The New York herald., 1921-01-13
One Warning Sufficient.

the Imperial Wizard.
One Warning Sufficient.
Not only would the Klan give him
| another chance, II was explained to him,
but members he would not know person
ally would from time to time help him
| in q business way, even to the extent OF
| lending him money If he needed it
| The ceremony was brought 10 an end
with the statement that the Khan warns
but once" According to the story. that
particular young man has now given up
hootch, stopped beating his wife. Is at
tending to business properly and is tast
becoming one Of the usefui citizens OF
the community. All this happened several
months ago.
OF course, these methods are. In their
general character, the same as those
used to frighten the negroes and white
carpetbaggers-but especially the ne
groes-in the reconstruction days In the
South after the civil war. The differ
ence is that in those far off days force
sometimes was ressorted to, and often
ira gedies resulted. That is why Con-
gress twice passed acts to suppress all
such secret organizations IN the South IN
those days. and why President Grant
engaged actively, with the aid of United
States troops, in stamping out secret
meetings OF the Knights OF the Ku Klux
Klan, the Knights of the White Camelta.
the Pale Faces, the Constitutional Union
Guards the White Bro herhoo and SINH
lar secret organizations, some OF which
V re in control of the most stable and
law abiding men in the South and others
of which were in certain localities made
the excuse for murder and pillage.
The modernzed Ku Klux is frankly
20 ot~fin n 6f
ernmental affairs but 1t Is apparently
not resorting to the methods of the old
Klan to keep negroes from the polls.
Ii is an undsputed fact, however, that
a parade of the Kan in masks and
white robes with the conical headgear
of the old days, flaring torches. &c.
which warns "undesira BILE" persons of
any color or race TO beware. frightens
the negroes and may keep some OF the
ignorant from the polls But the Klan
officers disclaim any intention of doing
anything OF this sort. The fact seems
to be that where a negro who is entitled
to vote under the present laws of the
Southern States stays away on account
OF a parade OF the Ku Klux Klap he
does so merely for the reason that his
father or grandfather has imbued him
with the fear Of the very name "Ku
Klux."
Still Feared by Negroes.
An amusing recent incident in Atlanta
shows that this old fear still exists. An
organization of ex-slaves and their rela-
tevs in that city was trying to raise
$3.50 to give Christmas presents to its
needy members. Try as 1t would, 1t
could not get the desired amount. Some
of the high officers of the Klan found
out about II and one OF them called up
A.. II ~ ~
head of the organization and told him
If he would come to a certain room in
a certain office building the money that
was needed to make up the $3.50 would
be forthcoming.
When the preacher arrived he saw In
bold black letters on the door knights
of the Ku Klux Klan." He turned pale
and started to stumble down the stairs
toward the street.
A member of the Klan, who did not
wear any horrifying costume and looked
like any other genial white gen'man."
appeared and quieted his fears suffi-
ciently to coax him into the office of the
Imperial Wizard. He was handed
check for SIPS, signed by Col. Simmons.
The colored preacher quickly thanked
his benefactor and disappeared.
Soon afterward a periodical published
in the interest of the negroes came out
WITH DfleI account Oh Ine AFFAIR, winch
ended with the significant statement:
That money was sent by the Lord
but the devil brought It,"
In another Southern city few months
ago the Ku Klux Klan claims to have
been chiefly instrumental in bringing to
a quick end a strike in a big industrial
plant that might have resulted in serious
difficulties for the local authorities. This
incident serves to show how far afield
the Klan is extending, or attempting to
extend its activities. The day the strike
began a call was sent out for some of
the Klansmen to assemble at midnight
that night at an appointed place on n
mountain top in one of the most secluded
parts OF the surrounding country. Auto
mobiles were supplied to those who did
not own them, because the place of
meeting was some fifteen miles from the
city limits.
The story is told that the weird con-
clave lasted until dawn, but that at last
a basis of settlement was reached which
resulted in the end of the strike before
the next nightfall. The newspapers did
not print either side of the story. In
accordance with the binding oath which
these men had taken TO the Klan nothing
was said In public about the midnight
meeting. Only the result was made
| kpo to ha