Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1921-10-22
THE KU KLUX KHAN

william j. Simmons OF Atlanta
Georgia, the founder AMI Imperial
Wizard Of the hooded organization
known rs tho Ku Klux Khan appeared
hefore committee OF the House OF
representatives at Washington, Wed.
nesdny, October 10, 1921 to answer tn
the CHARGES against that sinister or.
ganizatioh He made sweeping DC.
nial Of the charges against his order.
Colorcd accuTers from Boston and Chi.
cago appeared against him. He de.
clarcd that there was no room in his
organization for those people, who
take the law into thdlr own hands,
but he failed to explain how this class
OF people had found room therein.
In rep'y to the charge that the pri.
mary aim Of the organization Is to
lntimidatc the Negro in tire South,
he called attention to the fact
mat the greatest growth OF the Eu
klnX Khan had been In the North ana
East. In this, he overlooked the fact
that the ereate2t migration OF the Ne.
gro In recent NoarD has been to the
North and East and the Ku Klux Khan
organization had logically extended 20
the northern sections where the great
bulk of Negroes has gone. The ct.
lacks now heing made upon white pco.
n
lies and Jews in particular are the
logical results of making primary at
tacks upon the Negroes.
He declared that the Ku Klux Khan
could not do anvthing outside OF Its
lodgeroom except by specific orders
OF Its Imperial Wizard. He might havo
added that this was an assumption
based upon the laws Of the Khan. But
there are numerous pemons, who arc
identified with the Khan for the pur-
pose OF violating the law. The founda.
ton principle of the Khan, that of
White Supremacy, in contravention to
the Constitution Of the United States
which provides for peoples suprem-
acy, the supremacy Of American citi.
zens. be they Write or black. gray Or
grizNed, Protestant or Catholic Is a
lawless foundation principle. which
in itso?f outlaws the Ilu Klux Khan
and places it in the category of other
organizations which endanger the
peace Of the world.
Imperial Wizard Simmons seemed
to have been testifying with his "back
to the wall" He is quoted as saying
Before God. have never signed
any instructions that could be con.
Etrued as violation of laws. Tho
Kan does not tolerate or teach law
lessness; instead we preach respect
for the law"
That may all be true and yet he
cannot abso!ve himself of responsible.
ty for the members Of the Ku KIux
khan who do violate the law and the
officers of the same organization un.
der him, who do teach laws essness
and who do tolerate such acts in their
respective localities. It Is q fact that
men wearing The robes and regalia OF
the Order have beaten men and women
in some localities and tarred and featn
cred them In some others. Recently
In a Texas city, they cIashed with the
city officials. To be epecific Louis
Crow, white Of Waco. Texas was killed
by the Ku Klux Khan and Sheriff Blu
chanan Of the same city injured simp-
ly because this hooded organization
refused to obey the white officers OF
the law at Waco, Texas.
Dn'oss the men who committed this
crime come forward and admit their
particination thercin. how can any
one tom who fired the fatal shot? They
were nil hooded, wearing the same
Kind OF masks and garments of conceal
ment. THIS makes tho Order q menace
to Republican form of government
1t Is return to tho practices and Gus.
tonF' Of the M'ddle Ages, when a reign
o" terror existed. which not only en-.
danger"d. hut actually destroyed the
peace OF the world. Mr.. Simmons DE.