Norwich bulletin., 1921-10-13


 -ai1ed within its ranks a lawless band .f hooded hoodluus was made before a house committee today by William J. Sim -H1rs os Atlanta, its founder and imperi- - wizard
 Turning squarely upon members who had listened iutently for nearly two hours t1 a dramatic defense fthe organization, 5t- Simmons declared that standing lare la the presence ot God" he wanted tae world Co know that f one thousandth rs-: of the charges were true he would forthwith call together the grand con Hum of the Klan for the purpose Of ofrever dlsband!ng !t in every section of ne Unlted States.
 Called late ia ths day after e number o- =--a witnesses from Boaton and, Chicago had urge1 congressional in Qg.-y ot the I1!a2. the imperial wizard, l-z- asking to be sworn, told the commit t. ,ae Kan welcomed the Investigation tHt protested against attacks in some of t. pending house resolutions
 The wizard was permitted to read his re.-.n. without interruption although 7. ..- session to1or-Jw he Wiu be qUes H.. HE commit l-l-ea-=r, cs5ecialy with --Er. 70 published report of various ..- .- vandalism charged to the Kan.
 H.-a is Ho room .n our organization t- loose who take the law into their .rr hands" be declared. banging the .Te have been charged with ev- ,.s.a.1- from The wave Of high prices i -l. sweeping march of the bollweevil. 2. has been charged that our primary .-l was intimidation of the negro in the t.a.t But i- might surprise this com .-es 70 know that the growth of the E. ksz klau has been greater in the a-r and tnc cast than in the south" Asserting that the klan could not do '.-r-. .r~ outside of it's lodge room" eX- r.- hy specific orders of it's imperial wizard s1 5s Go hoid it's membership in -r N- Siuuo1s added.
 Before God. ! Lave never signed any i-z.-u-t. .1ns thlt could be construed or carried as vocation of law. The Klan .1.r r1- to' e-a,e o7 ach raw lessons; i--.-1 we rreac., respect for the law -r. Elar. The Eit1ees testified, in con- s-et-- 4n investigation. of it's own into -r.--sz f-s- Edward Young Clarke, .-al-.a. EIe1-le and head of of the prop ararn- ru--al. and Mrs Elizabeth Tyler, -f- assistant. and will issue an official rrtrrrrt when t- comes into possession, Hr aI the facts Mir. Simmons also s-ated tr-t when the charges were first -rfa Clark and Mrs. Tyler presented f...r -.ei--ati-r-. 70 be acted upon aft .- t1r opportunity had been given for a t.rrrlrr sf..s-
 -r. revocation of charters at Pensa- -rr Florida. and Mobile Alabama, was ordered hy tse Kan. Mir. Simmons testi- s.l. after it had been found that some body ra-0ortin- % be members had vio- Iatrf ite best traditions. At Pensacola. f.--a men wearing robes ordered Greek -H leave the city but it never was es- ,sHIs.ri. te said, that they were klans- -a- and the charter was restored on as- r1-snce hv the local officers that they r1.t keep up a relentless fight to find the .Tlrdars
 The Mobile incident. Mir. Simmons r- -gri was due 10 "the silly act' of .r a -.uhr- who. imagining he had tho power af Napoleon posted Kan warnings r1-reEEcrs and others' that the or ra-I-a..rr was -rc1aring to clean up tho Gown. Tho notice was signed. he said. 'by man w.1 had no sense-'
 Ds1r charges of violence on thf Tsr- -s gei Eiansmen. Mir. simmons declared r.at when a member took th' law .1-- his own hands he automatically Was dropped from the organization.
 And have never yet failed" he add cd er7 urn over 10 the local authorities E hat i- any evidence ne1ed to brin' about a conviction. A members oath re
 
 Our ritual about which SO many slander r.= things have been said. is copyrighted and ffed these five years in the LiDrar congress Surely it would not hay been put there under the eye of the gov 5---=rt if we had anything to conceal.
 n-ry.c- that the Klan melted to rio -a declared no riot had occurred in an . where The Kan had representation
 Tre Eu Klux Klan Is purely Prot rs.a-- and uon-D0litIcas organization -s sad "It does not seek political pow I- has offered big rewards for car tl-- ot law breakers posing as Klan' r- and i.s records show where 1t hs provided substantial aid for those needin t Tn the six years I have been wit tse order I have received only S12,O0 and my Atlanta homo was the gift number. most of whom subscribed le' tan a dollar. -f the Ku Klux were lauless band. there would no- be such growth os membership. including leadil citizens of many communities, east ar vst
 The charge Is made that we are O rarl-lG 90 preach and teach religious tc,erances and especially that we are a tl-Roman Catholic, anti-Jew and ant Negro. The works of the Klan prove tn absolutely untrue. Many alleged ou rares have been attributed to the Kla but none of these were against Rom Catholics. Jews and Negroes per sel al none were committed by the Klan.'
 Declaring that the attacks against KIan were started by the New To world the witness said:
 The World Is the stronghold of t dsnocrauc newspapers and the dem cratic party. and it has been said by tho in a position to know that if the Wor could by shrewd propaganda and untrut ful islanders force a republican congrt and administration to throttle or destr purely loyal American Protestant fl terual organization, as Is the Ku Kl Kan. that It's hundreds of thousands members. friends and those who thi nG does the Klan would at the polls thu years from now forget party lines a preference and vote the democratic tic e."
 Referring to attacks on the Klan Hearst newspapers Mir. Simmons. turni 70 c. Anderson Wright. a former KlaI man. who wrote a series of articles abe ih1 organization said
 Just as Judas betrayed Christ thirty pieces Of silver, so there ~as fou y the Hearst FzPer, @. Anderson Hris