The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-10-10

laws thereof. and the union of States l hereunder"
 Perhaps the best explanation for the ex- istence of the organization and the causes
 which gave rise to Its formation is fsir-
 nished by a series of interrogatorfes pro- pounded for the prospective candidate for
 admission to the order and the general qualifications for membership as set down
 in print.
 The candidate had to give a satisfactory answer to every question, and if he fell short in the slightest detail he was not only refused admittance in the Ku-Klux Klan, but was summarily dismissed from the company of the Examining Board with significant and threatening admon- ition to keep what he had heard or seen an inviolate secret and never to reveal anything pertaining to the nature of the order or the purposes of its organization. Although the questions were searching In themselves there were other qualifca- tions for membership. The candidates antecedents were close ly investigated and his whole career was reviewed.
 The Ku-Klux Klan. at it's inception, was club formed by some young men of Pulaski. Tenn. who had more time than they could employ.
 The purpose of the organization was ''to furnish diversion and amusement"
 The curious name was adopted because 1t was perfectly meaningless and threw an air of mystery around the club. which the members took care to increase.
 The diversion and amusement" consist ed in riding about the country. disguised by masks and sheets. or in any curious manner their fancy suggested. playing practical jokes upon their friends.
 This was in 1S66 The fame of the or ganization spread and branches were formed in other places
 There was little or no connection be- tween them and the parent organization.
 It still remained purposeless. About that time. however, the war being over the South was in It's 'reformative period'' and under military control The negroes were given the right to vote. but the whites who had fought against the Union were temporarily disfranchised by the policy of the Government. influenced by the radicals" in the Republican party.
 The negroes formed themselves into se- cret societies called Loyal Leagues" un- der the guidance and direction of the ear pet-baggers." irresponsible white men from the North. who hoped for political Dreferment themselves through organi- zing the negro vote.
 The effect upon the negro mind with it's taste of freedom, was disastrous and even dangerous to the white men of the South.
 1nen II was nOuce0 that the negro was afraid of the mysterious name of the Ku- Klux Kla1. and could be held in check by his reverence for what he supposed to be the supernatural.
 The Klan had a purpose. At first it did good service in rendering the life and property of the white men safe. but the power 1t obtained was abused and ex- cesses were committed.
 The last heard of the Ku-Klux Klan was on March IS. 1903. when a detective was murdered by masked men in Arkan- sas and eleven of the band were arrested: but they. like half of the bands in the South, were not the real Southern Ku- Kluxers.
 The original band. it was afterward learned, had disbanded in 1889. when. by the order of the Grand Wizard of the Elm pire, tine "ghouls" of the various ''dens'' burned their manuals and destroyed all evidence of their existence.