Albuquerque citizen., 1908-01-09
MEMBERS OF XII
KLUX KLAN IN
CAPITAL
Once Active Participants in
Southern Disorders Now
Serving Government.

New York Jan. 9.-The New
York Evening Telegraph contains the
following interesting bit Of history:
BY a curious coincidence three Of
the men who assisted i'm organizing
the famous Ku <lux Klan. and who
were among its most active members,
are now going To Washington to
serve the government which fought
ana finally forced the disbandmont
of their order.
The trio in question comprise Cen
eral George w. Gordon, the new rep
resentative from Tennessee; Laps ID.
McCord. who will be secretary to
Senator Taylor Of Tennessee. and
Josiah l.. Pearcy, clerk to Senator
Taylor.
General Gordon was the grand
cyclops of the invisible empire of
the X. X. X. for Tennessee when the
Ku lilux Klau was in its prime and
later served as "adjutant general to
the supreme cyclops OF the empire"
General Forest.
The circle was at first purely social
and for the amusement of its mem
bers When the terror which its cos
tuned parades inflicted upon the
the members decided it would be an
excellent thing to utilize their social
activities and by working on the su-
persution of the negroes and ignor-
ant whites frighten them into behav-
ing themselves.
BY adopting the Greek equivalent
kuklos for circle" the society came
to be known as the Ku Klux. One of
its members then suggested that an
other TX" be added to the emblem
of the club, which was "K. X" so
it was decided that henceforth the
"ciTcle" should be known as the Ku
KluX Klan. The adoption of this
name was decided upon in the winter
of 1855.
The object of the Klan, according
to Mr.. Pearcy, was to protect the
weak the innocent and the defense
less from the indignities. wrongs and
outrages of the lawless, the violent
and the brutal; to relieve the injured
and the oppressed; to succor the suff-
ering and the unfortunate, and es-
pecially the widows and orphans of
Confederate soldiers.
For four years the Klan and its
branches. which were established in
virtually all the southern states, wag-
ed campaign against carpet bag
gers" and "scallywags," these being
the appellaticns given respectively to
those persons who hobnobbed with
negroes and those "who possessed the
itch of office and the salt rheum of
radicalism."
Then some unrepre sentative mem
ber Of the Klan started to take re-
venge in the name of the Klan upon
u-h n
personal grievance. The stain of
their pernicious activity was height
ened by acts of lawlessness on the
part Of outsiders who cloaked their
depredatons under theh name of the
Klan.
This resulted in the government
legislating against the organization.
Matters reached a crisis in February.
1863, when Governor Brownlow of
Tennessee proclaimed martial law in
the state i'm an effort to stamp out
Che Ku KluX. In a short while it
was followed by a proclamation from
the Grand Wizard of the Invisible
Empire" (the official title of the Ku
KluX Klan) TO his subjects.
This proclamation recited the leg
islation directed against the Klan
ana stated that the order had now i'm
a large measure accomplished the
objects of its existence. Al a time
when the civil law afforded made
quate protection to life and proper
ty, when robbery ana lawlessness OF
every description were unrebuked
when ALI the better elements of So
ciety were in constant dread for the
safety of their property, persons and
families, the Klan had afforded pro.
lection and security to many fire.
sides.
But greatly 10 the regret of al
good citizens. the proclamation con-
tinued, some members of the Klar
had violated positive orders, others
under the name and disguise Of the
organization had assumed TO do acu
OF violence for which the Klan wa!
held responsible. The grand wlzarC
had been invested with the power e
determine questions Of paramount
importance to the interests of the or
der Therefore, in the exercise o
that power, the grand wizard declar
ed that the organization heretofore
known as the Ku Klux Klan was dis
solved and disbanded.
And so the organization, recolec
items Of which still occupy the lime
light, came to- an end. To meet nov
and converse with the three stat,
surviving members Of II who ar,
shortly TO serve the government a
Washington one would never imagin
tlat they had assisted in the organ
'.ation Of and played such a promi
ant part I'm the life of a society a
sensational as the Ku KluX Klar
They are all true Southern gentle
men" and it seems incongruous {
even think Of them Disgusting them
selves and leading raids against ne
gr0es and undesirable whites
Rank FOOlshness.
"When attacked by a cough or