemed strange to many outsiders American Order, claiming to be termed one hundred per cent fundamental principles of democratic the chief defender of the of government Pressed government, could tolerate such a frame was often made by Klansmen for an explanation, the statement which it Order and the type of work that the secrecy of the both within and without the undertook opened the way for abuses authority and miliThis necessitated highly centralized Order its more boisterous and radica^ of tary discipline to keep the effectiveness of the Order, it members in hand. Moreover, the absolute obedience depended upon unity of action and It naturally

was

said,

rather This too demanded a military In spite of p ausible procedure. than a parliamentary type of between pnnciples and explanations, however, the contradiction proved the Klan's defenses and

to the governing officials.

a vulnerable point in plague the internal criticism began to a serious weakness when long as it did only because Order Indeed, the Order succeeded as the higher the ideals and leadership of its membership accepted

practice

was

officials

and did not try to change or

was not by

its

set

up

as a flexible institution

membership.

It

The Order modified and to be molded

criticize

was organized

them.

to serve the purpose of

with the rank and file disagreed those at the top and as soon as were to submit or get out^ that leadership the only alternatives Empire were called The largest subdivisions of the Invisible The Imperial Wiz"Realms" and generally followed state lines. and power over the given the same close supervision

ard was

Realms

national organization. realms as he exercised over the of the Wizard and all could be organized only on declaration regulations named or approved and all laws and

were provisional period. furnished by him during the organization, the The Realms passed through two stages of

officials

In the former, the chief Kleagle which, in Pennsylvania officer carried the title of King This officer had was later changed to Imperial Representative.

provisional and the chartered stage.

held nothing but delegated authority and of the Wizard.

office

only at the pleasure

self-government There was no provision for any

The Ku Klux Klan

68

in Pennsylvania

Realm during

within a

the provisional stage. The Wizard appointed and supervised his realm leaders who acted with delegated authority only. Indeed, many of their subordinates were responsible primarily to the national organization at Atlanta instead of to the realm ofihce and were paid from national headquarters.

In Pennsylvania these subordinates consisted chiefly of three groups of people. The most numerous were the Kleagles or recruiting agents.

Their duties included the organization of local Klaverns and the collection of ten dollar donations (klectokens) from each initiate. The Realm office parceled out the territory

among these Kleagles whose success depended chiefly upon the number of members they were able to secure for the Order. The second group consisted of lecturers who generally travelled about addressing large public gatherings with the purpose of stimulating an interest in the Klan and of aiding the Kleagles in

A

their recruiting.

third

group of officials became necessary as These were the service men, in-

the organization progressed.

and trouble hunters who enjoyed the distinction of They were employed by the King Kleagle to check upon the activities of the recruiting officers, to discover and remedy any instances of dissention in the various klaverns and to recommend the suspension, banishment or re-instatement vestigators

being called "G-men."

of the

Klansmen where advisable. They represented in a special way Realm office. They were supposed to be more familiar with

the technicalities of the organization and the intricacies of the ritual than the Kleagles and were used to instruct and correct the Klaverns in matters of procedure and policies and to advise

them concerning

the political, educational

and social methods and measures which had the approval of the Realm officers. Finally, as the military branch of the Order, the Klavaliers, and the Junior

Order developed,

officials

were appointed

groups.

these

'

:

When known

administer

to

a

as

Realm became "fully organized" the Grand Dragon but otherwise

i

the titular head the office

was

was little

He

remained an appointee of the Imperial Wizard and remained subject to his immediate dismissal. Provision was made effected.

in organized realms for a

Klorero

to the national Klonvokation,

"

or convention corresponding

which was

at least partially repre-

of

The Organization sentative.

It

and

officers

Realm officers but from each Provmce of

consisted not only of five

delegates

69

the Klan

also of the

the

Realm

of each Cyclops or executive heads together with the Exalted must be called on y par loL klan in the Realm. The Klorero were not freely because (1) the state officers tially representative nomination of the Wizard-appomted but chosen only on

elected

Grand Dragons, (2)

the executive

^^^^^^ ^^^^/^^^'^^ ^^"^^

appointed by the Grand Dragon Titans) were not elected but charge of Imperial Klazik or officer with the approval of the

m

by officials were aU nominated Realms, and the other Provincial loca klans the Exalted Cyclops of the the Great Titans, and (3) be Provincial or ^^^^e heads, had to while not nominated by the

assume approved by them before they could

office.-

These

fea-

to so con rol the possible for the higher officials realm and little opposition to personnel of the Kloreros that these Realm conventions. imperial policies developed in of electing the mne Among the powers of the Klorero was that Dragon's executive council. "Hydras" which made up the Grand be installed, however, until they These elected officers could not of the the Imperial Klazik (later had received the approval of were also authorized to pass

tures

made

it

_

Imperial KlaHf?).

The Kloreros

not inconsistent with the constilaws for the Realm which were central too, the heavy hand of the tution of the Order. But here, Absolute veto power over all legislaauthorities could interfere. tion of the Kloreros

and was given to both the Grand Dragon

the Imperial Wizard.-*

The

from the top was not evident m Realm ran the internal affairs of the which a growing minority group

full effect of this control

Pennsylvania as long as smoothly. There was, however,

from 1924 on was opposed

to the

Hiram Wesley Evans-Sam D.

almost impossible to This minority group found it and Kloreros and they became more eet a hearing in the state the Klorero, it finally convinced

Rich control.

more

irritated.

Working

the national office

outside

from Pennthat Rich should be withdrawn

his resignation was announced sylvania and, in February 1926, Imperia Wizard head was appointed and the

A

temporary

state

opposed to Rich that he would promised the leaders of the group to the Realm. He promised nominate a Grand Dragon acceptable The Klorero vote on the matter. to allow the next Klorero

The Ku Klux Klan

70

met

at

DuBois

in

in Pennsylvania

August and the matter was brought up. The Wizard was one Herbert C. Shaw, for-

choice of the Imperial

merly a Methodist Episcopal minister of Erie. He was looked upon by many as a tool of the Wizard and by others as too rabidly anti-Catholic.

When

the question of his ratification as

Grand Dragon was put to a vote he was rejected. No new nominee was put forward. Instead, H. K. Ramsey, who represented the Wizard, brought considerable pressure to bear upon some of the delegates present and ordered another vote on the question of Shaw's acceptance or the alternative of continuing an appointee from Atlanta as Grand Dragon. Some of the delegates

withdrew and Shaw's appointment was ratified. This is a clear instance of the way the Klorero could be and was controlled by the national organization if occasion

seemed

to

demand

it.

It

should be understood, of course, that the constitutional right of

Mr. Shaw

to

the office

of

Grand Dragon was unquestionable.

The Imperial Wizard had the As he had chosen to allow a

right to appoint

whom

he wished.

vote of ratification, he could also

choose to withdraw that privilege.

With Mr. Shaw's installation as Grand Dragon, the chartered Realm of Pennsylvania may be said to have begun.

stage of the

Certain changes in the financial arrangements accompanied it* which had the effect of putting the Realm on a self-sustaining basis

and necessitating that

limits of its

own

its

expenditures be kept within the

income.

The

Provincial organization in Pennsylvania was, for considerable time, not highly developed. During the regime of Sam Rich

and the two temporary appointees that filled his office between his resignation and the selection of Herbert C. Shaw, there were but two Provinces in the Realm. The territory east of the Susquehanna comprised Province I, the remainder Province II. The latter,

although organized later than East Pennsylvania, had, at

the peak of

more members than had Province I, it had but 46 per cent of the total Realm membership 25 and subsequently declined more rapidly. its

organization,

but in 1926

Normally each province had eight officers, the Great Titan who was appointed by the Grand Dragon of the Realm and seven others

who were

•See Page 74.

elected

by a Klonverse (convention) to which

The Organization

71

Klan

of the

Cyclops and four

the Exalted Realm and Provmcial officers, m good standing might come^ delegates from each Klan was this regional organization

the

fh

-"-^f

function of

purpose was Its ^^J^^^^^^^^^^^^^ social. Klan constitution as fraternal and maintain the interest of Klansmen promote good fellowship and

of the to

in their Order.=«

„ Shaw was increased during the H. C would check the hope that such action ,

The number

of Provinces

admmistration, perhaps in the

dwindling interest and the

declining

membership. Visitations

Great

were

made pep speeches. Titans travelled around and Klan was presented to the visited Planned during which a gavel were rotated among the wrh due ceremony. Regular meetings services Provinces like summer union different locals within the Proa commui.i ty the different churches of are rotated vincial

among

organ ot the Klan to appear in the national news witnessing Magazine, instead of local Klavern

news began

the Kourier

the part of individual both to a smalle? activity on

an increased regional ministration of in 1933, there

activity.

K averns

..d

During the early part of the ad-

H. C Shaw Grand Dragon Stough, who replaced This number has were some fifteen Provinces.

State so that each county in the been increased to sixty-seven, This move has at potential Klan Province. is also an actual or Titans and has increased the number of Great least substantially

perhaps served to

fill

some empty

appointees of Moreover, since the Titans are it

Realm Kloreros. the Grand Dragon,

seats at the

over the Dragon added control has doubtless served to give

these gatherings.

Order-also During provisional and chartered. passed through two stages, were under the control of a Kleagle the first of these stages they community under orders to who often came unrequested into a the Realm office organization. In some instances,

The Klanton-the

smallest organized

umt

of the

establish a local

as a result of petitions requesting sent Kleagles into communities Sometimes a man in some outlying that Klaverns be established. seat or larger city joined a Klavern in his county

area

who had

thought

it

community

immediate secure enough persons in his and, often with the added to form a separate unit for one. be appointed a Kleagle, petitioned

possible to

hope that he would

The Ku Klux Klan

72

In whatever

way

in Pennsylvania

the local Klavern

was

initiated, the officer in

charge was always a Kleagle appointed by the Realm

Wizard from whom thus

the approval of the Imperial

When

he received his credentials.

was increasing and ship,

that there

it

office

with

indirectly

appeared that factionalism

was a group opposed

to his leader-

Imperial Wizard Evans took the precaution to have his

Kleagles sign the sonally

following "Pledge of Loyalty" to him per-

:

"I, the undersigned, in order to be a regular appointed Kleagle of the Invisible Empire, Knights of the Ku Klux Klan (Incorporated), do freely and voluntarily promise, pledge and fully guarantee a lofty respect, whole-hearted loyalty and unwavering devotion at all times and under any and all circumstances and conditions from this day and date forward to M^'-W-i-fevaas as Imperial Wizard of the Invisible

Empire, Knights of the

Ku Klux

in all respects in perfect

Klan (Inc.). I shall work harmony with him and under his

authority and directions, in all his plans for the extension and government of the Society, and under his directions, with any and all of my officially superior officers duly appointed by him. "I shall at any and

all times be faithful and true in all and most especially in preventing and suppressing any factions, schisms or conspiracies against him or his plans and purposes or the peace and harmony of the Society which may arise or attempt to arise. I shall discourage and strenuously oppose any degree of disloyalty or disrespect on the part of myself or any Klansman anywhere and at any time or place, towards him as the supreme chief governing head of the Society named.

things,

"This pledge, promise and guarantee I make is a condition precedent to my appointment stated above, and the continuity of my appointment as a Kleagle and it is fully agreed that any deviation by me from this pledge will instantly automatically cancel and completely void my appointment together with all its prerogatives, my membership in the Society, and I shall forfeit all remunerations which may then be due me.

solemn pledge on my Oath of Allegiance and and honor as a man and as a Klansman, with serious purpose to keep same inviolate. "I

on

make

my

this

integrity

The Organization "Done

73

the Klan State of

in the city of

day

this the

on

of

A.D.

of

19..

Signed

Address Witness Address etteCed ^y Within the limitations ^^,^^^^ agle s hand. entirely m the Kl admit members was of

the

provisional

XTZZ

^^--J%f;°Z"C

his

commis-

raL'dse!t^hfrettrkt,:rw£.otecteditseU :lewhat by

obliging

^"-^ *Z^::^ w- ^^^^

The commission system

by^^^^^^^

P^,

an ove.empha.s ,

rather

Espectally

own was carried along by its utrned donation in hand -re

t"':— r ship standards,

'

eaders

-J^

;

"ja

Ltlg

given that

5°9^26%^rf?ad

I

vmpa hized^^^

fof Scl°^granted

.n

the

when

the

Man

^i,„ter and secure an

,

f

f^^^J^^

and, although confcsstng^

was raised high member-

„ijiection

P ^

Klavern

way and

^^^^.^^^^^

a charter as long delay the granting of as a prerequisite larger membership Ihere were three important when it was chartered, a local

r~

^^-^;^:i:^j£'J.ZZ^l:..r alt« th.s tru

wa

the tem-

ihe hrst

^^^^ ^^.^^

state.

the right

By

July

The Ku Klux Klan

74 to

who

determine

When each

should

be

in

Pennsylvania

included

within

membership.

its

the charter had been granted, a vote could be taken on

member then upon

enough

and three negative votes was Moreover, each new applicant had to

the

to reject anyone.^*

roll,

have his name submitted in three separate meetings with an opportunity given for objections to his admission, and in addition

undergo an investigation by a Klokann committee

of three.

If

was barred, except by special dispensation of the Imperial Wizard, from renewing his application again for rejected, the applicant

one year.

A

second advantage of being chartered was the privilege

gave to the

local klan to share in the selection of its

The Kleagle was removed from

own

it

officials.

authority and an Exalted Cyclops

and twelve Terrors were elected by the member Klansmen.

It

true these officials could not be installed until they had been

is

approved by the Great Titan or Grand Dragon within whose jurisdiction they were located and until the financial obligations

Klan

of the of

these

to

its

Province and Realm were met.

some

restrictions,

measure

Yet, in spite

self-government

of

was

obtained.

The

third advantage

was

financial.

part of the "donation" fee of

The Kleagle Realm office and

Prior to

new members

its

chartering,

could be kept in the

local treasury.

got his share and the remainder

sent to the

distributed again there.

tering the Kleagle, of course,

Exalted Cyclops

who

was out

no

was

After char-

of the picture

and the

took his place as chief administrative

officer

served without salary. Thus $7.50* of each subsequent "donation"

was retained by the local expenses, the

The

judicial

local organization

and could be used

remainder going to the national

body

to

meet

office.

of each local klan analogous to the Imperial

Kloncilium in the national organization was called the Tribunal.

up only when occasion demanded and consisted of sixteen Klansmen chosen by lot from a group of twenty-four It

was

set

persons nominated by the Exalted Cyclops, Klaliff, Klokard and

Kludd.

Appeals from

its

decisions could

be taken before the

Grand Tribunal, a permanent board of twelve persons appointed *The retained

records of some klaverns by the local klan.

show

that

only

five

dollars

of

each

klectoken

was

The Organization

of the

75

Klan

and Giants of from among the Hydras by the Grand Dragon

"onT

these bodies .f^ t^^^^^^^ could be brought before major crmimal one of six classes of charc^ed in writing with reccommittee, after investigation and if the Klokann offenses ana ottenses the against treason were: (1) offenses were. ^ > ommended trial. The ottense^ ^kresDect espect of C^) of Klan oaths United States, (2) violation the Ord.r violation of the laws ot virtuous womanhood, (4) habtual person or institution, allegiance to a foreign

I

ng Sunkennes? or

of (5) the pollution If the Klo offense.^ of a mmor and (6) repeated commission one such offense was a mmor e decided that the kann^ of the rule or profanity, disobedience as occasional drunkenness refusal to respond to a orders of the Klan or the iixaltea matter was referred to the Exalted Cyclops, the trial personally without holding a Cyclopstt handled the case prosecutor and major offenses, both the In ase of trial for the present witcounsel) could summon and he defendant (or his cou d e before the Tribunal. No one nesses and argue the case ,n however, who was not ^ Clansman present in any capacity, a threeacquittal was determmed by !ood standing. Guilt or gud^y ,,e defen ant wa-c.ed fourths vote of the Tribunal.3^ reprimand one of four penalties: (1) the Tribunal assigned forever with banishment and (4) bamshment (2) suspension, (3) members of the Order. complete ostracism by all only way a from the foregoing that the It will be evident removed from the Order by Klansman could be constitutionally conviction was by the process of trial and a fellow Klansman the Grand taken, if an appeal was in his local Klan and, other convicted in some jurisdiction Tribunal of his Realm. If mhad the right of ^ppeal to the than his own, the Klansman this to There was, however, one exception perial Kloncilium. power constitution^ The Imperial Wizard had the procedure. against a Ivlansman issue banishment order"

profanity,

omX

L

su„^

m

"at his discretion to

which those specifically listed above for any offense other than There was interest of this Order."was "inimical to the best banishment to the Imperia Te right of an appeal from this days a ter the date o KloncLm if it was made within ninety the the Wizard himself had If one assumes that banishment.

The Ku Klux Klan

76

in Pennsylvania

what was "inimical to the best interests" of the Order, a loose construction of "any other offense" would allow him wide powers of banishment. It will be remembered that the power of the Wizard to remove every official of the Order from his office was unrestricted as was his authority to right to determine

suspend or revoke the charters of individual Klans. of banishment extended his

was used Pennsylvania and was for

organization.

as

It

power

every

to include

This right

member

of

freely to check internal opposition in that reason fiercely resented by

many

an instrument of tyranny.*

Within the Order itself were several subsidiary organizations. There was a group of Knights Kamellia, a second degree into which a considerable number of Klansmen were initiated. A higher Order was called Knights of the Great Forest but com-

The

paratively few qualified for it.**

which these more

regalia

distinguished Knights could wear was finer than the white muslin

worn by

those

still

in the probationary

the donation required to secure

it

order of citizenship but

was correspondingly higher.

In isolated instances the Knights Kamellia maintained a complete organization of

its

own and

more or

held

less

regular meetings

but in most Klaverns no separate organization was maintained

and the degrees meant

little

more than the experience

of par-

ticipating in its initiatory drama.

The

military order of the

own

its

fees.

however, maintain a separate organization.

It

and

Organized

Klansmen,

in

in the

less

allegiance to

Hiram W.

military uniform

izations,

all

summer and autumn

of 1924,

it

offered

consideration of a donation of

dues of not

cers at

called the Pennsylvania State

constitution, laws, oath, officials, uniforms, dues

Klavaliers, did,

had

Klan

$16.45, monthly and an oath of strict Evans,^* the privilege of wearing a white

than twenty-five cents

and black leather

puttees,^' of being police offi-

outside-of-Klavern meetings such as parades, natural-

demonstrations and funerals, and of obeying the orders

of their superior officers.^*

The

duties of the Klavaliers

which

*See Page 188.

February 1928, Imperial Wizard Evans gave orders that the mask should no longer be worn and that every Klansman should become a Knight of the Great Forest. This was a time when there was danger that the Order might be legally prosecuted for lawlessness both in Pennsylvania and in Alabama in which event the leaders wished to be prepared to abandon the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, while keeping the organization under the name of Knights of the Great Forest.

**In

,

of

The Organization were

mentioned

specifically '

rld

meetings and the

klan^ml waJ

clean

included in their constitution

and

like,

keeping

necessary permits for paof each and seeing that the robe earned. concealed weapons were

for securing

responsibility

Trder

77

the Klan

all

no

that

doubtless Lilly and Bristol nots The a" ests of Klansmen at the reprovision,^ an .em hat lilted the inclusion of this last Ord r the succeeding General ceived much emphasis in Commander-in-Chief of the .

The Grand Dragon was

ex-officio

General appointed a staf¥ of two, a Klavaliers in his Realm. He state^ command all the units n. the fnd a Major General, to Klavern^ office^ officers analogous to t^^ unit might elect

Each

Th

no duties to them^ although the constitution assigned Commander-m-Chief * -^^^^^^e^ "General Order" signed by the turn who appoint a Klavalier captain the Exalted Cyclops to together ..re unit and these elevei. fi^^^^^

m

for the

select tin

houM

m

men per cent of the membership instructed to "select twenty urut Klavahe age," for their high standing and of military by he emphasized authority was Moreover, this centralization of the clearly stated that of the Klavaliers which Constitution

min the Order shall be vested Pn^anly ef Grand Dragon, as Commander-m-Ch perial Wizard, and the stated^ of these men, it further who shall be supreme." The will each and recognized and respected by Government of

1st

this

be "unquestionably

''?L^molf 'remarkable authorized bv Article

the top is phase of this control from After Klavalier Constitution.

VI

of the

o the an emblem or an insignia declaring every article bearing Realm orgamzation^ the property of the Klavalie^rs to ithe Klavalier Organ provision: "All moneys of

tee

L

appears this

Stion

in the possession of

any

officers or

^^^'^l;^^^^^^^^

moneys of the Staff Trea u y turned must be freely and promptly the Organization and same provision A supplementary section makes th>s

automatically become the actual of

ver on demand."

.^"^^^ disbandment of a applicable also in case of "the local Klavaher um a of funds and Juite evidently the properties Realm on the sufferance of the were at its own disposal only

K^^f

-7^. office

Gilden signed this order --n^j-^^Pr^iLspon^denc'^^s^^^^^ was held by the Grand I^^S^^-T-h^/'ifSer instance proving that many of the from walks of life, rather than selected f ,?n;%he

K;:^T'the^Sr^v|[f the

professional

or

upper classes.

™Uon

The Ku Klux Klan

78

found itself financially arrears, the way was constitutionally open for it to send out

Staff.

in

in Pennsylvania

It

is

clear, too, that if the Staff

make

"accredited officers" to

somewhat the Klan but not

Corresponding branch of

called "military line

collections.

in

with

terminology

actually organized

of communication."

Much

by

the it

stress

military

was the sowas placed

development by representatives from Imperial headquarters whose goal it was to perfect an organization capable of carrying notices and secret orders to every Klansman in the

upon

its

United States within forty-eight hours after their issuance at Atlanta.*^ Where this was actually set up each Exalted Cyclops divided up his Klanton into neighborhoods, usually on precinct,

ward or township lines. The resident Klansman in each of these neighborhoods made up a neighborhood committee over which a chairman, called a corporal, had charge.

In larger Klantons

there were groups of committee corporals under the chairmanship of sergeants.

Thus

the Imperial Wizard's military line of

communication spread fan-shaped from his office to the Grand Dragons and from them in turn to the Great Titans, the Exalted Cyclops, the sergeants, the neighborhood corporals

Klansman was

until

every

was the boast of the national headquarters in 1924 that already there were several Realms in which the military communications system was perfected to forty-eight Pennsylvania, however, was not listed among hour efficiency. reached.

these nor did this

It

system receive attention in

many

parts

of

the state.

In addition to the transfer of instructions from national headquarters to the individual Klansmen, it was also the purpose of the military communications organization to gather and send in-

formation

in the opposite direction.

was under instructions it,

to survey

its

Each community committee area,

know every man

who were bootleggers or engaged in know the attitudes of each on the leading

especially those

illegal practices,

tions of the

day and

of the neighborhood.

mation would, of the

it

all

other

ques-

other information pertinent to the

The higher

was thought, be

Order and form

within

its

officials,

by getting

life

this infor-

better able to direct the activities

policies.

The neighborhood commit-

tees served also as fact gathering bodies for the Civic, the Public

-

The Organization the Schools, the Governmental and

of

79

the Klan

Law

Support committees of

their local klans.

,

,

of the information from the bottom In directing the flow of etticient less set-up proved Order topward this communications klans top downward. Very few than in relaying orders from the the their membership and had trained investigators among most cases mimic secret service agents

who

snoopers

m

tried to

When an Exalted Cyclops w.^.ed became mere gossip mongers. reports from for himself or check on to make an investigation inhe generally used a special these neighborhood committees, telligence

Committee"-a few

'^Trerwlrpart

trusted

men who

of the Organization

from Atlanta and from the Realm

office

m

acted secretly as

officials

which the

took more -terest than had placed E. \ Clarke

After Colonel Simmons had increased to activities the revenues in charge of promotional we tempting prize. Indeed as an amazing degree and became a withm the Order was an have seen, the first major struggle over this of Simmons and Clarke effort to break the control SimClarke was driven out and income. This had been done. monthly salary and pensioned for a short time on a .

in the finances.

mons was finally

organization, leaving H. withdrew altogether from the

Evans and

The

his

to distribute the "gravy. of the Realm, and the local divisions

henchmen

national, the

shared the income. principal sources.

W.

The The

national office first

Order four from received money

was a percentage of the ten

dollar

the time they applied for "donations" which "aliens" made at was forwarded For some time half of each donation citizenship. reduced This amount was subsequently to the imperial treasury. the end o later to $3.75 and, toward to four dollars, somewhat received this, the national office 1924 to $2.50. In addition to which cost the Order less than a profit from the sale of robes were sold to Klansmen for $5X)0 $2 00 each to produce and which to secure a robe but At first no Klansman was obligated each Pennsyldid so. Later the price a good proportion of them No reason was given for this invania was raised to $6.50. improved. the garments supplied crease nor was the quality of to the due increase was Some Klansmen conjectured that the new robe organization had just acquired a fact that the national

m

The Ku Klux Klan

80

in Pennsylvania

factory and was rapidly paying for price

had been raised by the Realm

ing to their income.

As a

new

—which A

was added

it

every

however, the

This led to

an income from

was again reduced

to the "donation"

—now raised

to five

to $15.00

required to make. imperial

tax which the

from all chartered klans. It member. For Pennsylvania, the national headquarters from the time

collected

to $1.80 per year per

imperial tax turned over to the first klan 653.90.'*-

price

new member was

organization

amounted

The

source of income was the

third

national

decreased.

initiates

policy which guaranteed

this source for the future.

dollars but

a means of add-

officials as

result of this increase,

number of robes purchased by the adoption of a

Others thought that the

it.

was chartered

October

to

This represented a period of

1925, totaled $94,-

1,

about fifteen

months

most of the klans involved had received their charters Although later records are not now available 1, 1924.

since

after July it

is

from Pennsylvania did not After 1926 the total member-

safe to say that the imperial tax

decline for at least another year.

ship of the

Order declined so rapidly within the

state*

that,

must have been a substantial drop in the revenue collected on a per capita

in spite of the continued chartering of local klans, there

basis.

A

fourth source of revenue which the national organization

enjoyed was the income from even to estimate

this.

its

The Klan

investments. did not

It

is

impossible

own much

tangible

which Colonel Simmons had acquired, on a part of which he had hoped to erect a great Klan university, little was kept except the enlarged dwelling called property.

Indeed,

the "Imperial Atlanta.

The

of

the

real

Palace" and the fact that real

estate

Brown

office

building,

l

both in

property was more easily assessible

for damages at law was doubtless one of the determining factors in the investment policy of the national officials.

Turning from the imperial revenues to those of the Realm, the sources were practically the same. The Realm received a part of the initial "donations," which sum was increased by the income from petitions for higher degrees in the Order. There was a Realm tax collected from Klansmen in chartered klans *See Page 162.

.

:

The Organization and

at

times the national

office cut

percent of the imperial tax. Of each ten dollar donation, the

was

first

fixed

Klan

of the

81

back to the Realm

office fifty

amount retamed by the Realm

by imperial decree

at

one

When money

dollar.

grew more gen-

office began pouring into Atlanta, the imperial the amount allowed the erous toward the Realm and increased

latter to

two

Later, in 1924, this

dollars.

increased to $2.25.

The Realm

amount was further

also received a

commission of

Klansmen. on each robe ordered by Pennsylvania chartered klans, The Realm tax, levied upon all members of below which this was voted by the state Klorero. A minimum and one-third cents per tax could not be reduced, namely, eight Order." From the month, was fixed by the Constitution of the

fifty cents

was

constitutional provision viewpoint of the Realm officials this more than this minimum. very wise for the Kloreros never voted source of revenue By 1925 this tax had become the largest single imperial tax acRealm. This tax and the cut back of

for the

its reported receipts." counted for more than ninety percent of 1926 A financial statement « covering a five months period growing in imporshowed another source of income which was petitions for the degree of tance, namely, the revenue from

m

During the period reported, it eighty percent. exceeded the income from robes and helmets by 1926 are now Since no official membership records prior to probable income of the available, it is impossible to calculate the few financial with assurance or check the accuracy of the

K-Duo

or

Knights Kamellia.

Realm

statements which were released by the

Realm

authorities.

October 1925 audit for the fiscal year of October 1924 to

The

showed

is undoubtedly an undera total income of only $44,516.47. This by no Certainly "the naturalization of aliens" had statement. period but no mention is made in this

means ceased during

this

from donations. The income from robes fifty cents was set down as $1,502.00. If the Realm received members commission per robe, such a sum would represent 3,004 members, as most purchasing robes. If any of these were new report of the income

of

which them doubtless were, an income from the donations

they paid should have appeared in the audit. The way in which this money was spent by the

was shown by the audit

to be as follows

Realm

office

The Ku Klux Klan

82

in Pennsylvania

DISBURSEMENTS Oct. 1924 to Oct. 1925 Salaries

$19,438.13 2,802.39 5,201.76 3,220.00 2,164.17 2,182.44 1,323.30 368.75 502.00 1,483.40 965.28 439.85

Salary Expense Office

Expense

K-Duo Salaries K-Duo Expense Speaking Legal

Washington Parade Harrisburg Parade Conneaut Deficit Investigations

General Expense

Refunds

Z2>Z.79

TOTAL The

$40,425.26

Realm, received no

local organizations, unlike that of the

from the higher administrative divisions of the Klan. own dues which varied from six to ten dollars annually per member, and to pass the hat when funds were low or special activities were undertaken. Many klans experienced considerable difficulty in collecting dues and taxes which were payable quarterly in advance. The only members exempt from this taxation were ministers and a few individuals who had been members of the Klan of Reconstruction days. For financial aid

They were

a

member

obliged to levy their

to be in arrears for

him and took away

To

his privilege of attending

be re-instated such a

The

one quarter automatically suspended

any Klan meetings.

member must pay up

all

his

back taxes.

national headquarters were especially urgent that this rule

be kept and compelled each klan to turn in an elaborate quarterly report.

In the larger klans sufficient dues had to be collected to pay for the rental of a hall, the maintenance of the equipment neces-

sary for the performance of the

ritual,

the secretary's salary and

supplies, the traveling expenses of the Exalted Cyclops or other

representatives to the frequent

Realm and Provincial meetings,

the construction of crosses, the purchase of dynamite and the

other expenses incidental to their activities. local

many

Nevertheless, the

dues assessed upon members were usually the smallest item

of

The Organization of expense for the

the Klan

83

travelled for miles to attend

Klansman who

money for the children's home and for riot victims and lawyers' fees, for subscriptions to The Kourier Maga^ local charities, who purchased

numerous demonstrations and parades, who gave

his

jewelry or and The Fellowship Forum and bought klan

zine

some klan sponsored business venture.

stock in

supplementary Local klans were often hard pressed to find to increase their

ways

own

to charge admission to the initiations

strations or

available funds.

some of

keepers.

made

it

were

A

held.

stands,

was likewise discovered the organization by the sale sale

of

Of

course,

that

of

sale of little

turned into considerable

dog and

American

cream

ice

and pa-

flags

the weather proved inclement and

if

crowd disappointing, an anticipated

the

money could be refreshments, or more pin

for hot

concessions

and booths for the emblems.

triotic

twenty-five cent or fifty

gatedid remain in the pockets of the guards and

by the

easily,

was

more times was helpful even

It

for

of these

grounds when out-of-doors demon-

cent fee multiplied a thousand or if

One

was sometimes

profit

loss.

profitable. In Philadelphia, excursions on the river were often This was true especially when the members of the Women's

Organization were asked to participate.

Dog

degree was conferred, as

as a

scheme to bring

italize

the

curiosity

it

profit to

of

the

was

Here

also, the

in other places,

some Klan leader

unsuspecting,

Yellow

sometimes

willing to cap-

sometimes

to

bring

needed funds into the treasury of the Klavern. The initiation required for this degree included a good deal of vulgarity which

most of the

initiates

enjoyed but which proved distasteful to a

few who, having been asked to share the fun, paid their fifty cents or dollar and became unwilling actors in rather low comedy.

Some

estimate of the

amount

of the communities where klans

following letter:

money which was taken existed can be made from

of

out the

— The Ku Klux Klan

84

in Pennsylvania Scottdale,

Pennsylvania

May-2-1928 Mr. Van A. Barrickman, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Dear

Sir,

Enclosed find report of money sent to the State and Naoffices of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan by Scottdale Klan No. 37. I can be qualified to this amount as I have receipts and papers to show for same. There is more but I can not get it as J. A. Kelley our former Kligrapp has the records and has gone along with Shaw and Evans. tional

379 members when charter was received 4 of these ministers (no charge)

@ @

375 members $10.00 Klectoken 119 members $5.00 (other $5.00 retained by No. 37) Paid for robes

$3,750.00

595.00

.

Imperial Taxes for May and June 1924 Imperial Taxes for July 1924 to July 1925 State Taxes January 1925 to July 1925 ... Imperial Taxes from July 1925 to July 1926 State Taxes from July 1925 to July 1926 Imperial Taxes from July 1926 to July 1927

Taxes from July 1926

State Lilly

to July

1927

.

.

.

.

Fund

TOTAL There

is

more of

1,480.00 'l06.50 875.45 204.43

618.90 339.66 467.45 256.92 186.50 $8,880.81

the Lilly

Dispatch and others of which

Very

Fund, Abbott Fund, Pittsburgh I

cannot get the records.

truly yours,

(Signed) James A. Miller, Acting E. C. Scottdale Klan No. 37

Attest

:

(Signed) Ira B. Ritenour, Kligrapp, Scottdale Klan No. 37 This brief account of the organization of the Klan reveals a highly centralized, far from democratic Order to whose little known higher officials Pennsylvania Klansmen gave liberally of personal loyalty and of financial support. Prior to 1930 the

money

paid by Pennsylvania

port their local,

state

Klansmen

in fees and taxes to supand national organizations was at least

The Organization

of

the Klan

85

additional intheir activities involved $5 000,000.00 and certainly more than that sum. Perhaps direct expenditures of considerably benefit the general psychological the enjoyment, the excitement,

Totalling up the the money. derived by members was worth betterment and balancing them results in community objective

one

made by the Klansmen, against the financial expenditures that the cost was high. is inclined to say

References

and 2, 1923, P- 13cilium, meeting of May 1 Article 6, Section 3. Article 6, Section 2. Article 16, Section 2. 10. 5. Article 18, Section 6. Article 5 6. 7. Article 7, Sections 2, 8. Article 1, Section 2. 9. Article 10, Section 5. 10. Article 10, Section 10. 11. Article 10, Section 9. 12. Article 6, Section 1. 13. Article 6, Section 314. Article 10, Section 3. 15. Article 10, Section 6. 16. Article 10, Section 3. 17. Article 10, Section 2. 18. Article 10, Section 12. 19. Article 10, Section 1. 20. Article 9, Section 2. 21. Article 9, Section 1. 22. Article 16, Section 2. 23. Article 18, Section 17. . 24 Article 16, Section 2. 25.' Estimate of H. K. Ramsey, Imperial Kligrapp. Section H, 6. Article 26. 2. 3. 4.

..ifi.,„ie',

!i:{^J!rd \7\

llea'gle

Pledae

^IftVuired

fo

Harry

A.

to

its

of Loyalty" submitted by execute^ i? and who testified

authenticity.

^9

Kfansmln-UckUn/of

30. 31.

Article 20, Section 2. Article 20, Section 18.

the

in the mimeographed Imperial Klazik's office as reported 1924, p. 6.

minutes of the State Klorero, Dec. 6,

of the of the Klavaliers of the Knights Article 3, Section 2Pennsylvania. (official). Enlistment Paper, Pennsylvania Klavaliers 5. Klavalier Constitution, Article 1, Section Article 6, Section 3, Supplement B.

II ^;'nsdtut?on':nd°law; State

34 35'.

36. 37. 38.

Ibid. Ibid.

Ku Klux

Article 2.

General Order No.

1,

October 31,

1924.

Minutes

41

Klavalier Constitution, Article 1, Sectiori i. a 3 and supplement, paragraph Article 6, Sections 2 Ibid. O. H. Curry, For example, see the address of Klansman

43.

l??nS o^X^l^l^htsJ^ thV iu

^^^Z

39 40

Klan of the

of

to

September

Aich\%mperial\epre. frr9'^5\^"sigrd'by ^'j>be^"feunT'"/ud^o^,^rd^?m't: 45.

Signed'by H. K. Ramsey, Trustee, and covering 30,

1926.

a

period from February 16 to June

CHAPTER

6

The Klan and Klansmen

:

Fraternalism

"I swear that I will be faithful in defending and protecting the home, reputation and physical and business interests of a Klansman and that of a Klansman's family. I swear that I will at any time without hesitating go to the assistance or rescue of a Klansman in all things honorable." From Section IV of the Oath of Allegiance.

"W

e appreciate the intrinsic value of a real practical fraternal relationship among men of kindred thought, purpose and ideals and the infinite benefits accruable therefrom, and we shall faithfully devote ourselves to the practice of an honorable Clanishness that the life and living of each may be a constant blessing to others." the Ku Klux Klan Kreed.

—From

Fraternalism was a principle which was emphasized again and again in the literature of the Order. While many members of other fraternal societies enlarged their social contacts by joining the Klan, it is more significant that considerable numbers of

men found

in the

Klan

their one fraternal

lodge and their service club.

home.

They attended

its

It

was

their

meetings, ex-

changed with other Klansmen the mystical SOG, and discussed the status of the nation and the morals of their community. It

when visiting some other town, to give the secret when recognized, enter into fraternal conversation with persons who ceased to be strangers because, like themselves, they enabled them,

sign and

held citizenship in the Invisible Empire.

It enhanced their sense Dignified both by numbers and by what were felt to be defensible aims and high ideals, furnished by its founder

of power.

with a high-sounding

ritual and suitable regalia, and equipped with secret countersigns, handclasps and pass-words, the Klan became a common man's club. That it brought relief from the

monotony of routine existence for the residents of many a spiritless community cannot be successfully controverted. dull

87

The Klan and Klansmen

A

substantial expression

to the

was given

fraternal spirit

by

The regular activities of the Order. the social and recreational There was dravalue. meetings were not without recreational the robes and participating activity in donning their

m

matic

opening

ritual.

There was purpose

in creating a

commendable

led to it and having it ca degree-team and pride in listening to There was the exinitiatory rites in other Klaverns.

perform

hilarating

by-play that characterizes

moments of

a group of

men

m

their

relaxation.

Moreover, basket

boat trips picnics, spelling bees, debates,

various social gatherings to

many

of

which the

Women

and

of the

as a welcome Klan were cordially invited served Klaverns frequently planned. diversion and consequently were sections of the state reported numerin the "Pennsylvania Dutch" and goat roasts which became ous enjoyable sauerkraut dinners Provincial and Realm ofoccasions not only for speeches from and for the best for sleight of hand performances

Ku Klux

ficers

but also

The frequent tell their tales. joke tellers of the Klaverns to picnics with visitors ga"demonstrations" were simply glorified and refreshments. lore, speakers, stunts, parades were filled with these.^ The records for The summer months

and while the Klan was 1927 are most complete in this regard nor its demonstrations as by no means as strong then as earlier On such affairs.* numerous, there were held on July 23d six Lewistown, at MidAugust 6th three were held concurrently at On August 20th five others were deltown, and at Reading. lasted for three consecutive held.** Some of the demonstrations Klaverns usually turned days and Klansmen from neighboring out en mass to help celebrate.

gave these picnics publicly in the circular Exalted sent to local Klaverns. letters which were periodically The larger to attend. Cyclops were expected to urge Klansmen

The Realm

office

more it would build and the more enthusiastic the gathering, the refreshment booths morale, the bigger would be the profits from more successful it would or from the sale of concessions and the be from the standpoint of publicity. Lykens and *Held at Peabrook, Indiana. Portage, Hustontown. Lion. Red and Kingston * 'At Benezett, Irwin, Wyalusing,

Pitcairn.

The Ku Klux Klan

88

in Pennsylvania

Waynesboro Klan advertised one such occasion

as a three day meet" with a "great regalia parade," a "mammoth fireworks display and sports of all kinds." Admission was 25 cents. On September 3, 1927 the Carnegie Klan charged 50 cents admission "field

a great demonstration with "fireworks, band concerts, singing and sports." The following is a typical program of one of the

to

less elaborate affairs:^

2 P. M.

Song

:

America

Prayer Flag Raising Star Spangled Banner Address: George Strayer, Dayton, Ohio Solo:

P.

S.

Wight

Address: A. B. Taylor, Greensburg, Pa. 4 P. M. Band Concert 5 P. M. Aeroplane v,

Klavalier Drills 7 P. M. Parade 8:30 P. M. Aeroplane

Address: Rev. J. F. Strayer, Latrobe, Pa. Male Quartet Address: Rev. Toba, Dallas, Texas Male Quartet 9 :30 Naturalization 10:30 Fireworks

While the

men

fraternal relationship

which developed among Klans-

as a result of this recreational activity

was

valuable,

it

volved no appreciable sacrifice by Klansmen for each other.

in-

Did

fraternalism reach deeper and find expression in charitable ac-

The evidence

tivity? if

proof

is

points to an affirmative answer.

Indeed,

needed that idealism and desire for service were im-

portant elements in the early history of the movement, one need

only review the generosity of the local Klaverns in their charities. In the

first

gave generously to their Order with no There were no questions asked at first about

place, they

strings attached.

which either their original ten dollar donation or their quarterly national and realm taxes were put. For at least four years, i. e. from 1921 to 1925, there did not develop sufficient the use to

demand

for the accounting of

office to issue

Realm funds

to cause the

Realm

a regular statement of receipts and expenditures.

89

The Klan and Klansmen

expenses of propaThat these monies were chiefly used for the of the emphasis which the gation and not for charities in spite understood by the Order put on "klanishness" was generally members. But no objection was made. for

all

Klaverns were, therefore, chiefly responsible Klansmen and for other donations which were made to needy Local

While the amount of contributions for

benevolences.

purposes was of enthusiasm,

way.

charitable

period no doubt large, especially during the early planned there was little done in an organized or

reported to the writer, project, where an organ-

single instance

There was not a

with the exception of the Klan Haven needs was drawn up. ized budget covering definitely predicted

and generally made the contrary, the giving was haphazard As a consequence it was largely to meet immediate requirements. It made or not. fortuitous whether adequate provision was not other depended upon the closeness to payday, upon whether or the eft'ectiveness of the collections had recently been taken, upon and many other cirappeal, the popularity of the beneficiary Cyclops, who have reviewed this phase of

On

cumstances.

Exalted

writer, have been frank the activity of their Klaverns with the in the way charities had to admit that there was Uttle fairness

needy person would been distributed. Often the relatively less need was great. Klansreceive more than the individual whose

men

usually gave without

knowing what others

were contributing. Naturally, the Order tried

first to

its

number

own members who

Hen upon the benevolence regular item on the agenda of

were considered

as possessing a first

of their fellow

Klansmen.

A

help

of their

the question asked each business session of a local Klonclave was "Does any Klansman know of a Klansby the Exalted Cyclops Klansman's family who is in need of financial or :

man

or a

fraternal assistance?""

Klan

charities did not,

however, end with

Baskets at Thanksgiving time were dismany local Klaverns. tributed to the needy of the community by Klan Another type of benevolence is illustrated by the Scottdale crippled been which paid the hospital expenses of a child who had There were instances not a few of Klaverns aid given to

Klansmen.

from infancy. prevent eviction which paid back rent of deserving individuals to foreclosure. prevent and which met the interest on mortgages to

The Ku Klux Klan It is

in Pennsylvania

impossible to estimate quantitatively the amount of this many instances no record of collections and hat-

charity for in

passings was kept.

Some Kligrapps

(Secretaries) un-business-like procedure on the ground that it

justified this

was

desirable

keep donations as secret as possible. If no record was kept, there would be less possibility that at some future time the recipient of the gifts would be reminded that he had been an object of charity. Often the collection was simply turned over to a committee with no announcement of the amount collected to

or accounting from the committee except the report that the collection had been "delivered to the beneficiary as directed."

The obvious looseness of these methods and the abuses which grew out of them led to a recommendation by the State office that regular standing committees be appointed

and that the whole matter of charities be put on a sounder basis. Most of the Klaverns followed the advice and three committees were named which dealt respectively with welfare, sickness, and funerals or

The Welfare Committee undoubtedly had and its members were appointed by the presumably "after consultation with the Kludd (chaplain)."

"lodges of sorrow."

the most responsibility

E. C.

To

it

were assigned the following duties:

(a) To administer all charity funds of the Klan, including the tithe of net local dues that should be set aside for charity and

all

freewill offerings for that purpose.

(b) To investigate all cases of need reported, determine their worthiness and dispense funds as the case may demand and the money available may permit. (c) In case other assistance than funds is needed to report the circumstances to the Klan, requesting such aid from fellow Klansmen.

(d)

To

assist

Klansmen

in

need of advice or other aid

during any misfortune. (e) To report in writing at every meeting. The financial items in this report shall become a part of the minutes.*

The dissatisfaction arising among Klansmen because of too frequent appeals for free-will offerings at the Klavern meetings was noted and included with the above recommendations was the advice that "no such appeal

is

to be permitted until

approved by the Welfare Committee."

it

has been

91

The Klan and Klansmen The Sick Committee had

the

usual duties of

responsibility for all floral oflEerings.

that called for charity, they

If they

visitation

and

found circumstances

were instructed to report that fact

to it. Welfare Committee and turn the matter over Sorrow was Upon the Committee of Funerals and Lodges of

to the

sympathetic kindness to a bereaved of a departed brother, family for proper honor to the memory Lodges of Sorrow in such and fo'r conducting the Funerals and beauty and dignity of Klana manner as to impress upon all the administer charity but had to summon craft."=^ It, too, could not

placed

the

"responsibility

for

Welfare Committee

in case of this need.

into the hands Unquestionably this centralization of alms-giving obliged to investigate requests of a single committee which was needed reform. It and "report in writing" to the Klavern was a its first crusading was proof that the Order had passed from The ugly charge phase. phase into its second commercialized and too misappropriation or misuse of funds had been made

of

often

honor

not as posts of the leaders considered their positions service but as which permitted them to render gratuitous

now

jobs in which there

Klan

was the

possibility of profit.

determine, charities, as far as the writer could

were made

Unlike the Service Clubs, rather than institutions. organizations, not Rotary and Kiwanis, local Klans rarely gave to Chests, City Chanty even to Boy Scouts, Red Cross, Community

to persons

boards, or temperance societies. to the' Protestant churches, as

Even when donations were made was frequently the case, the gift pastor.

It is

obvious

was always presented to a person, usually the that Klansmen from a study of the donations which they made, who received person generally were unwilling to give unless the To give to another instithe gifts knew whence his aid came. would only be adding to the tution like the Red Cross, they felt, would control the distribuprestige of that organization since it The Klan was not interested in any second tion of the bounty. helped, the Klan handed charity. If the boys and girls should be Junior Order than to contribute felt it better to establish its own Klan believed it should If charity was needed, the to the Scouts. or cooperate make its own distribution rather than work through

Community Chests. with the Organized Charity boards or Klansmen

in their

own

If

giving tried to follow the biblical injunc-

The Ku Klux Klan

92

tion not to let their left

in Pennsylvania

hand know what

their right

hand had

more evident that they tried to make sure that the individual recipients and the public in general knew who their benefactor was so that due acknowledgment could be given. There were two special funds which the Pennsylvania Klan given,

it

is

far

raised in behalf of

own

people which are significant in an evaluation of the charitable activities of the Order. They were designated as the Abbott fund and the Lilly fund. As previously

mentioned

(ante

its

52),

a riot

occurred in the

fall of 1923 Carnegie when an attempt was made to prevent a parade of Klansmen. In the confusion incident to that affair Thomas Abbott had been shot and subsequently died, leaving a widow

p.

at

and one small child with no funds

to provide for them.

Clearly

was a case when Klansmen were obligated to come to the assistance of a Klansman's family. A collection was taken on the night of the murder, the exact amount of which was not reported. Since the Imperial Wizard was present, the money was turned over to his office and was later increased by special offerings. this

Mrs. Abbott did not

live

long after her husband's death and

received scant attention from Atlanta.

One, Minnie Behling, of

McDonald,

Pa., was given custody of the child, Thomas Abbott, and, according to her testimony, received for a time $30.00 Jr., a month from the National treasurer. But Pennsylvania Klans-

men were never given an accurate accounting of this fund and never knew how much of the money reached the family for

whom

was given. Another riot at Lilly, Pa., had resulted in several deaths, in much litigation and a great deal of hardship for the families of the Klansmen who served jail sentences as a consequence. Another fund was set up, this time by the State office and a committee, with H. C. Woods as chairman, was made responsible for it. it

Numerous

Klansmen over the state brought in, by November, 1924, some $34,1 56.« The greatest single disbursement reported was for litigation. The attorneys received $18,355, more than twice as much as was spent for relief of Klansmen and their families ($8,999.46). For printing and special stenographers the outlay was $3,023.86 while court costs and witness fees and costs of investigation totaled nearly $3,000. Sufficient appeals to local

irregularities in this matter

had occurred to cause considerable

The Klan and Klansmen

93

safely editing of the minutes of the Klorero before they could not altobe circulated to the different Klaverns, so the matter is

Quite evidently, however, the fund was not priThe fund was marily a charity to aid distressed Klansmen. figures raised largely by an appeal for charity but, as the above

gether clear.

show, was used by the State organization to pay for expensive litigation in an attempt to clear the name of the Order.* The most commendable charitable undertaking for which the

Order was responsible was the Klan Haven project— a home for needy and homeless children. Initiated by the women of the Ku Klux Klan, it was supported by both the men's and women's organizations and eventually was placed under joint control. Speakers were hired to make appeals and to gather money. A men's regular annual Klavern meeting was set apart by the organization—the meeting immediately preceding Thanksgiving— Klan Haven meeting and contributions taken to meet current expenses. Various special methods were used such as the raising as

for the of a mile of pennies with various Klaverns competing regular Klan honor of raising the largest portion of the mile.

A

day was established in midsummer when caravans from various parts of the state met in Harrisburg, on the grounds

Haven

visitation

A

program of speakers, of Klavalier drills, helped to pubof games and entertainment added attraction and The original stone dwelling was destroyed by licize the Home. of the

Home.

but

fire

special

money was

raised to rebuild

it.

At

the peak of

its

ac-

were housed and tivities, forty-one children, chiefly of Klansmen. Some of the children had been provided for at Klan Haven. committed by court order and the State helped with the mainteIndeed steps were taken to nance expenses in these instances. Pmchot's secure court orders in as many cases as possible and Mr. administration was interested in the

home and cooperated

to this

end.

In the minds of

many Klansmen

the obligation of

fraternal

was interpreted to include commercial patronage of Order. business enterprises operated by fellow citizens of the led to Klan the Undoubtedly the class loyalty engendered by

assistance

cer-

expenses of *Some money was withdrawn from the Lilly fund to pay the hospital wounded m the not at Niles Oh o. tain Pennsylvania Klansmen who had been for the family Klorero the A special collection amounting to Sli:'6.00 was taken m .

of L. P. Bailes, Greenville, Pa.,

who had

died as a result of this same not.

The Ku Klux Klan

94

in Pennsylvania

considerable discrimination against Jewish, Catholic and foreign

born

men. This benefited the Protestant, Gentile, group but only where the mass of people were in the

business

nativist latter

Retaliatory

classification.

discrimination

by

non-

the

group was often used with effect where that group was numerous, as the Klansmen in Latrobe and Patton to mention but two instances found to their sorrow.'

nativist

—

—

But the question remained

men

Should Klansmen buy of Klans-

:

rather than of other native born Protestants?

Fear that

men who wished

such a result would actually obtain led not a few business to join the

Order

to sell insignia to

push

their

sales

Jewelers, for instance,

for security.

Klansmen took pains to join so that they could as brothers. Other Klansmen with their own

business interests at heart wanted to use the

Klavem

rolls

as

lists and exploit the value that lay in fraternal appeal. Other Klansmen dreamed of companies which would have a monopoly on the sale of certain articles to Klansmen. The Gates

mailing

made enormous The American Printing and Manufacturing Company at Atlanta was similarly managed by insiders. In Pennsylvania a City robe factory enjoyed such a monopoly and

profit.

group of Klan business men the

possibilities

of

in

and around Pittsburgh conceived

putting on the market a specially wrapped

candy with the Klan insignia prominently stamped on felt

that

Klan

loyalty

would

It

it.

was

build a regular market outside the

practically guaranteed sales at the

Klan demonstrations and

picnics

and make a handsome profit for the promoters. Some $5,000 worth of stock was sold for the proposed scheme when the declining fortunes of the

Order

in

Western Pennsylvania turned

hopes of income into actual loss for the investors. In this same connection

it

is

interesting to

know

that another

A

economic possibility of fraternalism did not go unnoticed. ect

was

officer, to

Klan.

initiated

A.

by "Judge" James

Comer, an Imperial

organize a National Service Club within the

Ku Klux

The Club might be joined by any Klansman who

annual service charge

—reputed

proj-

to have been set at

$36

for an

—would

receive national advertising and national cooperation for mutual

business interests throughout

all

the

Agents of the Club were appointed

Klavems in

of the

Nation.*

Pennsylvania* and sup-

:

The Klan and Klansmen

95

and information were distributed when unknown but easily of the project. surmisable circumstances caused the abandonment Insurance Similarly motivated was the Empire Mutual Life and Missouri of Company which was chartered under the laws a hope acquired by certain Klansmen who saw in the venture and Maccabees Members of other lodges such as the profit.

plies

of

Fellows supported the insurance departments of their expected Orders and the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan might be conwas insurance Moreover, as far as fraternal to do no less. Klansmen represented a virtually unworked clientele with

the

Odd

cerned,

great faith in anything labeled with the

and a

lively zeal to

promote the Order.

This Klan subsidiary began in the

Klan name or symbolism

its activities

in 1924, duly heralded

columns of the Kourier Magazine:

"Some Company No.

1.

No.

2.

No.

3.

No.

4.

facts regarding the Empire of Kansas City, Missouri

Mutual Life Insurance

This company is an Old Line Legal Reserve Mutual Stock Companv. All of its stock is owned by, and is being held m Knights trust for. the National Headquarters of the of the Ku Klux Klan, Inc. This company was unanimously approved by the Second Imperial Klonvokation held in Kansas City, Missouri, September 23 to 26, inc., 1924. This company writes none but native born, White, Gentile,

American

citizens."

While some millions of insurance was written by this Company, the states of Missouri, its activities were largely confined to There was little Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas.^"

made in Pennsylvania until 1927. In that year the the Imperial Wizard circularized the Klans in its behalf urging members to purchase their protection in a white, Gentfle, ProtBy that date, however, the Klansmen of estant Corporation.

solicitation

Pennsylvania, remembering the failure of Daily Dispatch Publishing

Company, the Flowers Product Company and

enterprises,

the

were skeptical of

Order and considered

all

this

similar

of the commercial affiliates of just another money grabbing

proposition.

The idea that the Klan as a its members financially received

fraternal organization could aid attention

from some of the

local

The Ku Klux Klan

96

in Pennsylvania

branches during the heyday of the Order as well as from the State and National officials. The Klan at Irwin is an instance.

Convinced that their Order was "the biggest thing in America" with hundreds of thousands of members in Pennsylvania alone,

and believing that Klansmen would "stick together," the members at Irwin decided to invest in one of the leading hotels in the town. They felt that they would have the guaranteed patronage of their brother Klansmen, many of whom would stop at Irwin as they

highway or the main line of the Pennsylprospect of profit seemed rosy.^^ At Scottdale, the same hope of financial gain led to the purchase of the Shupe farm adjacent to the borough on the north. Part of this farm they expected to turn into a permanent home for their Klavern and the remainder, they hoped to sell as lots at travelled the Linclon

vania Railroad.

The

a substantial profit.

and

at

Similar projects were undertaken at Indiana

Lancaster.

Unfortunately for the Klansmen who invested

made

donations, these enterprises turned out just as

in stock or

badly as had the more spectacular Publishing Company.

The

combination of declining membership and economic depression were disastrous. Stoically accepting their losses, the Klansmen

who remained gave up

the economic phases of fraternalism and

spent their time planning to have a

how

their local

good time on Friday

Klan could

assist

them

nights.

References 1.

2.

3.

4. 5.

6. 7.

Practically every issue of "The Kourier Magazine" carried under the heading "Pennsylvania Notes" accounts of such affairs. Held at Scottdale, Pennsylvania, August 28, 1926. The quotations made in refence to the Waynesboro and Carnegie Demonstrations were taken from printed handbills of these affairs. Mimeographed "Instructions for Exalted Cyclops: Standard Plans for the Organization and Operation of Klans in Pennsylvania, 1925." Pamphlet F 102, (American Printing and Manufacturing Company, Atlanta) en-

—

titled,

"The Klan

Ibid;

p.

8.

10. 11. 12.

Action,"

p.

14.

of the State Klorero, Dec. 7, 1924, p. 20. In Latrobe the Lutherans suffered more than others because of their alleged support of the Klan among them Dave Griffith, optometrist and Kate Weiss, milliner. In Patton, the boycott was more general on all Protestants, according to the Methodist Episcopal minister, W. A. Graham. Although the boycott was rather rigidly maintained while it lasted, in the most instances it was rather temporary. Few cases were reported after 1926. Correspondence of Mrs. Mary I. Goodwin to Rev. Strayer (Feb. 1928). Dan Ensminger of Hershey was one such agent. Proceedings of the Second Imperial Klonvokation. p. 132 ff. Told the writer in interview with Irwin Klansmen. Told the v/riter in interviews with the Exalted Cyclops and Kligrapp of the Scott;

9.

in

15.

Mimeographed minutes

dale

Klavern.

CHAPTER The Klan and the

State:

7

Political Activities

"People vote their resentment, not their appreciaanything, tion. The average man does not vote for Munro hilt against something."— William Bennett

have frequently assumed that an organizapolitical power. tion is important to the extent that it wields most This point of view has some justification in the fact that of organizations which have gained power, whether by virtue Political historians

numbers of wealth, have used that power to control the processes Modern governof government in behalf of their own interests. ments exercise such vast authority over the

life

of their respective

can peoples that no institution representing well defined interests might, afford to neglect the possible benefits which the government be influenced to bestow. Moreover, it is quite possible, under the democratic processes extant in America, for small groups, well organized as blocs, to

with

sufficient pressure,

wield inordinate power.

This

is

especially true

when

a general

issue divides the voting public almost equally between the two major political parties. Minority blocs whose special interests are

major issues which split the mass of voters, then hold a balance of power and are able to play one party

paramount

to the

against the other for concessions.

The Klan said:

leaders were not blind to this fact.

"Everybody knows that

kinds of 'elements' mostly nitely anti-American.

They

some

cater to the

of

them

nowadays

cater to

corrupt, and

some

politicians

selfish,

As one

German

all

defi-

vote, the Catho-

vote, the lic vote, the Jewish vote, the Italian vote, the boot-leg vice vote, and sometimes even to the violently criminal vote. What

Klan intends to do is to make them pay some attention to the American vote, the Protestant Christian vote, and the decent, the

God-fearing, law-abiding vote."^

The Ku Klux Klan

98

in Pennsylvania

This "God-fearing, Protestant Christian" group had special interests of its own. FeeHng that they possessed property rights in their country's culture

by the laws of heredity, they wanted to it. This claim was candidly stated

enforce a kind of entail upon

by the Imperial Wizard himself:

"We their its

future,

who

America bequeathed to it, the control of it and of no one on earth can claim any part of its

believe that the pioneers

own

built

children a priority right to

and that

inheritance except through our generosity."^

Klansmen made no apology for this claim. The legalistic assumptions current since the breakdown of the feudal system supported it. It was as sound certainly as the right of a son, regardless

of

competency, to inherit his

father's

Evans, moreover, refused to admit the possibility on the part of the native American inheritors.

"We

believe," he continued, "that the

was bred under highly not be mongrelized,

.

.

life

.

automatically and

veloped a kind of civilization which healthy

American

selective surroundings

.

and growth; and that

this

is

Mr. of incompetency fortune.

.

stock, .

and should

instinctively

suited to

best

which

its

de-

own

cannot be safely changed

own

except by ourselves and along the lines of our

character."^

This assertion was tantamount to a claim by the nativists within America that they did legally and should in practice have the right to control and develop the country's civilization.

The

Klan refused to argue about this dogma. Like the Trinity, it was accepted on faith and the orthodoxy of anyone's "Americanism" was denied if he questioned it. The Klan made no pretense of serving any group which did not accept this as "an instinctive belief" and staked its success upon the theory that it was the conviction of "the great mass of Americans of the old stock."

Now

the right to direct the country's civilization necessarily

included the control of slogan,

its political

processes.

The Klan's

poHtical

"Put none but Americans on guard" merely expressed a

logical corollary of its article of faith.

While the number of

the local Klaverns

was

still

small and the

energies of the leaders were needed to increase membership, attention

exciting

little

was given to a political program. There were more and spectacular ways to act. Besides, there was little

chance of poHtical success when only a small number of

men

99

The Klan and the State

undertakings belonged to the Order and when success in its But, existence. was essential for its growth, indeed, for its very

membership grew, political activity rapidly increased. Some "the limkation of items of the Klan platform, viz, "just laws," were adimmigration," and "the separation of Church and State," the Order into mittedly political in nature and inevitably brought

as the

politics.

organizaAlways the Klan worked within the established party The political success of the A.P.A. had shown the adtions.

establishment of vantage of such procedure compared with the Party" of the 1840's a separate nativist party like the "American Republican and 1850's. The fact that Pennsylvania was a strong the however, make the Klan pay particular attention to even especially in the selection of candidates on Republican tickets,

state did,

years

when

was

ing

party votnational officials were elected and straight

In the alternate years

prevalent.

when

local

officials

persons were were selected, the Klan tried to see that the "right" nominated on the tickets of both parties. protested against assertions that they "controlled" "advice" was admitthe votes of Klansmen. "Information" and his voting booth "his tedly given but when the Klansman entered This was, no doubt, only compulsion was his conscience." the average true. When one considers, however, that

Klan

officials

theoretically

opportunity to hear contrasting points of those who adview or inclination to weigh opposing arguments,

Klansman had

little

vised also controlled

The information

many

of their votes.

usually given out

items as the candidate's religious the

secret

orders

to

at first to

was limited

such

affiliation, his

place of birth, and

belonged.

Such information,

which he

falsified without although secretly given and hence more easily instance which the detection, was accurately reported in every

writer checked. of

If the candidate

Columbus or had was

a

member

a

member

of the Knights

with the B'Nai B'Rith he was the other hand, if the candidate for

affiliations

automatically eliminated. office

was

On

patriotic of the Masonic fraternity or of a Order of American Mechanics or the

order such as the Junior Patriotic

creased.

Order of the Sons of America,

his

prestige

was

in-

The Ku Klux Klan

100

When

in Pennsylvania

the choice lay between the

Columbus and the

Patriotic

members of

the Knights of

Order Sons of America,

it

was

course easily made.

Often, however, the selection had to be

from candidates

of

whom

of

made

on general grounds.

In such a case the Klan tried to secure the election of the individual

most favorable

all

qualified

Klan leaders were, nevertheless, loath to endorse such a person unless he had a good chance of winning. If a candidate who had received Klan endorsement was defeated, it meant the loss of prestige for the Order and Klan officials often preferred to make no recommendation or to recommend all the candidates unless it could be determined in to the Order.

advance that one of the candidates was almost certain to win. Klan caution in this regard was noticeable in connection with the Prohibition issue.

Although

principles pledged Klansmen to support "law enforcement," in communities where anti-prohibition sentiment was strong, the Klan avoided open endorsement of its

"prohibition candidates" likely to be defeated.

The Order, reasons.

itself,

When

it

tried

was an

not to become an issue for obvious issue, all the opposition

Negroes, Catholics, foreigners

—united

to defeat

it.

groups

Only

—Jews, if

these

groups were divided among themselves on other issues could a

Klan minority, voting

secretly as a bloc,

attain its nativist

ob-

jectives.

Klansmen themselves were frequently candidates for office and members since their obligation "to go to the assistance" of a Klansman in any way "at his call" was susceptible of broad interpretation even if the qualifying phrase "in things honorable" was remembered. Certainly there was no doubt about the "call." Klansmen travelled about from Klavern to Klavern in behalf of their own candidacies. In some cases they sent out their friends to speak in their behalf. as such claimed the support of the other

As one Exalted Cyclops

confessed, "It got terrible around election had to stop one person who travelled around in behalf of Dr. Hunter of Monessen. We had to tell Dr. Hunter

time

.

.

.

We

to speak for himself.

This other fellow was terrible."* was encountered when more than one ambitious Klansm; 11 decided to run for the same office. In Texas, the first state where the Klan was politically strong, a method of solving this problem was evolved which was also widely adopted

Some

difficulty

101

The Klan and the State in Indiana.

within This method involved the holding of elections Klansmen then to the regular party primaries.

the Klaverns prior

whom the^ entire chose by secret ballot the one candidate to This kept given. strength of the Klan vote was subsequently assured the victory of the Klan vote in a solid block and usually this procedure was not a Klansman for the office. Wide use of Klan was made in Pennsylvania— one reason, perhaps, why the Indiana. Texas or politically less effective here than in either secrecy of Klan action

The

made

possible the

growth of

its

a reputation in scattered areas western counties for of the state and especially in some of the In some being a potent political force controlling local elections. but the general instances this was true in others it was fictitious last minute or public, not knowing the secret endorsements

The Klan gained

political prestige.

;

have made, changes in recommendations which the Klan might the leaders could not gainsay the claims of political victory which regularly

made

after every election. political

Another factor increasing the

was

the fact that

its

secrecy

great

the

political

equation to

Since

membership was

its

made

it

strength of the Klan

an incalculable factor

dismay

of

the

political

secret, its voting strength

in the

bosses.

was unknown

and often exaggerated. Local bosses were sometimes frightened if they had into concessions which they would not have made

known

all

the facts.

The

prestige of the political boss also de-

his party.

pended upon victory for

Bosses, therefore, exercised

good care to see that the victors at the party primaries had a to victory bringing chance of attracting the floating vote and of

They were often inhibited from supthem porting candidates of their own choice if Klan opposition to was anticipated. Where the Klan was strong the bosses frequently endorsed Klan candidates, giving them the support of the often party machinery just as the Klan in building up its prestige, the party in the elections.

endorsed the party candidates

who were

sure to win anyway.

The more astute bosses did not endure this inconvenience for long. They simply encouraged some of their own henchmen to join the local Klaverns, and

full

information in regard to the Klan's

was quickly furnished them. The Klan not only "advised" its own members but tried also were printed to swing elections by circulating cards upon which

political

activities

The Ku Klux Klan

102 the

names

of

in Pennsylvania

candidates endorsed by the local Klavern.

The

which had come to the notice of the writer was during the fall primaries of 1923 in Westmoreland County. Heralded as "The People's Choice," and carrying no acknowledgment of their Klan origin, these cards appeared on doorsteps or in mailboxes on the morning of the election, having been stealthily earliest instance of this

placed there during the previous night.

This practice was widely adopted in the smaller boroughs and villages where there was a rather friendly attitude toward the Order.

There were some

For

was found impracticable. Hazelwood Klavern in group engaged in very little political

districts in

which

it

instance, the Exalted Cyclops of the

Pittsburgh admitted that his activity.

"It would have been impossible to do much more than influence ward politics so we didn't try. The city was so large that nothing could be done about city politics by our

Everyone had his own friends and it would have been useless. I remember advising a friend of mine who was running for office to make his contribution to the Catholic Church. That was the wise thing to do anyway in this ward. But it got out that he was a Klansman and he

group.

lost."^

Most Klaverns, however, found in local political most successful expression of their power.

When

activities

the inquiry turned toward the end to which the

the

Klan

used

its political strength, the answer was disappointing. The Klan goal was generally a negative one. Seldom was a constructive program of community improvement set up by the Klan toward the attainment of which interested persons from all groups in the community were requested to cooperate. Programs, when

they existed

man's religious

which

were secondary to personal considerations. A affiliation or place of birth were centers about

at all,

political

support or hostility revolved.

Religion and birth were, of course, easy to determine well suited to the

common American

with

little

outside the narrow requirements of his occupation.

neither

power of

analysis nor fineness of

a man's religion or his place of birth.

and defend a constructive program.

It

—

criteria

acumen

intellectual

judgment

It

required

to determine

required both to create

But when such Klan

criteria

103

The Klan and the State were

for political action

Much more was

leaders protested.

the

statement

simple

as naive

criticized

a

that

and

juvenile,

Klan

inferred, they said, than just

candidate

was a foreigner or a

Catholic.

an unalterable accident of foreign birth was held to denote to really understand and deficiency in the ability of an individual

The

truly appreciate

been raised in possible for a

Of

values.

and principles. Since he had to be ima different culture, Klansmen held it and foreigner to completely lose his old habits American

course,

if

ideals

he had come to

this

country in infancy

schools, there was and had gone through the American public negligible in number. some hope for him; but any such were in the Of the great mass of foreigners, Klansmen believed,

language of their highest

official

that,

wrong by foolish to expect, and it has been proved different and experience to hope that people of alien education their and inheritance into them both by "It

is

which are bred can within a training entire' or the Spirit American the

ideals,

Taken attitude.

at its face value there

The

few years understand America, American ideals."''

was

little

to be criticized in this

notion fallacy lay in the fact that the stereotyped Klansmen made them accept a state-

of foreigners held by most

No foreigners. ment Hke that just quoted as descriptive of all American education is in many credit was given to the fact that and that while differrespects patterned after "alien" education were staunch supporters ing in some of their ideals many aliens of other ideals

which Klansmen

called

"American."

The

fact that

of their habits

some foreigners were "anti-American" in some which made and ideals was exaggerated into a stereotyped notion respect. all foreigners un-American in every

Klansmen thought of a Catholic not simply as a placed his communicant in the Roman Church but as one who

Then

too,

To allegiance. church above his country both in his affection and of John Calvin have Klansmen who were bred in the tradition make this them, and John Knox, or at least largely influenced by condemnation of

Roman

most Protestants were

Catholics sound hypocritical. For, while willing in practice to let the authority

were forced to demur.^ of state be their conscience, in theory they

The Ku Klux Klan

104

What

then was the difference

in Pennsylvania

It was found in the connotation word "Church." Protestant Klansmen, in case the authorof the State was in conflict with what they believed to be ?

of the ity

God's

did not deny that their

will,

God.

This,

when they authorities,

of

obligation was to their was exactly what the Catholics meant

course,

first

said that their first obligation, in case of conflict of

was

preted by his

to

own

Church,

their

e.g.

special representatives

Klansmen denied

to

on

God's will as interearth, "the

Church."

the hypothesis of God's special representa-

and held that the pure white light of God's truth was broken by the quite human prisms of prelate and foreign pope. On the other hand, they were themselves stumped when asked for proof that this white light of truth was transmitted any more perfectly by their own lay consciences, admittives

into fantastic colors

tedly

human

When

both the Roman hierarchy and the individual Protestant's conscience was waived, the problem resolved itself into the speculative question of the also.

the

infallibility

of

relative quantities of truth and light obtainable by the contrasting methods thus supported, a problem insolvable by any known

procedure of mathematics.

Only the formulas of faith were applicable, which left the answer as disputed as ever because faith, in the respective instances, did not speak the same language. The Klan formula: "The voice of the native, white, Protestant is the voice of God for America" was as little acceptable to many people in America as was "The voice of the Pope, in matters in which he claims jurisdiction,

is

the voice of God."

More important than this theoretical problem was a more pracconsideration. The philosophy of Catholicism, with its dogma

tical

of Papal infallibility and

its

highly centralized form of govern-

ment gave direct

it power unknown to Protestants whose dogmas of communion of the individual with his God and the su-

premacy of the individual conscience were essentially schismatic and weakening. Time after time Klansmen were reminded "The Roman Catholic Church is united and its membership is susceptible to manipulation by the priesthood."® :

The Roman were largely our

era,

Catholic Church, whose doctrine and government

cast during the chaos of the first ten centuries of

naturally found Unity, as a prerequisite to order and

brotherhood, the highest

ideal.

Division and schism were hand-

105

The Klan and the State

maids of chaos and, as a consequence, "dogmatic intolerance" was her regarded by her "not only as her incontestible right, but as sacred duty."®

Protestantism was in a measure the expression of the reaction The ideal against the regulation of life by a "medieval" Church. contrasting principle

now was found not in Unity but in the The emotion that attended of Liberty. was the

salvation

result of faith alone

was

to

that

discovery

the

many

like the wild

evening from the compulsions

joy of a school child liberated at It was pleasant to learn that the "inner of an officious teacher. God had bestowed upon each of his elect was adequate to light"

vouchsafe God's will for him

Word.

But

if

this individualism

Protestantism's greatest joy,

it

he diligently studied His sacred

and freedom of conscience was

was

also the source of its greatest

Catholic popes had been able to

weakness. guilds.

if

Protestant divines,

science, surrendered

much

when they

of that

command

kings and

affirmed liberty of con-

power.

This dilemma of Protestantism was still current in America when the Klan marshalled its members. Loving liberty, unity

was sacrificed. Could the Klan find some method of synthesis which would preserve both? It boasted of its function as "the "i" unifying cement of Protestantism.

But unity on a constructive program was manifestly impossible. Let a national or even a state wide campaign for any specific diflr'ered political or educational reform be proposed, and Klansmen about its advisability. Let strict enforcement of the Volstead Act be advocated, some Klaverns cooperated while others refused their support.

Like a family whose non-cooperative individualistic members unite only against complaining outsiders, Klansmen found that they could really act unitedly only by joining in a crusade against they feared were taking advantage of the weakness Protestants had brought upon themselves by claiming In its general aspects, therefore, the Klan the right to differ.

those outsiders

whom

program was almost predestined to be negative. Klansmen would "We not admit this. Indeed, they were vociferous in its denial :

are not anti-Jewish;

foreigner

;

in fact

American.""

we

we

are not anti-Negro,

are not anti-anything.

Of course no

exact line can be

we

We

are

not anti-

are simply pro-

drawn between

the

The Ku Klux Klan

106

in

Pennsylvania

One does work in to. own cause when he weakens his opponents, but Klansmen who called their strictures against Catholics and "pro" and "anti" attitudes thus referred

behalf of his

foreigners a Pro- American activity, merely refused to recognize the distinction between "pro" and "anti".

This attitude was as

absurd as to take the point of view that advertising slogans

like

"Reach for a Lucky instead of a Sweet" are not anti-anything but essentially positive and justifiable. In spite of Klan denials which, although illogical, were in most cases

sincere

enough, a large part of the Klan's

ac-

political

was negative. An attempt was made to destroy the political power and weaken the influence of individuals and groups which Klansmen considered "un-American." In Pennsylvania this was tivity

chiefly confined to activity against the efforts of its

communicants

Every Catholic public

Catholic

Church and

to secure political office or

official,

be

he

policeman

all

power.*

or

burgess,

school director or tax collector, councilman or congressman must,

and no Catholics elected. While Klansmen would not assert that an individual's affiliation with the Catholic Church pre-determined his beliefs about traffic regupossible, be turned out of offfce

if

or tariffs, there

lations

was a general

feeling that the election

of every additional Catholic to public office

would hasten the time to a foreign Pope

when our government would be turned over for

so

whom it

indeed a place of residence was already being prepared,

was

said,

within the walls of the Catholic University at

Washington, D. C.

Nor was

that

fateful day believed to be

Klansmen were convinced

that the nation

far distant.

that "catastrophe" during the administration of

when

Many

had narrowly escaped

(so they asserted) a Catholic shared the

Woodrov/ Wilson White House as

when Secretary Tumulty, "a Catholic of the Catholics commanded the entrance to the White House,"^^ when, accord-

his wife,

ing to widely circulated reports, "over seventy per cent of

appointments made by President Wilson were Catholics

(and) 62 per cent of

all offices in

When

this Catholic factor efforts were generally ofSce or else the Klavern was locality.

.

.

the United States, both elective

and appointive were held by Roman

political

.

all

was not a part of the

Catholics. "^^

While the

political setting of a Klavern, its frustrated by factional struggles between Klansmen for merely an acljunct to the dominant political party in its

107

The Klan and the State

The Grand worst of their predictions had not yet been fulfilled, KlansDragon of Pennsylvania warned all "faithful and esteemed "determined to present that the Roman Hierarchy was still

men"

country as a gift to the Pope of Rome."^* ef¥ect such Although Klansmen were never very clear about the

our

fair

generally, the an eventuality would have upon our institutions belief

was commonly held among them In the

result.

first

place,

they

that four things

believed

that

the

would

CathoHcs,

the American

wherever they secured a controlling influence in strengthen government, would use the agencies of government to funds would be apthe Catholic Church and that government

Thus the schools. propriated to support the Catholic parochial would American principle of the separation of church and state be abandoned. the institution of In the second place, Klansmen feared that This they inferred from the civil marriage would be in danger. to recognize the validity fact that the Catholic Church refused

of the

civil

ceremony for the marriage

of its

communicants.

which showed Third, whether or not facts could be gathered Christian other of that American Catholics had been tolerant of the denominations, it was held that the ruling "hierarchy" Roman Church had never accepted tolerance as a principle, but ,

circumstances in only as a temporary policy which the peculiar America made necessary. Klansmen believed that the philosophy of the Roman Finally,

does the authority of the Pope, was not that "papal democratic but autocratic and, when Catholics claimed ex-cathedra made infallability" was only claimed for utterances

Church, elevating as

on matters of

faith

it

and morals and did not extend

to political

Klansmen refused to believe them. In the words of Catholic Grand Dragon H. C. Shaw, "the teachings of the Roman and instiChurch are fundamentally hostile to the spirit, ideals, persons have unwise to tutions of our Republic"^* which made it

matters,

brought up under

this doctrine in public office

here in America.

Klaverns and Such beliefs were repeatedly expressed in local Catholic candidates acted upon in elections with the result that In parts of the state. for local offices were defeated in many most the was national politics the presidential campaign of 1928 evident case of

Klan pressure

to

defeat a Catholic

for

office.

The Ku Klux Klan

108

Prior to that campaign, the state little

interest

in

politics

of a

in Pennsylvania ofifice

of

the

Kian had taken

wide or national character.

state

While Sam D. Rich was King Kleagle (or Imperial Representative) his own lack of interest in politics was reflected by virtually all the state officers. There is considerable evidence to show that Gifford Pinchot received favorable endorsement by many local Klaverns and Lemuel D. Peoples of the State Office took some interest in the success of his candidacy

sent of his superiors.*

there

was

date,

John

name

in his speech at

little if

W.

any

presumably with the con-

In the presidential campaign of

efifort

made

1924,

against the Democratic candi-

Davis, even though he denounced the Klan by

New

August 22. More effort was made to discourage Pennsylvania Klansmen from supporting the candidacy of Robert M. LaFollette. On October 6 and 7, 1924, at Conneaut Lake Park was held the largest Klan Sea Girt,

Jersey, on

gathering in the state immediately prior to the election of that

Time was taken on that occasion by both Sam D. Rich and Imperial Wizard Evans to denounce LaFollette as a radical

year.

and to predict turmoil and disaster

if

he were elected president.

Against the candidacy of Alfred E. Smith the Klan put forth the most vigorous political effort of

The

its

career in Pennsylvania.

leadership of the Pennsylvania realm had passed by that

—

—

from Rich and several temporary incumbents to Rev. Herbert C. Shaw, an ex-Methodist minister from the South who had served a short pastorate in Erie, Pennsylvania. He was an time

outspoken anti-Catholic and, unlike Rich, was much interested in The correspondence from Shaw's ofifice began,

national politics. early in

'What March

is

1927. to prepare for the

the

Ku

coming

Klux Klan's next great

presidential

of that year, and emphatically answered,

prevent the

Roman

struggle.

battle?" he wrote in

"The

battle to

hierarchy from seating Mr. Al Smith in the

Presidential chair."

Programs for Klavern meetings were suggested by the State office. Catechetical exercises were prepared and sent out containing references to the recent Eucharistic Congress at Chicago and

High Mass on the Sesqui Centennial grounds The one was "the Roman Catholic Hierarchy's"

the celebration of at Philadelphia.

•In correspondence allegation.

with

Mr.

Pinchot he

declined

either

to

corroborate

or

deny

this

109

The Klan and the State

candidacy, the other its western background for the Al Smith (these sections) by a eastern background "calculated to over-awe

" To arouse the fears of earnest display of numerical strength." advantages Klansmen, thev were told that Smith had many "The Roman Catholic Church controls to the coming election. country." Multitudes of Repuba great extent the press of the Smith because "their love of lican Catholics would support Mr. Klux Klan was the Church will supplant love of party." The Ku out against "Romanism only organization which stood boldly warning was given and "nullification" to stem the tide. Solemn election: "It is a foregone of the consequences of Mr. Smith's Protestant from office that conclusion that he will remove every of Columbus in his place he can safely remove and put a Knight seek occasion to use the armed forces

m

Without doubt he will Roman Catholic yoke to the neck of our Country ro restore the "Why is the Ku Klux Klan opposed of the Mexican People." concludes the catechism, and as if to Mr. Smith for President?" answer is given: summarizing all the long list of reasons the dominated by Catholic, he is "subservient to and .

because being a

the Papacy."

The Democratic convention that his

at

Houston, faced with the fact

succumbed to Smith was the strongest man of the party, their courage by nomination as inevitable and whipped up and by roundly the historic liberalism of the party

stoutly asserting

Senator Robinson who shouted, Statute of rehgious freedom. "Jefferson glorified in the Virginia of the constitution that declares no

applauding speeches

He

like that of

rejoiced in the provision

qualification for religious test shall be required as a

trust in the

United States."

"

an

office of

Democratic Klansmen who found helpless

m

their

not as themselves powerless at Houston were Wizard Hiram W. Evans, the head local communities. Imperial transferred his base of operations of the national organization, with an mcreased staff from Atlanta to Washington, D. C, and voters Smith's election. Since Republican directed the fight against

5.b outnumbered Democratic voters more than on than upon Pennsylvania less effort was concentrated to 1 orators like New York State. On the other hand, high powered into Pennsylvania and Senator Heflin. of Alabama, were brought Grand Dragon Shaw denounced large audiences were harangued.

in Pennsylvania

..

.

The Ku Klux Klan

110

in Pennsylvania

the Catholics on every appropriate occasion

making much mention

of the political designs of the "hierarchy" which he professed to

have learned

at the

Chicago Eucharistic Congress into which he

A

claimed he had gained entrance disguised as a priest.

was made

effort

to get

Forum

Fellowship

vitriolic

Klansmen and,

special

to subscribe personally to the

when

this effort failed to secure

the hoped for circulation, to get the local Klaverns to use

some

of their monies to purchase copies for free distribution.

When

gained the presidency by a substantial

loud in

Hoover had majority, the Klan was

the election returns were in and Herbert

its

claim that

it

had saved the country from a

survey of the returns in Pennsylvania

upon the revelance of

is

sufficient

this claim in this state.

300,000 Klansmen enrolled in the Order at

A

must be remem-

It

bered, of course, that while Pennsylvania had

papist.

commentary

some 225,000

its

to

peak, by 1928

(April) that number had shrunk to a mere 26,000 and continued

during the year.

to decrease

below are counties several instances, listed

in

was

The

counties listed in the table

which the Klan had been strong and, still

strong.

The

figures

in

in

parenthesis

under the 1928 columns are the votes cast for the guber-

Reed on the Republican ticket and McNair Democratic ticket. They are included because they offer

natorial candidates

on the

:

a slight check on the presidential vote.

Table " Democratic

1924:

Per

Republican

County

(Harding)

Allegheny

.

Westmoreland Philadelphia Schuylkill

Luzerne Washington Lehigh .

.

York

.

....

.

.

149,296 34,522 347,457 34,578 46,475 22,315 20,826 23,044

(Davis) 21,984 10,223 54,213 10,111 14,500 6,706 10,415 15,600

cent of

total vote

12.8 22.8 13.4 22.8 23.7 23.1 33.3 40.3

111

The Klan and the State 1928:

Democratic

Republican

(Reed)

County ....

.

.

(28,991 Reed) 40,291 (37.643 Reed) 45,791 (36,602 Reed)

Lehigh

York

cent of

total vote

160,733 (144,855 McNair) 30,587 (29,270 McNair) 276,573 (259,819 McNair) 40,424 (37,350 McNair) 73,319 (68,299 McNair) 17,149 (16,966 McNair) 13,463 (14,237 McNair) 11,215 (17,512 McNair)

215,678 (212,976 Reed) 51,760 Westmoreland (47,500 Reed) 420,320 Philadelphia (412,747 Reed) 46,033 .... Schuylkill (45,512 Reed) 67 ,872 Luzerne (66,869 Reed) 31,099 Washington ..

Allegheny

Per

Smith (McNavr)

Hoover-

45.3 37.1

39.6 46.1

51.9 35.5

25.0 19.8

in York and Lehigh be obser^^ed from these figures that population was small, Counties where the percentage of Catholic the inRepublican votes was much greater than It will

the increase in crease

in

Democratic votes.

It

is

quite

evident,

also,

that

in

substantial Catholic group, every section in which there was a had been to increase the Smith vote

the effect of the campaign

Hoover by a much larger percentage than the course, impossible to determine

how much

vote.

It

is,

of

of the increase in the

the

in getting out Republican vote was due to the Klan activity much the Klan was Protestant vote, or, on the other hand, how enhancing the stirring Catholics to activity and

responsible for

Smith

vote.

in the

former

That is

it

was

open to

as as potent in the latter regard

little

it

was

doubt.

of smaller narrower investigation of the election returns existed shows precisely the districts where flourishing Klaverns

A

same result."

— The Ku Klux Klan

112

in Pennsylvania

Votes Polled by the Presidential Candidates 1924 1928 Republican Democratic Republican Democratic Altoona 8,687 2,146 13,718 7,297 Bedford* 756 510 901 312 Carnegie 1,684 245 2,099 1,928 Homestead 2,277 190 1,480 4,141 Indiana 2,810 404 3,481 645 McKeesport ... 6,303 1,095 8,534 5,173 Mt. Pleasant .. 824 327 1,214 868 Shamokin 4,279 1,388 5,912 3,555 York* 8.275 4,020 14,246 4,554 *These places had relatively few Catholics.

Town

The Pennsylvania Klan made legislative

program

but one attempt to introduce a

into the State Legislature.

This took place

when a

battery of four bills were prepared by the Order and introduced into the Assembly by Representative George G. Weber, of DuBois, on February 21, 1927. While these bills died in the

Committee on Judiciary General their content

is

to

which they were referred, Klan poHcy.

descriptive of the focal points of

Three of the four

were directed against the Catholic Church subsidiary organizations. The first would by one direct blow have made the organization of Knights of Columbus and certain other Catholic Orders and Associations impossible by making it a felony punishable by from one to ten years hard and

bills

its

labor in the State Penitentiary to hold membership "in any secret

oath-bound corporation, association or society organized within this

Commonwealth when

the qualifications to membership is membership also in either a corporation, association or society whose seat of government is in a foreign country or whose chief

executive officer

A

second

bill

is

not a citizen of the United States."

proposed to stop criticism of

presumably by Catholics

civil

—

marriage

by making it a misdemeanor "punishby a fine of $300 to $1000 and imprisonment of three: to twelve months to question the validity or the sanctity of any marriage or to reflect upon the morality of the marital state or to deny the legitimacy of the issue of any marriage when such able

marriage has been or

is

about to be entered into and solemnized

in accordance with the statutes of this

other State."

The

third

bill

Commonwealth

also related to marriage.

or of any

Any

per-

113

The Klan and the State

ceremony was forbidden to son qualified to perform the marriage the marriage) to "persuade, entice or induce said parties (to agreement, or stipulation, oral or ni enter into

any contract,

of said marriage accordmg writing, to educate or train the issue particular church, sect, religion, to the teachings or tenets of any showed the attitude of the or belief." The last of the Klan bills between the Negroes Klan toward the question of inter-marriage terms of the bill, and whites. Such inter-marriage was, by the minister or It was made a felony for any prohibited."

"forever

marriage, to unite any such persons in

other authorized

official

on penalty of a

maximum

prisonment of

A

number

fine

of $5,000

and a maximum im-

five years.

of

Klansmen

in the

Assembly credited the

lack of secure the passage of this legislation to the that he had part of the sponsor of the bills. It is true

and no experience

in

handling matters of this kind.

failure to

skill little

on the ability

But even

if

had been in difTerent hands, there which were so was little hope of pushing through measures in Besides, there was insufficient Klan strength discriminatory.

the sponsorship of these bills

to barAssembly to make it worthwhile for other "interests" gain with the Klansmen. interest in Turning to national affairs, the Klan took some

the

share of the immigration restriction and claimed a considerable of 1924. There is glory for the passage of the Immigration Act Pennsylvania organization took little evidence, however, that the Senator James Reed, of Pennsylthe matter.

an

active part in

and would certainly have have given him been familiar with interested groups which might Reed asserts, however, that he was not aware of any

vania, sponsored the

bill

in the Senate

support.

Pennsylvania, nor, support given to the measure by the Klan in for that matter, by a Klan lobby at Washington.^" League of The Klan did directly oppose our entrance into the reflected the norNations and World Court. Klan membership Americans mally isolationist attitude and the fears of the average that

Characterisbe drawn into entangling alliances. primarily however, the reasons given by Klansmen were of predominance It was the political.

we would

tically,

neither

economic nor

League and World Court and the conAmerican Protestantism that made them bad.

Catholic countries in the

sequent dangers to

.

— —

114

The Ku Klux Klan

The Realm

Office circularized

its

in Pennsylvania

members and urged them

chase folders for distribution in public places.

No. 4

culars, identified as Leaflet

One

to pur-

of these cir-

in the correspondence of the

"Why the Ku Klux Klan Opposed was regarded as one of the best issued. On the back of the Leaflet was the maxim, "The Ku Klux Klan holds that American Questions should be settled by Americans in America. Inside was merely the following brief statement. Realm Office was the World Court."

entitled, It

World Court Officers

—

Catholic. President, M. De La Torriente Pereza of Cuba Vice-Presidents, M. Pusta of Esthonia— Catholic, Count De Gimeno of Spain Catholic, M. Fortoul of Venezuela Protestant. Catholic, Sir Lord Robert Cecil of England (80^0 Catholic*)

—

—

Council of the League of Nations Advised by the World Court

— — Dr. Benes of Czechoslovakia— M. Briand of France — — M. Scialoga M. Quero Boule of Spain — M. Sjoberg of Sweden— Austen Chamberlain of Great Viscount Japan — Shinto.

M. Vandervelde of Belgium Catholic. M. DeMello Franco of Brazil Catholic. Catholic.

Catholic.

of Italy

Catholic.

Catholic.

Catholic.

Sir

Britain

—Protestant.

Ishii of

(Council

The Assembly

of

70%

Catholic*)

the League of Nations

— — — — — — — — Brazil — six— (Assembly membership 286. *Catholic —one subservient

— — —

Catholic. etc., etc., etc.

Catholic.

The U.

S.

— —

Bulgaria three Catholic. Finland three Catholic. France twenty-four

Abyssinia three Catholic. Albania two Catholic. Austria two Catholic. Belgium six CathoHc.

CathoHc 192, Protestant 94) and dominated by the papacy.

to

cancellation or reduction of foreign

was also consistently opposed

war

debt

owed

to the

in the literature of the Klan,

but since the policy of our State Department was in line with

Klan

beliefs, there

about this matter.

was no occasion for the Klan to get excited There was, however, one other item of foreign

115

The Klan and the State policy which aroused the

Realm

office to feverish activity.

This

to enforce its re^ was "the Mexican Question." In an attempt charged by certain American vised Constitution, Mexico had been There was considerable interests with violations of their rights. our Department of State and the Mexi-

correspondence between can government.

But the

interest

which the Klan took

in this

the literature of the controversy was not economic. Nowhere in understood the Order is there any evidence that the Klan leaders under dispute. They optechnical, legal or commercial matters not because they were posed intervention in the affairs of Mexico in Mexico, but because hostile to American trade or investments it

intervention. appeared that the Catholics wanted American

The new Mexican

cerConstitution besides trying to repatriate

politics and land resources had also tried to secularize foreign priests and education. As a means to this latter end certain monasteries were forbidden to remain within the country, made for pubhc and nunneries were aboHshed and provision was privilege suffered by education under state control. The loss of aroused the sympathy of the Roman Church in Mexico naturally

tain mineral

many American

Catholics,

some of whom openly expressed

the

preserve at once wish that the U. S. would intervene in order to American economic interests and religious freedom.

Mexican This interest of American Catholics in the saw in it an was a source of alarm for the Klansmen. They country in a^war attempt of the Roman Church to "involve this Concealing its aim to regain thereby its "lost with Mexico." laying down "a privileges and power," the Roman Church was situation

property." smoke screen of protecting American lives and CathoKlansmen held that Secretary Kellogg had been misled by Government's casting off the lics "to believe that the Mexican fact that the yoke of Rome is Bolshevism." They broadcast the

clever

propagandize Knights of Columbus had raised a million dollars to Coolidge was for intervention, and prophesied that President as the adready to "lay a strong hand upon Mexico" as soon interjournment of Congress would free him from Congressional arouse The Realm Office encouraged all Klansmen to ference. klavems to meet the crisis and informed the local

themselves that

it

had not been negligent of

its

duty but had distributed

t

The Ku Klux Klan

116

in

Pennsylvania

"upwards of one hundred thousand four-page Mexican Leaflets" and had in addition "assisted with Bulletins and speakers." "

With

the mention of the anti-Smith campaign, the ef¥ort to

prevent the entrance of the United States into the League of Nations and the World Court and the flurry of excitement over a feared U. S. intervention in the

list

of political activities

Mexico to aid the Catholic Church, of any national importance under-

taken by the Klan in Pennsylvania

Order, with

its

just another patriotic society.

is

After 1928 the

exhausted.

membership became increasingly

greatly depleted

In

its

literature

it

supported the

army and navy program, applauded the Daughters of the American Revolution, and even expressed good will toward Hitler because his anti-Semitic policy was felt to be somewhat akin to big

its

own

racial attitude.

Between the

the implication that

it

much

propaganda one could read might not be a bad thing for the United

lines of

of its

movement with

the Klan in the role of leaderBut the dwindling membership of the Order gave no promise of that. Perhaps it was more to keep the Klan from disintegrating altogether than to produce the fear

States

if

a fascist

ship were to develop here.

prerequisite

for a large grant of

power

to a dictator that the

Klan leaders after 1931 simulated increasing concern over the growth of radicalism within the country and substituted "the menace of communism" for the fading spectre of Romanism.

References 1.

2.

3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

8.

9.

10. 11.

Quoted by Stanley Frost Hiram Wesley Evans in

in

the

the Outlook,

Forum,

vol.

vol. 13(5, p. 74, p. 801,

66.

December,

1925.

Ibid.

Told Told

to the writer by Ross Kalp, E. C. of Scottdale Klavern. to the writer by Sterrett L. Clark, E. C. of Hazelwood Klavern. the Outlook, vol. 1}6, p. 64. of American Protestants to the Supreme Court Decision in the Macintosh Case. See for instance Christian Century, June 10, 1931, p. 776; July 1, 1931, p. 878 ; Jan. 20, 1932, p. 84; also Lit. Dig. Jan. 25, 1930, p. 14. For example, see: Correspondence of H. C. Shaw to the Exalted Cyclops of the Realm, March 29, 1927. Catholic Encyclopedia: Article on "Tolerance."

Hiram W. Evans in Compare the protests

Klan Leaflet, Form C-lOn. There was not a single Klan Exalted Cyclops or state official with whom the writer raised this question who did not deny that the Klan's program was negative. See

manuscriDt of a speech delivered many times by Rev. J. F. Strayer also Proceedings of the Second Imperial Klonvokation, p. 35: "The Knights of the Ku is not in any sense an anti-organization..." 12. Circular letter by H. C. Shaw to all the Exalted Cyclops of the Realm, March 28, 1927. also

;

Klux Klan

15.

Anonymous pamphlet

14. 15.

Klansmen of Pennsylvania and elsewhere. Circular letter by H. C. Shaw to "Faithful and Esteemed Klansmen," June 16, Pittsburgh Gazette Times, October 7, 1924.

entitled

"Food

for

Thought"

which

was

circulated

among 1927.

117

The Klan and the State References 16

Correspondence of Shaw

to his

Exalted Cyclops, March 29,

1927.

«noSJs.r:v£ijr from the 'Pennsylvania Manual'' 1929,

oLu"oT?etatw\ ?enf from Shaw's tributed

in

the

to'

527

Mex,crn*n^

office

spring

p.

to

or

all

the

summer

Klaverns of

1927.

following.

were taken ^rom m.meographed circulars Undated, tliey were d.sin the State.

CHAPTER

8

The Klan and the Church

:

Religious Activities of the Order

'Men

wrangle for religion; write for it; fight for for it; anything but live for it." Caleb Colton

will

it; die

—

Founded by a one-time Methodist preacher, the Knights of The the Ku Klux Klan boasted of their devotion to religion. purpose of the Order was to attain the "solidarity of Protestants for Social, Civic, and Moral Defense and Progress." ^ Its symbol was a cross. Its "Kreed" asserted that Klansmen "reverentially acknowledge the majesty and supremacy of the Divine Being, and recognize the goodness and providence of the Same." - One of the officials of every klavern was a chaplain called a Kludd.

At each meeting he delivered an opening prayer, expressed to God the hope that Klansmen might "forsake the bad and choose and strive for the good, remembering always that the living Christ is

a Klansman's criterion of character."

^

In the closing ceremony

of the klavern, in answer to the Exalted Cyclop's inquiry,

"How

of our God?", the Kludd arose to say: "Thou shall worship the Lord thy God. Render unto the State Love the brotherhood, honor the things which are the State's.

speaketh the oracles

Bear ye one another's burdens and so

the king. Christ."

A

*

fulfill

the law of

"kloxology" was raised to "God of eternity" and

God" were called down upon them in benedicwas done before an altar, which was an essential

"the blessings of All this

tion.

piece of equipment of every klavern.

In the naturalization ceremony by which applicants were invested with membership in the Order, the applicant was obliged to affirm his belief in "the tenets of the Christian religion,"

anointed with "a transparent, fluid

.

.

.

divinely distilled,"

*

life-giving,

powerful,

was

God-given

and was dedicated by prayer "to

119

The Klan and the Church

our

work harmonic with God's will and purpose in were Thus was it officially assumed that Klansmen no had they the Lord God for whose benediction

that sublime

creation."

^

servants of

hesitancy in asking.

Not only were klavern meetings and

ceremonies given

initiation

m

state conventions, especially a religious cast but national and history, were conducted in an the first few years of the Order's produced by the atmosphere of religious devotion deliberately of God's Mention of Christian ideals and the invocation leaders. Imperial the were common. H. E. Evans, addressing

guidance

minimizmg Klonvokation in 1924 (Kansas City, Mo.), tactfully asserted that the importance of his own leadership, of giving done a greater thing for the Klan than that

He

leadership.

has given

it

His

Own

Leadership.

"God has it human The Lord

which we rejoice. This has guided us and shaped the events in growth must increase our faith in the Klan,— in its fact complete victory." In grace and power, in its mission, in its final the Klan, each day's session was begun all important gatherings of Scripture reading was with a devotional service. The favorite his Roman brethren to the familiar admonition of St. Paul to

m

.

.

.

recompense to be kindly alfectioned There live peaceably with all men." no man evil for evil Klansmen a high evidence that some Klan leaders held before

"think soberly

...

.

.

.

.

.

.

is

spiritual idealism

and devotion.

To

quote from one of them:

never enter a Klavern and stand before looks down upon me, a prepared altar where the Fiery Cross all the sacred traditions of the its Holy Light blazing forth the feet of Klansmen past, nor behold it as it gives light to great city, that 1 do not in parades through the streets of a in the nation wish that I myself and every Klansman and cry with him: could behold that Cross as Paul beheld it, cross of our 'God forbid that I should glory, save in the unto me, crucified Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is nation the in Klansman and I unto the world.' If every Amerfor safe be say that with Paul, America \yould

"My

brethren,

I

.

.

.

could icans

from

this

day to the end of time.

.

.

.

emu"Keeping step with the Master and daily striving to be may it sacrifice sacrifice, if late His example—this is the world the and America called which Klansmen offer that consecrated may be saved. Are you ready to lay all your a token ot as afternoon power of manhood on the altar this

The Ku Klux Klan

120

in Pennsylvania

love and gratitude to Him, and to say: 'By the help of Almighty God, I determine that from this hour on I will so live that I can hand down to future generations the standard of what a real American ought to be that I will seek to make America the first of all the nations to fulfill the will of God and to crown Jesus Lord of all?" " ;

There by the

no doubt

is

that

many

honest Klansmen were inspired

Order

religious activities of the

to consecrate themselves

which they believed, whether mistaken or not, were Returning from the Kansas City Klonvokation of 1924 one Pennsylvania Exalted Cyclops ob-

to principles

consistent with Christian teachings.

served to the writer: "Pve attended a lot of church gatherings and conventions both of my own and other denominations but I never attended one where the revival spirit was as pronounced as it

was It is

at the

Klan Klonvokation."

not true, however, to infer that the religious fervor which

characterized a few great inspirational gatherings of the Klan typical

of

the

general run of

state

was

meetings in Pennsylvania.

Called Kloreros, these annual meetings were likewise opened with devotional exercises.

Rev.

J.

W.

Dempster, of Crafton, was con-

spicuous as a leader of these services for the

they were held.

first

few years that

Nevertheless, the minutes of these meetings gives

one the impression that the devotions were not an integral part of the programs, being largely perfunctory like the routine prayers opening of a session of Congress or the required ten verses of scripture and the repetition of the Lord's Prayer at the start at the

of the day's

work

the officiating minister

of the session Locally, a

The spirit invoked by was not noticeably present as the business

in the public schools.

was taken

up.

few klans maintained a rather sustained

atmosphere over a considerable period. the early part of the

It

was

evangelistic

characteristic of

movement, however, and of those Klaverns

which had enrolled most of the ministers of

their communities.

While the number of such instances was by no means large enough to consider them typical of the movement, it can likewise be said that the absence of

any expression of religious devotion other

than that in the ritual was also typical of only a small percentage of the local units.

;

The Klan and the Church

121

ceremonies grew wearisome or ceased and the programs were often business to be transacted was small, klavern a religious or semipieced out with song services which had hymns which were conreligious character. Among the standard

When

initiation

were the familiar "Blest the Wondrous Be the Tie That Binds" and "When I Survey official hymn. an almost "The Old Rugged Cross" became

sidered by

to be appropriate

Klansmen

Cross."

of its author, it Although sometimes sung with the original words changing the was more often turned into a campaign song by ." Fiery Cross chorus to read, "I will cherish the bright of Klansmen found considerable expression .

The

.

m

ingenuity

Klan making appropriate changes in familiar hymns to by the Wildsymbolism. Thus "There's a Church in the Valley in the Wildwood" became "There's a Cross That is Burning Valiant wood" "Onward, Christian Soldiers" became "Onward, became: Klansmen"; and "Let the Lower Lights Be Burning" suit the

;

"Let the fiery cross be burning, Spread its beams o'er land and sea Satan's wiles forever spurning, Bringing Christ to you and me."

often naturally In KUan ideology, religion and patriotism were conand unconsciously mingled. It is doubtful if most Klansmen

God" and

ceived of "love of

They thought

of

God's special gift

"love of country" as distinct things.

America, as the Israelites had of Canaan, as preto the people whose culture He wished to

being that this cuhure was akin to God's for the whole world. will for America and through America religion of At its worst, Klan tliinking turned the non-racial

serve, the inference

racial as was the Christianity into one as narrowly national and of the Judges. Jehovah worship of the Israelites during the period

God became merely

the press agent of the Pilgrim Fathers.

who found in Klan publicity a very luGod and his own Christian (Campbelite)

Rev. Paul S. Wight, crative

way

to serve

Church and who

Company"

to

Klansmen,

is

finally

distribute

established

"The

International

Music

song booklets and victrola records to

this the author of the following verses illustrating

synthesis of patriotism

and religion:

;

The Ku Klux Klan

122

:

in Pennsylvania

Klansman's Jubilee Song^^

We

(Tune: Battle Hymn of the Republic) Old Glory in our robes of spotless white;

rally 'round

While the

Come

fiery cross is burning, in the silent silv'ry night. join our glorious army in the cause of God and Right.

The Klan

marching on

is

.

.

.

The blessed Pilgrim Fathers, fought and died for liberty. They sailed through troubled waters, died that we might be made free. Oh, shall we dare surrender ? No Our battle cry shall be !

"God's truth

is

marching on."

yes, we stand for liberty, for freedom of our land The same as our dear fathers' won from cruel tyrant's hand. We'll keep the sacred heritage, for in His might we stand, As we go marching on.

Oh,

Another "religious" practice which was

characteristic of

throughout the state consisted of church visitations.

Klans

Just as their

song services combined religious worship with "kluxing" and the building of morale, so these visitations had a double purpose.

They passed for devoutness and advertised the Order as well. The most common fonn of this practice was to come to the church in a

body dressed

made

in full regalia.

Usually there was some attempt

to secure the permission of the minister or other important

official of

the church and to have provision

made

for a

room

in

and reserved seats adequate to accommodate them This latter allowed them to march in after in the auditorium. the usual audience had assembled and after the service had com-

which

to robe

menced.

The

escorting ushers, the orderly marching, the waiting

was felt, all added dignity and impressiveness to the Sometimes the Klansmen would contribute a special song to the service often they merely sat quietly and gave as much attention to the minister's remarks as their uncomfortable bodies, perspiring under their robes, would allow. audience,

it

ceremony.

;

Klansmen were

quite conscious of the publicity value of these

occasions and in view of this fact and the anticipation of a

news

item in the local paper, they were quite willing to pay for value received.

When

the collection plates

were passed they were gen-

erous in their contributions, often giving as

much

as

a

dollar

123

The Klan and the Church

impoverished church wela pastor and deacon of an Regarding the effect benefit. comed visitations for this pecuniary district official boas ed donations upon Klansmen, one

Many

each

of these

that there

had been an increase

members.

"Around Reading,"

in

Hberality

said this official,

Klan "the 'Dutch were

among

the