Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1871-12-13
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
THE SOUTHERN DEMOCRACY IN ALL
= ANCE WITH THE KUkLUx,
The Consultation of the Florida Kuklux-
Proof Of the Alliance Between Democracy
and Kuklux-SOne Interesting Facts.
Correspondence Knoxville Chronicle.
WASHINGTON, d. c., Dec. 4, 1871

The investigation recently made in Flor
ida by the Congressional Committee,
of which Hon. Horace Maynard was
chairman, disclosed the fact that in that
State the kuklux organization has operat-
ed and been recognized under its proper
colors-the black flag of Democracy.
One of the witnesses examined at jack
sonville, testified that he had belonged to
Young Mems Democratic Club in one
of the counties of that State, and that from
his connection with it, he knew it was
what was commonly known as kuklux.
He produced copy of their constitution
and explained its provisions. He testified
that the division known as the Secret Ser
vice Committee had a seperate oath which
he did not remember, but which, in effect,
bound the afflant to do any duty demand
ed.
Another witness, the chairman of the
club at the Capital of the State, was asked
to examine the constitution, produced as
aforesaid, and said that it was the one un-
der which those clubs were organized. AL
though in general terms he denied that it
was the kukluX, he admitted that one of
the objects of the organization was to Or
der out, and to force out of the State If
necessary, obnoxious persons" The
club was to decide who was "obnoxious."
have before me a copy of the
constitution referred to, and propose to
Section six provides that "the President
and Vice Presidents and Executive Com
mittee shall constitute Committee of OBJ
servation and Safety, of which the Presi-
dent shall be Chairman" The next sec
ton significantly reads "all matters per-
tanning TO such SerUice shall be referred to
this Committee of Observation and Safety
and the names and duties of the Secret SEP
Uice Committee shall be kHOWR Only to the
said Committee and their various chiefs.
Now let us proceed one step further in
the examination of this remarkable instrtl-
ment. The eleventh section says (the
italics our own leach member shall, on
admission to this club, subscribe the fol-
lowing oath = FE FFaH t.g .#.#
ain the presence of Almighty God and
these gentlemen, / do hereby, solemnly
pledge my sacred honor that | will con-
form to all rules and regulations, bylaws
and edictS that may be legitimately adopt
ed by the organization; that / will always
conceal and never divulge any proceedings
of this club improper to be made public !;
| that will always recognize and never di-
vulge the words or signs of recognition and
distress that may hereafter be confided to
me and, that should L ever hear the
hating 9OOrd Of distress or see the sign
given, will instantly respond. in person
thereto and render all the assistance i'm my
power to the member speaking the word,
or giving the sign so help me God"
This obligation shall be administered by
the presiding officer, who shall previously
have explained the object of the "Young
Mems Democratic Club"
The italics we have used will have serv-
ed to attract the readers attention to the
significant parts of this oath. The con-
Guiding paragraph of the section itself
shows that the contents of this constitu-
ton does not disclose the "objectsn of the
ID lTIs,
for such instruments to be preceded with a
preamble, setting forth at the very begin
ming to the person being initiated the OBJ
jects of the association. But the paragraph
referred to discloses that in this case the
"object of the Young Mems Democratic
Club" was carefully secreted in the breast
of the presiding officer" 1t was too inn
portant and confidential in its features to
be committed to paper-it was to be con-
fided to the initiated only by word of
mouth. Communicated in this way, it
would always be subject to doubts and con-
tradictions, nothing to which the organi-
zation would be committed if the "exigen-
cieso demanded explanation or denial.
Look again, reader, If you will, at the sig
nificant terms used III the oath. What ne
cessity has ordinary legitimate political
organizations for "Gailing word 81 of dis
tress"? Why need members ordinarily
be pledged by solemn Oaths to "di1Odys
recognize signs of distress" and prom
Use to 'respond in person. and render all
the assistance in their tmy) power to
they member. speaking the word or Civ
ing the sign?
Section six, as before shown, provided
for committee of q Observation and Safe
ty," and a further section that "the names
and duties of the secret service committee
j. e., the committee of o. and S., shall
be known only to the committee and their
various chiefs" This committee, by Sec
ton thirteen, is empowered to instruct
the chiefs (of fifties) in aU their duties"
AS these duties are not otherwise exclu-
sively defined, this secret service commit
tee prescribe such " duties y as they see
proper The subordinates in turn are
bound to obey their Chiefs of Fifties ,"
and Leaders of Tens" so that, in fact,
the "Secret Service Committee " is a sort
of council with arbitrary power.
1t is further made their duty to insti-
tute signals to preserve the counsels, pur-
poses, strength and integrity of the orgau-
izatiOn, and shall create signs for comuu-
nication and for assembling tens ana fif-
ties and the whole organization"
Every intelligent reader will judge for
himself what need bona fide, legitimate
association has for this secret service
committee" "signs of distress "chiefs"
and leaders" and why it is necessary to
confine within the breast of the presiding
officer . the objects of the Young Mems
Democratic Club - but, we infer, most of
them, from these features, viii read
lily believe the witness who exposed
the organization, that it was nothing
more nor less than the infamous kukluX
organization that has perpetrated atrocities