Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-03-08
THE kU kLUX KHAN.
ITS BEGINNING AS A CLUB FOR TEN.
PORARY DIVERSION.
How the Mysterious Name Came To BE
Adopted-Rules Modified to Har-
monize with the Weird Title
Initiation Ceremonies.
&c. E. Merrill In The Current. |

lC. T. Merrill in The Current
One afternoon in May. 1866, few of the
young men OF Pulaski, Tenn, met in the
office of one of the most prominent lawyers
of that city-a city of about 5000 inhabi-
tants. 1t a meeting without aim or
preconcert After q time one of the COM
pany suggested: "Boys, let's get up club
or society of some description" Such were
the careless words upon which was founded
"The Invisible Empire" whose strange,
eventful history, after a time, dared "the
ars of listening senates to command"
nd enlisted the opposition of court and
camp, of field and forrm. 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 join
those present in a meeting the next evening
and in the same office. At the appointed
hour eight or ten young men were on hand;
a chairman and secretary were elected, COM
mittees appointed to select name and pre-
pare rules for the governance of the society
and a ritual of initiation.
The committee to select name found the
chief difficulty. and after 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 in view. Among Others, they
had thought of "kukloi," from the Greek
Kuklos, a band, or circle Suppose we call
1t ku Klux," cried out one of the members,
and the suggestion was adopted as by in
spiration. For the sake of the music and the
ALTERATION "Klan" was added, and the
1horror" was named. Had they called
themselves the "Jolly Jokers." or the
Crooked Crank.," the society might never
have been known beyond Pulaski nor
had more than an ephemeral existence
But in this case there was a weird potency
in the name: ku KluX Klan- The sound oil
1t Is suggestive of bones rattling together
and 1t is singular fact, continue the his
torians of the order, that the members OF
the Klan were themselves the first to feel it
weird influence; they had adopted mys-
terious name ThereupOn it was agreed to
harmonic everything else with the name.
Amusement was still the end in view; but
now they must win it by the methods Of
secrecy and mystery. So the rules were
modified to adapt them TO the new idea, and
the report provided for a Grand Cyclops or
President; Grand Magi, or Vice Presidents;
a Grand Turk or Marshal; a Grand Exche-
quer: and two Lictors
l recall how often, during the existence Of
the order l heard and read that the origin
Of the name had a more deadly suggestive
ness than the harmless Greek root The
prevalent theory among the uninitiated was
that springiny the lock of an old flint t-and-
steel musket-which catches three times in
cooking it-6rst suggested the name TWAS
said that In cooking the old weapon it sings
the doleful song at doleful intervals: Ku-
Kux-KhngI Drop the final G. and the
origin of the name was explained.
The Pulaski klan was waxed strong It
kept up its air Of mystery. 1t was the SEN
sation Of the hour. In order to enlist recruits
1t played on human nature by never permit
ting any one to be asked to join They met
In an old house in the suburbs posted their
tall-hatted, long robed Lictors, of sepulchral
voices, on the outposts, US sentlnels, and
these sentinels deeply impressed as they
stood in the moonlight, every passer-by.
The would-be Ku-Klux always went through
a ceremony somewhat like that known to
every college in the land. The oath Of
secrecy being administered, the Grand
Cyclops commanded: place him be-
fore the royal altar and adorn
his head with the regal crown" The
royal altar was large looking glass. The
"regal crown was huge hat, bedecked
with two enormous donkey ears. In this
head-gear the candidate was placed before
the mirror and made to repeat the couplet:
o wad some power the giftie gle US
To see oursels as ithers see US.
The, Ss>aage being removed, the candi-
date saw his own ludicrous image in the
glass Then upross boisterous mirth- Echo
caught up the shouts of laughter as they
rang through the old building near the road