Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1910-09-15
TENNESSEE LIKE
KUKLUx PERIOD
Governor PatierSOn'S Campaign
Recalls Klan'S Activities.
FOUNDER TELLS THE STORY.
Captain John Watson Morton Asserts
South's Famous Night Riders Were
Outcome of Medical School Prank.
Slew Few Men Despite Charges.
Defed Troops In Last Parade.

The present political campaign In
Tennessee. engendered largely by the
personality of Governor Malcolm II.
Patterson, has caused hotter condi-
tion of affairs than during the recon
struction days, according to Captain
John Watson Morton, the founder and
dreaded "invisible empire" the very
name of which spread terror over the
south in the days following the civil
war. During the war he was chief of
artillery for General Nathan Bedford
Forrest, the Confederate cavalry lead
er, and he was twice elected secretary
of state of Tennessee.
There isn't Il man, woman or child,
l believe, in Tennessee today who
could he called n noncOmbatant in the
political fight" said Captain Morton,
"aud it's all on account of Governor
Patterson. He's one of the most re-
markable men-certainly the most re-
markable politician-that Tennessee
has known since Bob Taylor, now a
senator fddled his way into the guber-
material chair and beat his Republican
brother, Alf. Some northern editor the
other day called Patterson the Ten
nessee gamecock.' and | tell you, sir,
he surely hit it right"
kultlux Starts In Jest.
GLOW did you happen to start the
KukluX?" Captain Morton was asked.
"Oh. that's an old story" he said.
II went to n medical college after the
surrender, and it was started as an as
sociation Of college boys for playing
mysterious pranks down in Pulaski
That way in May 1866, and pretty
soon because cf our Scary costumes
we wore long white robes and tall
peaked caps with holes for our eyes
the rumor started that we had organ.
lied to check Republican domination
Well, of course, the bad blacks and
the carpetbaggers and sealawags were
giving us a lot of trouble in hose days,
and the idea of the klan appeared so
plausible to the disfrnnchised Confed-
crates that it crystalllZed in Nashville
in 1867. Our sole idea was TO sup
press the plundering blacks and law
less whites
I'VE called the whole the invisible
empire The states were realms, the
congressional districts 'dominions,
counties provinces and cities 'dens.
The supreme ruler was the grand wiz
ard and there were grand dragons,
'titans,' giants and 'cyclops.'
II was made the grand cyclops of
Nashville, and one day | met General
Forrest on Church street, near the
Maxwell House. John he says, I've
heard of this KukluX, and I've come
here to join it We had to keep pretty
quiet about it, so hitched up my bug
gy, took him a long way out of town
and said, General. hold up your right
hand and he did and l gave him the
oath.
"'John, he said when be was
through, that was the worst swearing
I've ever done and, believe me, that
was a compliment coming from him,
Well, general l said, you come to
room 10 in the Maxwell House tonight
and you'll get some more. and he did,
and we soon after elected him grand
wizard
SIayings Were Few.
''Iu spite of all that was said of us
the federal government offered all
sorts of rewards for our capture-we
didn't do much killing. OF course If
a black deserved hanging lie got 1t.
But we mostly whipped 'em or run
'em away out Of the locality or scared
'em good, and that was enough,
Most of 'em believed we were tho
'han'ts Of dead Confederates. Well
we'd call on one late at night, and
when he'd come TO the door we'd ask
for drink of wafer. Sometimes he'd
try to run, but we generally got his
cabin surrounded. He'd bring d
bucket of water, and we'd stick out @
skeleton hand and make him tilt the
bucket for us TO drink We had d
trick OF pouring the whole bucketful
uOWn II tuDe, anu when we NeFt
through we'd say. That's the besj
drink I've had since was shot a
Shiloh. That would come near being
enough for him.
Well sir, we did about all %e SCI
out to do, and in February, 1860. we
got the order to disband. But Gen
eral Forrest told us we must make Q
demonstration. So the word got
round that on Il certain night the Ku
klux would march through the town
and there was Il lot of excitement an(
curiosity. There were 800 recon
structfon police and 300 metropolitan
police in Nashville then, and they
swore to kill or capture every clans
man. But we put on our sheets ant
saddled our horses, and that night six
teen of us paraded through Nashville
by the silent crowds that lined tn,
streets. The metropolitan police didn'
even try to stop us. They lined up IL
one place, but they parted and let III
ride through"
a Gentle Hint.
Little Bobby had been forbidden Il
ask for dessert. The other day the,