The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-03-25
THE KU KLUX KkAN.
ITS BEGINNING AS A cLu5 FOR TEN
PORARY DIVERSION.
How the Mysterious Name Came TO Tia
Adopted-Ruies Modified 10 Har-
n.onize with The Weird Title
Initiation Ceremonies,


~ r. WeTflu IN Inc Current.
One afternoon in May, 1865 few of the
young men OF Pulaski, Tenn, met in the
Office of ono OF the most prominent Ia aver,
OF that city--a city OF about 5000 inbahi-
tants Ii was a meeting without aim or
preconcert After time one of the com
pany suggested: "Boys, let's ret nm n CHM
or society of some description Snca vera
the careless words upon which was founded
The Invisible Empire" whose stranre
eventful history, after a time, dared "the
ears oil listening senates to commanl. y
and enlisted tho opposition OF court and
camp of field and forum. The proposition
to get up little club for temporary home
diversion and amusement was agreed to.
and before the company separated it was
arranged to invite few other friends to ioin
those pre- ent in meeting the next evening
ana In the same Office At the appointed
hour eight or ten young men were on hand;
chairman and secretary were elected, com
mittees appointed to select name and pre-
rare rules for the governance Of the society
and a ritual Of initiation
The committee to select name found the
chief difficulty, ana after a weeks interval
reported that they had not made a selection,
as they were puzzled to discover or invent a
name at once impressive and suggestive Of
the objects III view. Among others, they
had thought Of "Kukloi," from the Greek
kuklos, band, or circle Suppose we call
1t ku kluE,' cried out one of the members,
and the suggestion was adopted as by in
SEPARATION. For the sake Of the n.asic ana the
ALTERATION, Khan was added, and the
horror was named. Had they called
themselves the "Jolly Jokers," or tie
Crooked Cranks," the society might never
have been known beyond Pulaski nor
had more than an ephemeral existence.
But in this case thore was weird potency
IN the name: ku kux Khan. The sound Of
1t is suggestive Of bones rafting together
and it is Il singular fact, continue the his
torians OF the order, that the members OF
the Khan were themselves the first TO feel it,
weird influence; they had adopted a mys-
FERROUS name. Thereupou it was agreed e
harmon;ze everything else with the name
Amusement was still tho end in viaw; but
now they must win it sby the methods OF
secrecy and mystery. SO the rules were
modified to adapt them 10 the new idea, and
the report provided for q Grand CyclopS, o.
President; Grand Magi, or Vice Presidents
a Grand Turk, or Marshal; Grand Exche
quer; and two LiCt0rs.
recall how often, during tn existence q
the order, heard ald read that the Origin
of the name hal q more deadly suggestive
ness than the harmless GTeeS root tn,
prevalent theory among the uninitiated wa:
that springins the lock Of an old tiint-and
steel musket-whicA catches three times il
cooking it-firat suggested the nare Itna,
said that in cooking the Old weapon it sing
the duleful song at doleful intervals: ku-
| KlGx-K!ang! Drop the final =. ami Tia
origin Of the name was explained.
The Pulaski Kan was wavej strong.
| kept up its air Of mystery. 1t was tue sen
sation Of the hour. In order 10 calist recruit
| it played on human nature by never permit
| ting any one to DE asked TO JOIN. They me
in an old hou,e i'll the suburbs, posted thei
tGllhatted, long-robed Lictors, OF sepulchra
voices, on the outpostS, as sentines, an
these sentinsls deeply impressed as the
| stood il the moonlight, every pasler-by
| The woul!-be ku-klux always went through
a ceremony somewhat like that known t
| every college in the land The oath O
| secrecy being administered the Gran,
| Cyclops commanded: place him be
fore the royal altar and ador
his head with the regal crown" tn
royal altar was a large looking-glass. Tn
regal crown was huge hat, bedecke
with two enormous donkey ears. In thi
head-gear the candidate was placed befor
the mirror and made to repeat the c2uplet
| Q wad some power the giftie gle us
| To see odrsels as itherS see US
The banIage being removed, the caad
date saw his own ludicrous image in ia
glass. Then uprose bois5erous mirth. Ech
caught up the shouts Of laughter as the
rang through the old building near the rol.
side, and impressed the superetitiOns of bot
races vino heard il as they passed along ii
public highway noar by. In the country It wa
noticed that the nocturnal RECOMMENDATIONS {
the colorod population diminished, or er
tirrly cea,el, whero the kg Elux appgars.
| There was very marked imyrovem mi
the habits Of a large class who had hilbert
caused great annoyance. The Elau at on,
real!zhd that the most powerful agencies (,
controlling the supers5itiou5 were in the
Land.-that they might he eifectuaiiy ue
TO observe the public welfare, t. suppra,
lawlesness, and protect property Henc
in less than year after it. organization
the X. X. X. became a band Of regulator
The force Of cir cumstances carried the kiG
] ! AWAY from lis origiuQl uITrD,p