The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-10-10

burn and destroy every possible trace of
 their secret organization, and th3re is an | intimation of summary retribution in the
 case of that "ghoul'' who failed to obey | this injunction.
 It therefore appears that by the merest chance the manual at Columbia escaped the fate of the other evidences of the Ku- | Klux Klan.
 It is worthy of note that nowhere in the twenty-four pages is the name of the or | ganization mentioned or referred to. In the few places where. under other circumstances. 1t would have been printed there is either the insertion of three as- terisks or blank space.
 The title page. for instance. which is in- teresting in itself, announces that the pamphlet is the Revised and Amended Prescript of the Order of the-." A little below appears the motto, "Damnant Quod Non Intelligunt." The problem thickens on the second page, where the ritual contains the pro- | vision that, The organization shall be styled and denominated the order of the
 The officers were many in number and bore singular titles. not unlike those ob- taining in many of the Greek letter fra ternities in our colleges.
 In one place the dignitaries are hinted at as mysterious Above them all was the grand wizard of the empire, whose position entitled him to the genii whose functions are not revealed.
 The grand wizard is followed in rank by the grand dragon of the realm and hydra.
 This potentate was. strangely enough. allowed no satellites, as the grand titan of. the dominion. the grand giant of the province and the grand cyclops of the den. all inferior dignitaries, were accorded six rta o,,A .krrt,k hor respectively.
 Other officers. whose stations was supe- rior to that of an ordinary 'ghoul'' were a grand magt, a grand monk, a grand Turk. a grand exchequcr and grand sem tinel
 One searches the pages of this strange ritual in vain to find the duties of the of they were chosen.
 The purposes of the order were varied. as whole, praiseworthy and eloquently set forth. The ritual states:
 This Is an institution of chivalry, hu- manity. mercy and patriotism. embodying in its genius and principles all that is chivalric in conduct. noble in sentiment. generous in manhood and patriotic in pur pose, It's peculiar objects being to protect the weak. the innocent and the defense less from the indignities. wrongs and out rages of the lawless. the violent and the brutal: to relieve the injured and the op- pressed; to succor the suffering, the un- fortunate and especially the widows and orphans of Confederate soldiers, and to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States (and all laws passed in con formity thereto). and to protect (the States and people thereof from alI inva- sions from any source whatsoever). and to aid in the execution of all Constitutional laws and to protect the people from un- lawful seizure and from trial except by their peers in conformity to the laws of the land.)"
 The phrases which are in parentheses go far toward explaining many happenings in the Southern States during the unset tied and turbulent period of reconstruc- tion, when the South was just beginning to get on It's feet again.
 They also serve to explai' the menacing attitude of the Ku-Klux Klan toward the constitutionality of the introduction of martial law in the Southern States, which ca used so much unpleasantness. as we'll | as the Governments refusal for a time to | permit Southerners to suffer trial in the | military courts.
 It should be remarked that throughout | the book there is a respect for central and organize. government. as well as a | reverence for and faithfulness to the Con- | stitution of the United States.
 A significant creed Is stated in the fol- | lowing language:
 We the order of the rever- ently acknowledge the majesty and su- premacy of the Divine Being. and recog- nize the goodness and providenc of the same.
 And we recognize our relation to the United States Government, the supremacy Of the Constitution. the constitutional