Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1910-09-01
TENNESSEE LIKE
KUKLUX PERIOD
Governor Patterson's Campaign
Recalls KIan's Activities.
FOUNDER TELLS THE STORY.

South's Famous Night Riders Were
Outcome of Medical School Prank.
Slew Few Men Despite Charges.
Defied Troops In Last Parade.
The present political campaign in
Tennessee, engendered largely by the
personality Of Governor Malcolm r.
Patterson, has caused a hotter condi-
ton of affairs than during the recon-
struction days, according to Captain
John Watson Morton, the founder and
organizer Of the Kuklux Khan, the
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 a man, woman or child,
l believe, in Tennessee today who
could be called a noncombatant in the
political fight said Captain Morton.
land it's all on account of Governor
Patterson. He's one Of the most re-
markable men-certainly the most re-
markable p~olitician-that Tennessee
has known since Bob Taylor, now a
senator, tiddled 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 l tell you, sir.
he surely hit it right"
kukIux Starts In Jest.
"How did you happen to start the
KukluX" Captain Morton was asked.
"Oh. that's an old story he said.
II went to Il medical college after the
surrender. and it was started as an as
ISOLATION of college boys for playing
mysterious FRANKS down in Pulaski.
That way in May. 1866, and pretty
soon because Of u 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 scalawags We're
giving us a lot of trouble in those days.
and the idea of the khan appeared so
plausible to the DISTINGUISHED Conled-
crates that it crystallized in Nashville
in 1867. Our sole idea was to sup
press the plundering blacks and law
less whites.
1--WE called the whole the invisible
empire The states were realms the
congressional districts 'domin:ons.'
counties provinces and cities 'dens.
The supreme ruler vas the grand wiz
ard and there We're grand dragons
'titans.' giants and 'cyclops.'
II was made the grand cyclops Of
Nashville, and one day l met General
Forrest on Church street, neal 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. sc l 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 I gave him the
oath.
John be said when he was
through. that was the worst swearing
I've ever done and. believe me. that
was a compliment coming from him.
We'll, general 1 said, you come to
room 10 in the Maxwell House tonight
and you'll get some more and he did.
and we oon after elected him grand
wizard.
Sayings Were Few.
I'm 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 he got it.
But we mostly whipped 'em or run
EN- away out of the locality or scared
'em good. and that was enough.
Most Of 'em believed we were the
'han'ts' of dead Confederates. Well,
we'd call N one late at night, and
when he'd come to the door we'd ask
for a drink Of water. Sometimes he'd
try to run. but we generally got his
cabin surrounded. He'd bring a
bucket of water. and we'd stick out a
Shc1clOu uduu duu uldhe ullu I'LL LIE
bucket for us to drink. We had a
trick of pouring the whole bucketful
down a tube. and when we were
through we'd say. That's the best
drink I've had since l was shot at
Shiloh That would come near being
enough for him.
well, sir, we did about all we set
out to do. and in February, 1869. we
got the order to disband. But Gen
eral Forrest told us we must make a
demonstration. So the word got
round that on a certain night the Ku-
klux would march through the town,
and there was a lot of excitement and
curiosity. There were 300 recon
structiou police and 300 metropolitan
police in Nashville then. and they
wore to kill or capture every clans
man. But we put on our sheets and
saddled our horses. and that night six.
teen Of us paraded through Nashville