The Mena weekly star., 1920-12-02
Ku-Klux Khan Once More
Follows the Fiery Cross
Pledged
white Southern

Some of the conditions of recon
|struction days have returned to the
South. The night riders are out. The
old Ku-Klux Khan has been revived,
and those other more lawless bands
which, in post-bellum days, spread ter
ror thru the countryside.
The one, ostensibly, is devoted to
law and order. It's methods may not
always be in accord with it's purpose,
but the south says the north cannot
understand the conditions with which
it has to deal.
The other apparently, is devoted to
outlawry-the attempt of a few to
foist their beliefs and prejudices upon
the majority. It's object, today, is to
prevent the sale of cotton, to force it's
neighbors to hold their crops for high
er prices. Tomorrow its object may
be something else-but it's methods
will be the same. Arson and intimida-
ton.
The dividing line between the two is
not always distant to outsiders. 1t
may not always be to members. After
the Civil war some of the more dar-
ink klansmen, discontinued with the
comparative conservatism of their fell
lows, operated separately in the guise
of the khan. The whole nation was
Mortified by their depredations. Once
outside the pale, it is hard to draw
arbitrary restraining limits.
The leaders of the new khan, or of
the old khan reborn, as they insist it
is, believe they can hold their follow
ers within bounds. They number
among their members representatives
of some of the best families of the
south. Several United States sena-
tors are said to have taken the oath
under the fiery cross, and a score of
members of the house of representa-
tives. A high police official is said to
be grand dragon of the khan in Rich
mond, Va
A former Methodist minister, Col
w. j. Simmons, is head of the new
knights of the Ku-Kiux Khan" He
makes no attempt to hide his connec-
ton with the order, and frankly pro-
claims its purpose. But he is almost
the only one of the society who is
known to be a member His Office
is at the top of an Office building in
Atlanta. He is the Imperial Wizard"
His Office is the "Aulic." From there
he directs the activities of the khan
turnout all the states. And from
there he breaches its gospel
May Be Used Against laps.
1t was just FIVE years ago that Col
onel Simmons first mentioned his
idea of recognizing the clan to a
group of friends. He had been study
ing the project for more than twenty
years. And the night of Thanksgiv-
ing day, 1916, thirty-five men, in the
white shroud and hood of the khan,
met on Stone Mountain, twenty miles
| from Atlanta, and there, at midnight,
under blazing cross took the oath
of allegiance ito the invisible empire,
Knights of the Ku-Klux Khan" The
following month the Khan was incor-
porated and chartered under the laws
of Georgia For awhile its growth
was slow, but three months ago it be-
gan to sweep the south like a prairie
fire. Today there are klans in Geor-
gia, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee,
Texas, Mississippi, Kentucky, Virgin
ia and South Carolina. And Colonel
Simmons has received inquiries from
citizens of Pacific coast states regard
ing the organization of klans there to
deal with the oriental problem.
The constitution of the khan,
adopted in 1916, sets forth its status.
1t reads:
1--WE solemnly declare to all man
kind that the knights of the Ea-Kiux
Khan, organized in the year of 1866,
and active during the reconstruction
period of American history, by and un-
der its new corporate name, is revived,
reconstructed, renodeled, refined and
expanded into fraternal, patriotic,
ritualistic society of national scope,
duly Incorporated under laws of the
state of Georgia, in the years 1915
and 1916, for the same spiritual pur-
poses as it originally had.
s'We do further declare to the world
that our original prescript used as the
governing law of the Ku-Klux Khan
during the period of it's former activ-
tiles, and all official titles, manner
isms, usages and things thereon pre-
scribed have not been abandoned by
us, but on the contrary, all of such,
together with designs or paraphernal-
la, regalia, flags, banners, emblems,
symbols or other insignia and things
prescribed or previously used by or
under the authority of the Ku-Klux
Khan are held sacred by us as prec
ious heritage. This precious heri-
tage we shall jealousy keep, forever
maintain and valiantly protect from
proclamation"
The Creed of the Khan.
The creed of the original khan has
been revived. 1t reads
We, the order of the Knights of the
Ku-Klux Khan, reverently acknowl
edge the majesty and supremacy of