“To the citizens of North Texas and the Ku Klux Klan:“The Anti-Ku Klux Klan of North Texas announces its being in the form of a mob.“We intend and will do no violence unless the Ku Klux Klan shows violence. We are in being and in force. If necessary we will travel in force to do business in the form of open warfare.“The law will have its chance to show that we have laws against mobs, white-capping, and acts of violence. But we warn that being in Rome we do as the Romans do.“We are unknown and unknowable. We will remain that way. We hope that we will not have to resort to populating lamp posts and using cold steel, but if so, Oakland and Greenwood will boast of much activity and the price of black crepe will rise. ‘Anti-Ku Klux Klan of North Texas.’â€
“To the citizens of North Texas and the Ku Klux Klan:
“The Anti-Ku Klux Klan of North Texas announces its being in the form of a mob.
“We intend and will do no violence unless the Ku Klux Klan shows violence. We are in being and in force. If necessary we will travel in force to do business in the form of open warfare.
“The law will have its chance to show that we have laws against mobs, white-capping, and acts of violence. But we warn that being in Rome we do as the Romans do.
“We are unknown and unknowable. We will remain that way. We hope that we will not have to resort to populating lamp posts and using cold steel, but if so, Oakland and Greenwood will boast of much activity and the price of black crepe will rise. ‘Anti-Ku Klux Klan of North Texas.’â€
A similar organization was announced from southeast Texas. In an Associated Press dispatch from Beaumont, under date of July 27, 1921, it was reported:
“Organization is said to have been effected of a band of men to combat the alleged activities of the Ku Klux Klan, in South East Texas, with the announced intention of conducting open warfare against the members of the Klan if necessary ‘because officers have not the nerve or desire to place under arrest its members who have violated the law.’“First announcement of the new organization was set forth yesterday in a communication addressed to the Ku Klux Klan and sent to a local newspaper for publication. ‘Squads of special service men,’ the notice stated,‘have been appointed to locate members of the Klan.’ It added that summary punishment would be inflicted upon any who are found. The communication said in part:“‘We have formed a club, or mob, you may call it, of more than one hundred fearless men and we are going to stop you people with hot lead and hot steel at the first opportunity, and that will not be far off. We have sworn vengeance on such people and will shoot down like a mad dog men whom we learn to be members of the Klan.’â€
“Organization is said to have been effected of a band of men to combat the alleged activities of the Ku Klux Klan, in South East Texas, with the announced intention of conducting open warfare against the members of the Klan if necessary ‘because officers have not the nerve or desire to place under arrest its members who have violated the law.’
“First announcement of the new organization was set forth yesterday in a communication addressed to the Ku Klux Klan and sent to a local newspaper for publication. ‘Squads of special service men,’ the notice stated,‘have been appointed to locate members of the Klan.’ It added that summary punishment would be inflicted upon any who are found. The communication said in part:
“‘We have formed a club, or mob, you may call it, of more than one hundred fearless men and we are going to stop you people with hot lead and hot steel at the first opportunity, and that will not be far off. We have sworn vengeance on such people and will shoot down like a mad dog men whom we learn to be members of the Klan.’â€
Some of the newspapers of Texas have fearlessly taken a stand against the widespread epidemic of masked violence, even going so far as to charge them directly to the Ku Klux Klan. Notable among these has been theHouston Chronicle. In an editorial printed in August, 1921, under the heading “Law, or Secret Cult,†it said:
“Once more the nation comes to a parting of the ways.“The issue is clearly defined. No one but the unimaginative can misunderstand it.“Constituted authority must prevail, or we are in for a reign of masked and irresponsible terror.“The fine phrases with which apologies for the Ku Klux Klan defend it fall flat before what happened to that woman in Tanaha and that other woman in Birmingham.“‘Law-abiding citizens have nothing to fear,’ they declare, but what does that amount to when any citizen can be accused, seized and violently used without a hearing?“Why do we bother about trial by jury, if the evidence of an angry and impulsive mob is sufficient to convict?“Why have we built up a complicated system of justice, except to protect indicted citizens?“‘Those eyes that see everything’ and ‘those ears that hear everything’ have evidently missed the Magna Charta, the Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States.“Once more they would thrust us back on the evidence of passion, and conviction by emotion.“Once more they would rob the defendant of his right to be heard, to summons witnesses, to appeal to an impartial tribunal.“Once more they would have punishment decided upon and inflicted by a council that cannot be held accountable.“Once more they would expose everybody; whether criminal or not, to disguised tyranny.“And they call it Americanism—this semi-barbaric horseplay that gives its victim no chance, that comes upon him unawares, that shuts his mouth and overpowers him by force.“Innocent, or guilty, he has no privilege but to accept the inevitable, and that is what they call loyalty to their country and their country’s institutions.“Two women have been stripped and flogged, and this they say was done in the name of chivalry.“Their names are written on a secret roster and their faces are covered, and this they assert is in keeping with those traditions of frankness, candor and open dealing which have been essentially characteristic of the United States.“‘Those eyes that see everything’ and ‘those ears that hear everything’ are evidently blind and deaf to the great struggle and dearly bought experiences by which Anglo-Saxon civilization has struggled from a state of tribal law to organized justice.“A law that cannot be written is not fit to enforce. A charge that cannot be proved in an open manner is not fit to be made the basis of punishment.“Persons who will not make accusations in the daylight are not fit to be believed.“A theory of justice that does not afford the accused any time or right of defense is not fit to be defended.“We are face to face with a mad conception of government, with an impossible basis of law enforcement.“There can be no compromise with it, no half-hearted attitude. Either this idea of a secret cult purveying the morals of the people must go, or the sovereignty of the State will cease to exist.“When a legislator defends the ‘Invisible Empire’ his allegiance is manfully divided. He is serving two masters—one of them created by the people, the other by a class within the people.“True loyalty permits of no such divided allegiance, true patriotism recognizes but one master. Unless the overthrow of this government is intended, there is no place or excuse for the ‘Invisible Empire.’â€
“Once more the nation comes to a parting of the ways.
“The issue is clearly defined. No one but the unimaginative can misunderstand it.
“Constituted authority must prevail, or we are in for a reign of masked and irresponsible terror.
“The fine phrases with which apologies for the Ku Klux Klan defend it fall flat before what happened to that woman in Tanaha and that other woman in Birmingham.
“‘Law-abiding citizens have nothing to fear,’ they declare, but what does that amount to when any citizen can be accused, seized and violently used without a hearing?
“Why do we bother about trial by jury, if the evidence of an angry and impulsive mob is sufficient to convict?
“Why have we built up a complicated system of justice, except to protect indicted citizens?
“‘Those eyes that see everything’ and ‘those ears that hear everything’ have evidently missed the Magna Charta, the Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States.
“Once more they would thrust us back on the evidence of passion, and conviction by emotion.
“Once more they would rob the defendant of his right to be heard, to summons witnesses, to appeal to an impartial tribunal.
“Once more they would have punishment decided upon and inflicted by a council that cannot be held accountable.
“Once more they would expose everybody; whether criminal or not, to disguised tyranny.
“And they call it Americanism—this semi-barbaric horseplay that gives its victim no chance, that comes upon him unawares, that shuts his mouth and overpowers him by force.
“Innocent, or guilty, he has no privilege but to accept the inevitable, and that is what they call loyalty to their country and their country’s institutions.
“Two women have been stripped and flogged, and this they say was done in the name of chivalry.
“Their names are written on a secret roster and their faces are covered, and this they assert is in keeping with those traditions of frankness, candor and open dealing which have been essentially characteristic of the United States.
“‘Those eyes that see everything’ and ‘those ears that hear everything’ are evidently blind and deaf to the great struggle and dearly bought experiences by which Anglo-Saxon civilization has struggled from a state of tribal law to organized justice.
“A law that cannot be written is not fit to enforce. A charge that cannot be proved in an open manner is not fit to be made the basis of punishment.
“Persons who will not make accusations in the daylight are not fit to be believed.
“A theory of justice that does not afford the accused any time or right of defense is not fit to be defended.
“We are face to face with a mad conception of government, with an impossible basis of law enforcement.
“There can be no compromise with it, no half-hearted attitude. Either this idea of a secret cult purveying the morals of the people must go, or the sovereignty of the State will cease to exist.
“When a legislator defends the ‘Invisible Empire’ his allegiance is manfully divided. He is serving two masters—one of them created by the people, the other by a class within the people.
“True loyalty permits of no such divided allegiance, true patriotism recognizes but one master. Unless the overthrow of this government is intended, there is no place or excuse for the ‘Invisible Empire.’â€
The cases of lawlessness set forth in the foregoing chapter have been laid at the door of the “Invisible Empire,†but “Emperor†Simmons has denied that the acts involved were committed by members of his organization. There have been, however, three specific cases where outrages have beenprovento have been committed by members of the “Invisible Empire,†and in these cases the “Emperor†has been forced to take action against his own Klans, revoking charters in two instances and suspending the charter of the third. This action on the part of the “Emperor†has been extensively advertised by him as a guarantee of good faith that he intends to keep his “Invisible Empire†free from the control of lawless characters; but, public opinion, in the shape of widespread editorial comment of leading newspapers, does not agree with his point of view. Editors agree that no matter how altruistic may be the claims of the “Invisible Empire,†a movement of secret government, acting extra-legally cannot be held in control; and it having been demonstrated in three specific instances that the Ku Klux Klan has been guilty of lawlessness, thusnecessitating the “Emperor’s†summary action, it follows that the whole system has no place in American affairs.
Believing that these developments in the Ku Klux situation fully sustain my position that the “Invisible Empire†is not a fraternal order, but a combination seeking to govern the American people by intimidation and force, I shall take up these cases in detail, the facts in each instance having been fully verified by theNew York Worldin its investigations.
The first instance of lawlessness developed in Mobile, Ala., when people of that city awoke one morning in the spring of 1921, to find Ku Klux warnings on many billboards, trees, and telephone poles, and in other public places. Most of them laughed, but some of the negroes took the signs seriously and prepared to leave the city. A Northern exodus was threatened, but with all the excitement the newspapers of the city remained silent, not even printing the notice found stuck up about the place, although a New Orleans paper carried the story which was read by the negroes of Mobile. Fearing the action of public opinion, “Emperor†Simmons revoked the charter of the Mobile Klan.
The warning read:
“Law violators! This is the first and last time that we will warn you! You must either heed this warning or take the consequences, for if you have any doubts in your mind that you will not be able to comply with the laws of this city and county then you had better leaveat once; ‘for be ye well assured’ that we will attend to you without fear or favor.“This warning is for the taxi drivers, street smashers, bad women, shinny dealers, gamblers, thieves, loafers, and any and all violators of the law. We know you and have your names, and should you violate one of the laws after receiving this warning be ye assured that we will attend to you without hesitation, as the laws of this county must be complied with.“No law-abiding citizens need fear anything from this organization for we stand back of the laws and see that they are enforced regardless. This is no negro whipping organization, but should occasion arise, be ye assured that we will not hesitate.“This warning also applies to colored doctors. Seventy-two hours after this notice you must have the word ‘colored’ posted on your sign. This waiting on white patients must be stopped. We know you, and the next case that you attend don’t blame us, as you have been warned.“Bad women, you must obey the laws or then you must leave the city. This county shall be clean. Married men, you must look after your families and quit carousing; violation of this warning means unhealthy steps for you.“We stand for the chastity of womanhood, peace and harmony in the home, law enforcement and protection of our homes and our families. Mobile County must be clean. Law violators, this means you.“We are one hundred per cent Americans, and stand back of law enforcement, regardless.“We do not fight anyone on account of their religious scruples nor will we tolerate same regardless.“This warning is for those living in the jurisdiction of the Klan, and we are here twenty-five hundred strong to see that these warnings are carried out. Your next warning will be in person.“(Signed) The Ku Klux Klan, Mobile City and County.â€
“Law violators! This is the first and last time that we will warn you! You must either heed this warning or take the consequences, for if you have any doubts in your mind that you will not be able to comply with the laws of this city and county then you had better leaveat once; ‘for be ye well assured’ that we will attend to you without fear or favor.
“This warning is for the taxi drivers, street smashers, bad women, shinny dealers, gamblers, thieves, loafers, and any and all violators of the law. We know you and have your names, and should you violate one of the laws after receiving this warning be ye assured that we will attend to you without hesitation, as the laws of this county must be complied with.
“No law-abiding citizens need fear anything from this organization for we stand back of the laws and see that they are enforced regardless. This is no negro whipping organization, but should occasion arise, be ye assured that we will not hesitate.
“This warning also applies to colored doctors. Seventy-two hours after this notice you must have the word ‘colored’ posted on your sign. This waiting on white patients must be stopped. We know you, and the next case that you attend don’t blame us, as you have been warned.
“Bad women, you must obey the laws or then you must leave the city. This county shall be clean. Married men, you must look after your families and quit carousing; violation of this warning means unhealthy steps for you.
“We stand for the chastity of womanhood, peace and harmony in the home, law enforcement and protection of our homes and our families. Mobile County must be clean. Law violators, this means you.
“We are one hundred per cent Americans, and stand back of law enforcement, regardless.
“We do not fight anyone on account of their religious scruples nor will we tolerate same regardless.
“This warning is for those living in the jurisdiction of the Klan, and we are here twenty-five hundred strong to see that these warnings are carried out. Your next warning will be in person.
“(Signed) The Ku Klux Klan, Mobile City and County.â€
If the Mobile Klan really had twenty-five hundred members at the time its charter was revoked, it means that it had paid $25,000 into the coffers of the Ku Klux agents, to say nothing of some $16,000 paid to the Atlanta office for robes. It seems rather unkind of the “Emperor†not to have allowed the Mobile outfit something in return for its heavy outlay. Had it been permitted to continue, it could easily have beaten and tarred and feathered a few helpless women, driven out of town some of the taxi drivers and gamblers, and mutilated a few negro men. As it turned out, the Klansmen suddenly found themselves “all dressed up and no place to go,†and in pretty much the same position as a lot of little boys who have been playing pirate and whose stern parents ordered them to come home.
The second instance of admitted lawlessness on the part of the national organization occurred at Pensacola, Fla., and was a particularly brazen attempt on the part of secret mob government to assume to enforce its own laws. About half past eight o’clock on the night of July 8, 1921, a delegation of the local Ku Klux Klan drove in automobiles up to the cafe of Chris Lochas, three cars loaded with Klansmen, wearing white robes and helmets, while other cars, similarly filled, stopped on the corner of the street. Three members of the Klan walked into the cafe and handed a letter in an envelope to Lochas. The message read:
“You are an undesirable citizen. You violate the Federal prohibition laws, the laws of decency, and you are a running sore on society.“Several trains are leaving Pensacola daily. Take your choice, but don’t take too much time.“Sincerely in earnest.â€
“You are an undesirable citizen. You violate the Federal prohibition laws, the laws of decency, and you are a running sore on society.
“Several trains are leaving Pensacola daily. Take your choice, but don’t take too much time.
“Sincerely in earnest.â€
When the letter was handed to Lochas, Captain Harper of the Police Department was standing inside the cafe, talking to the proprietor. Lochas opened the letter, looked at it and put it into his pocket, and thinking the matter a joke paid no attention to it. A few minutes later some negroes, who had seen the members of the Klan and recognized them for what they were, came into the cafe and their stories of the Klan caused Lochas to examine the letter more carefully and show it to the police. After delivering the message, the three members of the Klan walked out of the cafe, entered their automobiles and the three cars drove away into the night. The street was crowded at the time of the visit and hundreds of people saw the men in white robes halt their cars in front of the cafe and on the street corner, saw the messengers enter and leave the cafe and saw the cars drive away. In addition to the police captain who was on the inside of the cafe, a uniformed policeman was on duty immediately outside the door, yet neither the police nor any person present noted the license numbers of the cars or made any attempt to interfere with the visitors.
ThePensacola Newsin an editorial printed July 9, 1921, said:
“Good citizens expressed themselves freely today concerning the occurrence of last night and were unanimous in the opinion that in a community where the courts are open and where the law is enforced by officers chosen by the people, there is not the slightest justification or excuse for any oath-bound secret organization, setting itself up above the law and usurping the functions of the duly constituted officers of the Government, meeting in out-of-the-way places, acting in secret, and moving in disguise, setting up its own standards of right and wrong, acting as accuser, witness, judge and executioner, and that the activities of such an organization will not be tolerated in this community even if it should become necessary to appeal to Federal authorities and invoke the aid of the Government secret service men to arrest its activities.“The opinion was freely expressed that if one body of men acting in secret can command a resident to leave the city under a veiled threat of personal injury, because the organization conceives the idea that the man is violating the prohibition law, another secret organization of men has an equal right to invite a young woman to leave town because perchance she might go in bathing in a bath costume not in accordance with the views of that organization; and another secret organization of men might call an employer to his door at midnight and give him a warning that he must raise the wages of his employees or grant them shorter working hours, or suffer personal violence.“The activities of last night have been reported to United States, State, and county officials, who are considering what steps to take in the matter. It is made a criminal offense by city ordinance for any persons to appear in public in disguise, and police officers have been instructed to arrest any person appearing in public in disguise. It is made a crime against the United States for two or more persons to conspire against another to deprivehim of his civil rights, and it is made a criminal offense by the laws of the State for two or more persons to conspire or confederate to commit a breach of peace, and the State laws prohibit a rout, which is defined to be the assembling of three or more persons for any unlawful purpose. It is believed that the laws of the United States, the State and the city are ample to arrest the activities of any secret organization of the character mentioned.â€
“Good citizens expressed themselves freely today concerning the occurrence of last night and were unanimous in the opinion that in a community where the courts are open and where the law is enforced by officers chosen by the people, there is not the slightest justification or excuse for any oath-bound secret organization, setting itself up above the law and usurping the functions of the duly constituted officers of the Government, meeting in out-of-the-way places, acting in secret, and moving in disguise, setting up its own standards of right and wrong, acting as accuser, witness, judge and executioner, and that the activities of such an organization will not be tolerated in this community even if it should become necessary to appeal to Federal authorities and invoke the aid of the Government secret service men to arrest its activities.
“The opinion was freely expressed that if one body of men acting in secret can command a resident to leave the city under a veiled threat of personal injury, because the organization conceives the idea that the man is violating the prohibition law, another secret organization of men has an equal right to invite a young woman to leave town because perchance she might go in bathing in a bath costume not in accordance with the views of that organization; and another secret organization of men might call an employer to his door at midnight and give him a warning that he must raise the wages of his employees or grant them shorter working hours, or suffer personal violence.
“The activities of last night have been reported to United States, State, and county officials, who are considering what steps to take in the matter. It is made a criminal offense by city ordinance for any persons to appear in public in disguise, and police officers have been instructed to arrest any person appearing in public in disguise. It is made a crime against the United States for two or more persons to conspire against another to deprivehim of his civil rights, and it is made a criminal offense by the laws of the State for two or more persons to conspire or confederate to commit a breach of peace, and the State laws prohibit a rout, which is defined to be the assembling of three or more persons for any unlawful purpose. It is believed that the laws of the United States, the State and the city are ample to arrest the activities of any secret organization of the character mentioned.â€
As a result of indignation of the best citizens of Pensacola, Simmons suspended the charter of the Pensacola Klan, and offered to aid in discovering the perpetrators of the lawlessness, issuing a long statement which appeared on the front page of the Pensacola morning paper July 14, 1921, wherein he stated, with his usual sanctimonious whine that his organization stood for “the supremacy of pure Americanism without fear and without reproach,†and gave expression, in his usual bad English, to his usual platitudes.
ThePensacola Newsin an editorial the same day challenged the “Emperor†to aid the authorities in detecting the criminals by giving the names of the members of the local Klan so they could be called before the Grand Jury and be examined under oath, and the names of the guilty parties thereby ascertained. TheNewsfurther said:
“‘Pure Americanism’ stands for equal opportunity, unabridged freedom within the law, orderly government, and the enforcement of the laws by the processes ordained by the Constitution. The anonymous communication, the ganging together of many to attack one, the affecting ofa disguise, and the secret organization of men who took the law into their own hands in Pensacola on last Friday night, are the methods of the black hand, the mafia, and the nihilists. These organizations had their origin in Europe and cannot flourish upon American soil.“There is no room beneath the Stars and Stripes for anarchy and bolshevism, for any organization that cannot afford to give the prosecuting attorneys of the Federal and State government the names of its members. The secrets of the organization will not be pried into, but the criminals will be handed over to the State for prosecution in the manner provided for by law.“We repeat, the situation in Pensacola affords the K. K. K. and its Imperial Wizard an opportunity to show that their organization does not stand for lawlessness, that its members are law abiding, and that the organization will not countenance crime or its concealment by its members.â€
“‘Pure Americanism’ stands for equal opportunity, unabridged freedom within the law, orderly government, and the enforcement of the laws by the processes ordained by the Constitution. The anonymous communication, the ganging together of many to attack one, the affecting ofa disguise, and the secret organization of men who took the law into their own hands in Pensacola on last Friday night, are the methods of the black hand, the mafia, and the nihilists. These organizations had their origin in Europe and cannot flourish upon American soil.
“There is no room beneath the Stars and Stripes for anarchy and bolshevism, for any organization that cannot afford to give the prosecuting attorneys of the Federal and State government the names of its members. The secrets of the organization will not be pried into, but the criminals will be handed over to the State for prosecution in the manner provided for by law.
“We repeat, the situation in Pensacola affords the K. K. K. and its Imperial Wizard an opportunity to show that their organization does not stand for lawlessness, that its members are law abiding, and that the organization will not countenance crime or its concealment by its members.â€
Simmons, of course, has never complied with this challenge, as far as has been reported in the newspapers, and it is doubtful if he ever will. He has issued a long-winded, verbose statement since that time rehashing the same platitudes that have characterized all his writings and speeches, but has not turned over to the authorities the names of his local members. The charter of the Pensacola Klan has merely been suspended, although the offense committed was far more flagrant and specific than the case of the Mobile Klan, and it is quite likely that should the matter “blow over†the Pensacola organization will be reinstated.
The third case in which the “Emperor†found it necessary to take public action against one of his Klans which had gone too far inpublicly advertising the “noble cause†occurred in Beaumont, Tex., and attracted newspaper attention on a nation-wide scale in the month of July, 1921. It was the first time that a Klan openly and publicly admitted its participation in an overt act of lawlessness. The case was so brazen that the “Emperor†revoked the Klan’s charter.
It appears from an examination of the facts in the case that masked men entered the office of one Dr. J. S. Paul, in the city of Beaumont, on the night of May 7, 1921, forced the physician to accompany them to a waiting automobile, conveyed him to the country, whipped him, tarred and feathered him and ordered him to leave town. A short time after that, similar treatment was meted out to one R. F. Scott, described in the dispatches as a veteran of the Marine Corps. Much excitement prevailed in Beaumont, until on July 21, 1921, a communication was received by the local newspapers under seal of “Klan No. 7, Knights of the Ku Klux Klan,†of Beaumont, accompanied by a long statement of alleged facts in the cases of the two men who had been beaten.
Frankly admitting that its members had attacked Paul and Scott, the statement went into details as to the characters and conduct of the two men. It was charged that Paul had, for a long time, been making a business of criminal operations on women, of the sale of drugs and whiskey, and had waxed fat andpowerful in this alleged illicit business. It was charged that for the past five years repeated attempts had been made to have him indicted and convicted, but that on account of wealth and political influence, he had succeeded in evading the law. The climax of his alleged practices was reached in the case of a young woman, her name was not given in the statement, who was brought to Paul for an alleged operation. It appears from the charges made by the Klan that Scott was involved in the matter. According to the statements of the Klan, an operation was performed, from the results of which the woman was caused to suffer severe consequences, it being claimed that death nearly resulted from her condition. It appears further from the allegations that the woman called to see Doctor Paul and demanded financial assistance, asking for $1000 to reimburse her for her expenses incurred during her illness. This, according to the statement, Paul refused to pay, offering instead $500, which was refused, after which the woman was said to have been ordered out of the office. The rest of the story, told in the exact words of the Klan reads:
“Following this visit to Doctor Paul the girl visited the county attorney and related her story to him, but she pleaded that her father and mother be spared the shame of parading her misfortune to the world. She was assured by the county attorney that he was powerless to act unless she herself would file the complaint and testify against Doctor Paul. This she felt she could not do andleft the court of law in despair. Then followed several days of unceasing agony the sufferings of the pangs of hunger and the remorselessness of a conscience that had been violated. The depths of despair were reached, suicide was the next logical step. The anguish-laden cry of that poor girl was heard by men who respect the great moral law more than the technicalities of the legal code. The heavy hand of the Ku Klux was laid upon Doctor Paul.“For while the rabble with their thumb-worn creeds,Their large professions and their little deeds,Mingles in selfish strife, Lo! freedom weeps,Wrong rules the land and waiting justice sleeps.â€(Ku Klux Ritual)“The eyes of the unknown had seen and observed the wrong to be redressed. Doctor Paul stood convicted before God and man as the murderer of unborn babies, the despoiler of little children, the social leper who sells the life of a human being for a money consideration. His victim was a poor girl. Doctor Paul was wealthy. Between the two stood the majesty of the law, draped in the technicalities of changes of venue, mistrials, appeals, postponements, eminent counsel skilled in the esoteric art of protecting crime and interpreting laws involved in a mass of legal verbiage, the winding and unwinding of red tape, instead of the sinewy arm of justice, wielding the unerring sword. The law of the Man is justice.“Doctor Paul was approached in his office by three men on the night of May 7, and instructed to go with them. He was placed in a waiting automobile and escorted a few miles out of town. The judgment of the Klan was read to him and charges were related to him, none of which he would deny. In a cowardly, whimpering plea, he plead that others were as guilty as he. The lash was laid on his back and the tar and feathers applied to his body. He was then informed that it was the will of the Klan that he should leave the city within forty-eight hours. Upon the return of the party to Beaumont, Doctor Paul was discharged from an automobile at theintersection of two of the main streets of the city that he might be a warning to all of his ilk that decent men and women no longer wanted him in the community. Doctor Paul complied with the instructions of the Klan that he leave the city and returned for a few days to his former home at Lufkin. During this time he was under the constant surveillance of the Klan.â€
“Following this visit to Doctor Paul the girl visited the county attorney and related her story to him, but she pleaded that her father and mother be spared the shame of parading her misfortune to the world. She was assured by the county attorney that he was powerless to act unless she herself would file the complaint and testify against Doctor Paul. This she felt she could not do andleft the court of law in despair. Then followed several days of unceasing agony the sufferings of the pangs of hunger and the remorselessness of a conscience that had been violated. The depths of despair were reached, suicide was the next logical step. The anguish-laden cry of that poor girl was heard by men who respect the great moral law more than the technicalities of the legal code. The heavy hand of the Ku Klux was laid upon Doctor Paul.
“For while the rabble with their thumb-worn creeds,Their large professions and their little deeds,Mingles in selfish strife, Lo! freedom weeps,Wrong rules the land and waiting justice sleeps.â€(Ku Klux Ritual)
“The eyes of the unknown had seen and observed the wrong to be redressed. Doctor Paul stood convicted before God and man as the murderer of unborn babies, the despoiler of little children, the social leper who sells the life of a human being for a money consideration. His victim was a poor girl. Doctor Paul was wealthy. Between the two stood the majesty of the law, draped in the technicalities of changes of venue, mistrials, appeals, postponements, eminent counsel skilled in the esoteric art of protecting crime and interpreting laws involved in a mass of legal verbiage, the winding and unwinding of red tape, instead of the sinewy arm of justice, wielding the unerring sword. The law of the Man is justice.
“Doctor Paul was approached in his office by three men on the night of May 7, and instructed to go with them. He was placed in a waiting automobile and escorted a few miles out of town. The judgment of the Klan was read to him and charges were related to him, none of which he would deny. In a cowardly, whimpering plea, he plead that others were as guilty as he. The lash was laid on his back and the tar and feathers applied to his body. He was then informed that it was the will of the Klan that he should leave the city within forty-eight hours. Upon the return of the party to Beaumont, Doctor Paul was discharged from an automobile at theintersection of two of the main streets of the city that he might be a warning to all of his ilk that decent men and women no longer wanted him in the community. Doctor Paul complied with the instructions of the Klan that he leave the city and returned for a few days to his former home at Lufkin. During this time he was under the constant surveillance of the Klan.â€
When Doctor Paul returned to Beaumont, according to the statement, he was invited to appear before the Grand Jury for the purpose of testifying about his attackers, but upon appearing before that body, he was confronted with the girl in the case, who, it appears, for some reason not mentioned in the statement, had decided to make a public complaint against Doctor Paul in the manner prescribed by law. Why it was any more improper for the woman to have testified before the Grand Jury in the first place than in the second the Klan does not mention, but, according to its explanation, Doctor Paul was indicted on several counts, along with Scott, the other man involved, and was released on bail. Here follows some very excellent Ku Klux humor:
“Doctor Paul immediately made bond and was released from custody, Scott was later arrested and in a few days made bond and released. Doctor Paul for many days, in company with his hired henchman, openly paraded the streets of the city armed to the teeth in open defiance of the law.â€
“Doctor Paul immediately made bond and was released from custody, Scott was later arrested and in a few days made bond and released. Doctor Paul for many days, in company with his hired henchman, openly paraded the streets of the city armed to the teeth in open defiance of the law.â€
Here is Ku Kluxism in all of its glory. “In open defiance of the law,†utterly repudiating the Bill of Rights of both Federal and Stateconstitutions, which guarantee a man the right of trial by jury, this organization had abducted a citizen, tried him secretly, convicted him, and punished him and then whines because its former victim armed himself as a protection against further mob violence. Regardless of any and all of the allegations against Doctor Paul, the assumption of any set of men to secretly handle the law enforcement of a community is nothing more or less than anarchy.
It is very interesting and illustrative of the Ku Klux state of mind to study this remarkable document, for which reason I am giving copious extracts. It appears that efforts of all kinds according to the Ku Klux, were made by Paul and Scott to kill the case, and the Klan claims that Scott was persistent in his efforts to induce the woman in the affair to leave town. The statement continues:
“Scott was warned that his conduct towards the girl must cease and that he would be required to stand trial at the appointed time. This warning served no purpose to him and his annoyances to the girl continued. Then Scott, who had been constantly watched by the Klan, whose number is legion, and whose eye is all seeing and whose methods of gathering information are not known to the alien world, was apprehended and punished in the same manner Doctor Paul had been dealt with. He was taken to the woods and guarded until nightfall. His captors during this time treated him with kindness and consideration. They provided him with food and fruit to eat and ice water to drink. During the day he was questioned and admitted all the charges the Klan had accused him of. The judgment of the Klan was thathe was to be given ten lashes across the bare back and that he was to be tarred and feathered and brought to Beaumont to deliver two messages, one to Doctor Paul that he must comply with the decision of the Klan that he should leave town, but that he must return for trial at the proper time. The other message was to another person that the Klan would not allow the technicalities to cheat justice any further in this case.â€
“Scott was warned that his conduct towards the girl must cease and that he would be required to stand trial at the appointed time. This warning served no purpose to him and his annoyances to the girl continued. Then Scott, who had been constantly watched by the Klan, whose number is legion, and whose eye is all seeing and whose methods of gathering information are not known to the alien world, was apprehended and punished in the same manner Doctor Paul had been dealt with. He was taken to the woods and guarded until nightfall. His captors during this time treated him with kindness and consideration. They provided him with food and fruit to eat and ice water to drink. During the day he was questioned and admitted all the charges the Klan had accused him of. The judgment of the Klan was thathe was to be given ten lashes across the bare back and that he was to be tarred and feathered and brought to Beaumont to deliver two messages, one to Doctor Paul that he must comply with the decision of the Klan that he should leave town, but that he must return for trial at the proper time. The other message was to another person that the Klan would not allow the technicalities to cheat justice any further in this case.â€
The statement concludes by an attack on Scott’s army record, and the allegation that he had served a prison sentence, adding:
“Yet he poses to the gullible public and sensational newspapers as a patriot and a hero. All these things the eyes of the unknown have seen and their ears have heard. We cannot be deceived and justice will no longer be mocked.â€
“Yet he poses to the gullible public and sensational newspapers as a patriot and a hero. All these things the eyes of the unknown have seen and their ears have heard. We cannot be deceived and justice will no longer be mocked.â€
Immediately following the publication of this frank statement, “Emperor†Simmons revoked the charter of the Beaumont Klan, and announced his intention of sending investigators to Texas for the purpose of looking into the various cases that had been reported where men in disguise had taken the law into their own hands. Up to the time that this was written, however, no such investigations have been made or attempted, so far as the public has been informed through the press.
The American people should view with alarm the propagation of any organization, the result of which has been the establishment ofoneunit which assumes to itself the secret regulation of law enforcement. Yet, when one studies the ritual and the oath of the Ku Klux Klan butlittle blame can be attached to the men in Beaumont for obeying what seemed to them the teachings of the “Invisible Empire.†They had sworn to “use any and all justifiable means and methods†and, taking the literal construction of the oath, they saw what appeared to them a bad condition existing in their community, which they proceeded to rectify. The prime responsibility for the Beaumont case rests upon William J. Simmons for having solicited men to take an obligation that is in itself a violation of the letter and spirit of the laws of this country. His action in revoking the charter was forced by the publicity given to the case, and by the frankness and openness of his followers in assuming the blame for their acts. Speaking in ordinary street parlance, the action of the “Emperor†was merely “passing the buck†to his own people who had been “caught with the goods.†When men are given a dangerous explosive to play with, the blame for the explosion that follows should be placed upon the person or corporation that gave it to them.
The task of ridding the United States of the “Invisible Empire†will not be an easy matter. The people are prone to wait until the horse has completely disappeared before they begin to look after the security of the barn door. Until public sentiment is thoroughly aroused over the dangerous possibilities of an “Invisible Empire,†such as is now being developed, it is unlikely that even the first steps will be taken toward suppressing it. The idea is so foreign to all the established order in this country that people will be slow in realizing what it is all about. Appreciating this fact and knowing that I possessed but limited facilities for bringing the matter to public attention, I felt prompted to turn over to theNew York Worldall the information I possessed, and have that great newspaper inaugurate a nation-wide investigation followed by a publicity campaign that would make the “Invisible Empire†visible.
Exposure of a system, however, marks but the first step in eliminating that system. Publicity must be followed up by official action aimed at the accomplishment of concrete results, for unless this is done, the public mind is soondiverted from the subject, and the exposure becomes merely a newspaper episode. In the present instance, exposure of the “Invisible Empire,†without legal action, will have the effect of advertising it without harming it in the slightest degree—and swelling its ranks with thousands of new recruits.
In my opinion, the authorities of this country should use every available piece of legal machinery to stop the propaganda, and new laws should be immediately enacted rendering it impossible to promote such a scheme in this country in the future. It must be remembered that the men who have launched this proposition have built up a large organization, many of the members of which are fanatics. The promoters have already seen the possibilities of the scheme as a business proposition; they have the names of the present members, which can be used again; they have a fully equipped plant for future operations; and in the event the Ku Klux scheme fails, they will probably try another one along similar lines. The system itself must be destroyed and prohibited from further action, either in its present costume or in any other. Several lines of action suggest themselves, but they may be broadly classified under the two heads: Federal and State. There should be concurrent action on the part of these two governments.
I believe that Congress should enact legislation directed specifically at organizations of thecharacter of the “Invisible Empire.†It should be provided that all organizations, secret or open, engaged in promoting racial or religious discord, should be prevented from sending their literature through the mails. The statute should be broad enough to include any kind of organized attempt to stir up class hatred, and officials of all such organizations should be held to strict accountability for the accuracy of statements sent through the mails. Misrepresentation of facts as to national, state or local conditions should be the basis of Federal action in breaking up such organizations. In the exercise of a national police power, Congress should be able to give the Federal Government the right to act against the heads of organizations, as well as a few individuals. In the cases that have come to light where there has been acknowledged violation of law by local Klans, Simmons has side-stepped responsibility by revoking and suspending charters. If Congress will pass legislation declaring that national officers of secret organizations are responsible for acts of their subordinates, and are subject to indictment, an important step will be taken in the right direction.
Since the chief asset of the “Invisible Empire†is its secrecy, Congress should pass an act providing that all secret orders or societies using the United States mails or engaged in the business of interstate commerce—as the “Invisible Empire†undoubtedly is—should be requiredto furnish the Government with a list of names of their members. The list should be required to be in duplicate, one copy to be placed on file, for public inspection, in the office of the local postmaster, while the other copy should be placed on file in Washington. The Government should also have the right to inspect all books of account, showing funds that have been derived from members either by interstate commerce or by the use of the United States mails. This removal of secrecy would, to a considerable extent, lessen the danger of Ku Kluxism as a political force, and requiring publicity as far as membership rosters is concerned would materially aid in making the system harmless. I am quite sure that a publicity statute would not work any great hardship on the existing standard fraternal orders for most of them have a yearly printed roster for distribution.
Under the Bill of Rights and the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, the Attorney-General of the United States can maintain actions against the “Invisible Empire†on account of its activities in Texas, and have no doubt that an official investigation of alleged outrages would show some interesting facts. In order to make the matter effective, however, the investigation must be gone into very carefully and all of the facts uncovered. In August, 1921, the United States District Attorney in Chicago announced that he intended to investigatethe Ku Klux Klan. In a few days, according to newspaper reports, he stated that he had been shown the charter of incorporation and other literature of the organization, and that he could not discover anything upon which he could base legal action. The charter of the organization does not tell all the facts, as has been demonstrated in the preceding pages.
Concurrently with the action of the Federal Government, the States can do some valuable work in stamping out Ku Kluxism, and preventing both the present “Invisible Empire†and its future imitators from operating. The “Invisible Empire†is known legally as the “Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, Inc.†and was incorporated under the laws of the State of Georgia. So far as has been published in the newspapers, the only State in the Union where it has been granted a license to do business outside of its home state, has been in Indiana, where its charter was filed in August, 1921. In every State where it has not filed its charter andcompliedwith the corporation laws it has no legal standing whatever. Actions could be brought by the Attorneys-General of the various States restraining the Klan from further operation and also indictments might lie against the promoters for operating without compliance with the law.
As soon as it can be conveniently done, the legislatures of the States should enact various laws for the purpose of killing Ku Kluxism,laws directed against membership corporations stirring up religious and racial prejudice, against secret membership, against unwarranted interference with the law-enforcing branches of the Government, and against going about the community in disguise. More stringent laws should also be enacted providing for the registration of foreign membership corporations seeking to do business from another State, especially where money is taken from the public. If the passage of “Blue-Sky†laws has had the effect of protecting the public from being victimized by all kinds of stock-selling schemes, surely legislation could easily be enacted to carefully scrutinize all alleged fraternal orders.
As to permitting foreign membership corporations to do business in a State, it should be enacted that before being permitted to engage in the business of soliciting members from whom initiation fees or “donations†are to be secured, the corporation should be required to file with the Secretary of State a sworn statement of all its national officers, its plans for doing business, a copy of its charter of incorporation, its constitution and laws, and, where agents are employed to canvas for members it should be specified what compensation they are to be paid. These agents should be licensed by the State as the “Blue Laws†require the licensing of stock salesmen. The organization should, furthermore, be required to file a bond with the Secretary of State insuring the good behavior ofthe organization while engaged in business in the State, and it should be specified that the bond be forfeited should any local branch be guilty of committing a lawless act, in which case, also, the right of the corporation to do business in the State should automatically be terminated. No foreign corporation which permits its members to go about, in other States, disguised should be permitted to enter. After having complied with the foregoing provisions, the act should further provide that at stated intervals the secretary of each local branch be required to make two copies of the roster of membership of his branch, filing one copy with the county clerk of his county, and mailing one copy to the Secretary of State. These two copies should be open for public inspection at all times. In the event that the local branch fails or refuses to file its roster, the right of the national organization to do business in the State should automatically terminate.
As a matter of safeguard to the community, every State in the United States should have a statute enacted along the lines of the Tennessee Ku Klux act (Sections 6668, Shannons Codeet seq.) which reads:
“6668. If any person or persons, masked or in disguise, shall prowl, or travel, or ride, or walk through the country or towns of this State, to the disturbance of the peace, or to the alarming of the citizens of any portion of this State, on conviction thereof (they) shall be fined not less than one hundred dollars normore than five hundred dollars, and imprisoned in the county jail of the county wherein convicted, at the discretion of the jury trying the case.“6669. If any person or persons, disguised or in mask, by day or by night, shall enter upon the premises of another, or demand entrance or admission into the house or inclosure of any citizen of this State, it shall be consideredprima faciethat his or her intention is to commit a felony, and such demand shall be deemed an assault with an intent to commit a felony, and the person or persons so offending, shall, upon conviction, be punished by imprisonment in the penitentiary not less than ten years nor more than twenty years.“6670. If any person or persons, so prowling, traveling, riding, or walking through the towns or country of this State, masked or in disguise, shall or may assault another with a deadly weapon, he or they shall be deemed guilty of an assault with intent to commit murder in the first degree, and, on conviction thereof, shall suffer death by hanging; provided that the jury trying the case may substitute imprisonment in the penitentiary for a period of not less than ten years nor more than twenty-one years.â€
“6668. If any person or persons, masked or in disguise, shall prowl, or travel, or ride, or walk through the country or towns of this State, to the disturbance of the peace, or to the alarming of the citizens of any portion of this State, on conviction thereof (they) shall be fined not less than one hundred dollars normore than five hundred dollars, and imprisoned in the county jail of the county wherein convicted, at the discretion of the jury trying the case.
“6669. If any person or persons, disguised or in mask, by day or by night, shall enter upon the premises of another, or demand entrance or admission into the house or inclosure of any citizen of this State, it shall be consideredprima faciethat his or her intention is to commit a felony, and such demand shall be deemed an assault with an intent to commit a felony, and the person or persons so offending, shall, upon conviction, be punished by imprisonment in the penitentiary not less than ten years nor more than twenty years.
“6670. If any person or persons, so prowling, traveling, riding, or walking through the towns or country of this State, masked or in disguise, shall or may assault another with a deadly weapon, he or they shall be deemed guilty of an assault with intent to commit murder in the first degree, and, on conviction thereof, shall suffer death by hanging; provided that the jury trying the case may substitute imprisonment in the penitentiary for a period of not less than ten years nor more than twenty-one years.â€
In connection with this Tennessee statute, it is interesting to note that the leading case, reported in the State, based on the act fully sustained the statute. In the case of Walpole against the State, 9 Baxter 369, delivered in 1878 by a Supreme Court composed entirely of Democrats, with several Confederate soldiers the court held:
“It is apparent that the object of this statute was to repress a great evil which arose in this country after the war, and which grew to be an offense of frequent occurrence, that of evil-minded and mischievous persons disguising themselves to terrify or to wrong those whohappened to be the objects of their wrath or resentment. This was a kind of mob law, enforced sometimes by a multitude of vagabonds, who grew to be a great terror to the people and placed human life and property at the mercy of bad men, whose crimes could scarcely ever be punished because of the disguises under which they were perpetrated.â€
“It is apparent that the object of this statute was to repress a great evil which arose in this country after the war, and which grew to be an offense of frequent occurrence, that of evil-minded and mischievous persons disguising themselves to terrify or to wrong those whohappened to be the objects of their wrath or resentment. This was a kind of mob law, enforced sometimes by a multitude of vagabonds, who grew to be a great terror to the people and placed human life and property at the mercy of bad men, whose crimes could scarcely ever be punished because of the disguises under which they were perpetrated.â€
In closing its opinion the court said:
“The penalties of a violation of this law are severe, but they have proved themselves wholesome in the partial suppression already of one of the greatest of the disturbing elements of social order in this State. Affirm the judgment.â€
“The penalties of a violation of this law are severe, but they have proved themselves wholesome in the partial suppression already of one of the greatest of the disturbing elements of social order in this State. Affirm the judgment.â€
If every State in the Union will pass a law along similar lines to the above Tennessee statute, there will be no Ku Klux parades, no midnight burnings of the fiery cross, and no repetition of the tar and feathers occurrences that have been prevalent in the State of Texas. I think that there should be a modification, however, of the Tennessee statute, making it a misdemeanor to go about disguised in the daytime, and a felony at night.
There are already enough laws on the statute books of the States against mob violence, assault, murder, mayhem and other crimes, and the enforcement of these laws will go a long way toward killing the “masked terror.†No law, however, is enforceable unless public sentiment is behind it, and if the public officials, especially the sheriff’s forces and the city police departments are filled with men sworn toobey “unconditionally†the orders of the “Invisible Empire†and to use “any and all justifiable means and methods†in the accomplishment of the Ku Klux program even public sentiment can do but little. In this connection, I want to call attention to an editorial which appeared in theSearchlight, the official organ of the Ku Klux Klan, under date of July 23, 1921, which reads:
“It is sometimes amusing to note the ridiculous situations which ignorance oftentimes leads men, even of more than average intelligence. For instance, it doubtless is amusing to members of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan to hear a judge instruct a grand jury to probe that organization because of its ‘lawlessness and un-Americanism,’ when they know that anywhere from a third to one-half the members of the grand jury are members of the K. K. K., and know that the good judge is all unconsciously making an ass of himself by attempting to express an opinion on a subject that he knows nothing about.â€
“It is sometimes amusing to note the ridiculous situations which ignorance oftentimes leads men, even of more than average intelligence. For instance, it doubtless is amusing to members of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan to hear a judge instruct a grand jury to probe that organization because of its ‘lawlessness and un-Americanism,’ when they know that anywhere from a third to one-half the members of the grand jury are members of the K. K. K., and know that the good judge is all unconsciously making an ass of himself by attempting to express an opinion on a subject that he knows nothing about.â€
The attempt of the Ku Klux Klan to enlist the police authorities in its organization and bind them with its vicious oath is the most serious count in the indictment against the system. The potentialities are far-reaching, and unless the organization is checked in that direction, the consequences must necessarily be grave. How the situation, in that respect should be met, I leave to others.
The foregoing suggestions are merely intended to set people to thinking, and from these ideas may come better suggestions as to the proper methods which should be pursued in checkingand eliminating the rising tide of Ku Kluxism. It should be carefully remembered, however, that the task of wiping out Ku Kluxism will not be an easy matter. The organization is headed by a shrewd individual who has already tasted the sweets of success. All the energy that desperation and cunning can devise will be used in resisting any effort that will be made to suppress the organization. Behind this individual are thousands of fanatics, who for one reason or another believe that this “noble cause†is the salvation of the country. While fully one-half of the men who have parted with ten dollars went into the organization out of curiosity, and will probably drop it, the other element will do all it can to keep the movement alive, even in spite of the exposure made by theNew York World.
Behind the publicity of theWorldshould therefore come the united efforts of every agency in America which discountenances such a scheme. Every organization engaged in civic work should bring all the available pressure to bear upon the legislative branches of both State and Federal governments to secure the enactment of suitable laws against Ku Kluxism. Then when adequate laws are secured, the power of public opinion should demand that these laws be enforced and irresponsible and secret government, private regulation of the public peace, interference with law-enforcing authorities, and class hatred and prejudice should be crushed.
Half-hearted measures will do no good. Unless the American people are prepared to deal vigorously with Ku Kluxism, they may as well turn over to the system the free and untrammelled right to carry out its secret program, because mild measures will have but little effect in stemming the tide this movement must inevitably bring should its propaganda be successful.
I turned over to theNew York Worldearly in July, 1921, the facts and documentary evidence I had in my possession, and initiated the exposure with the understanding that the paper would make a complete investigation before printing a single story. Under the direction of Mr. Herbert Bayard Swope, the Executive Editor and Mr. William Preston Beazell, Assistant Managing Editor, the investigation was immediately begun. Mr. Rowland Thomas was assigned to handle the investigation and direct the efforts of the force which began working on it. This work was done for two months, during which time I acted as an assistant to Mr. Thomas.
On September 6, 1921, theWorldbegan the publication of its series exposing the Ku Klux Klan. Associated with theWorldwere thirty other newspapers covering practically the entire United States, and for twenty-one days the exposure of Ku Kluxism held over five million newspaper readers spellbound in their absorbing interest in the story of the organization. The series comprised twenty-one articles, and occupied the front page in theWorldto the exclusionof every big piece of news of national or international importance.
The exposure covered in the main facts and documents which I submitted to the paper. It fully substantiated and vindicated the charges made by me in my letter of withdrawal that the organization was un-American, that it was being propagated by spreading religious and racial hatred, that it was a money-making scheme for the benefit of a few insiders, that its oath was illegal and its ritual a sacrilege, and the various other matters referred to by me which are set forth in my letter in a previous chapter. With but few exceptions the entire American press agreed with my position in the matter by endorsing theWorld’sexposure, and a vast number of the most prominent men and women in America publicly expressed themselves as gratified over the action of theWorldin showing up the Ku Klux Klan.
One of the most interesting developments made by theWorldin the course of its exposure was its publication of facts collected by the paper in connection with the relations of Edward Young Clarke, the Imperial Kleagle and head of the Southern Publicity Bureau, and his business associate Mrs. Elizabeth Tyler.
On Saturday, September 10, 1921, four days after theWorldcommenced the publication of its series, Mrs. Tyler arrived in New York and engaged an elaborate suite of rooms in one of the most conspicuous hotels in the city.She had obviously been sent by Clarke for the purpose of securing favorable publicity for the Klan, and immediately upon her arrival gave a story to an evening paper as “bait†for the Sunday papers. Although her mission was but a partial success, she did succeed in getting her picture in a few papers, together with prepared statements deploring the “unjust attacks†that had been made on the organization, and expounding its “noble aspirations.†She was particularly emphatic on the proposition that one of the main objects of the Klan was to “protect the purity and chastity of womanhood and to preserve the sanctity of the American home.†She stated that women were to be admitted to membership, that she had been made the first woman member, and that she would have charge of the women’s department. While she was in New York “Emperor†Simmons issued one of his typically bombastic proclamations, composed in pure Simmonsese, designating Mrs. Tyler as his “Grand Chief of Staff.†This proclamation read as follows: