Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-09-13
GENESIS OF THE KLUX
NATHEN the war ended a lot of profession

WHEN the war ended lot of professional
w boosters, who had figured largely in
a period of highly organized propaganda
were out Of jobs. A new and disturbing
force was apparent in the country when
they got to work again.
They were resourceful and shrewd folk
who knew all about the power of card
index systems linked with emotionalism,
and they had smoothly functioning bureaus
created for the deliberate manufacture of
public sentiment. They were the makers Of
drives. They were always ready to organize
a drive for anything or anybody, and to
commercialize the spirit Of patriotism or
charity for percentage of the gate receipts.
Drives became n bore. The people would
have no more Of them. The boosters were
again in an air pocket They looked around
for new worlds to conquer, and evidence
turned up in the present inquiry into the
Ku Klux Klan shows that one OF them
decided to make a grand play for the whole
United States.
Edward Young Clarke was n professional
booster of towns. He was called in to
boost Atlanta, Ga. There he met Mrs.
Elizabeth Tyler. who was herself a propa-
gandist in the modest cause of better babies,
They still talk in Atlanta Of the success
of the Harvest Festival, which Mr.. Clarke
organized and promoted. 1t brought vast
multtudcs to the city But Harvest Fes-
tivals have to end sooner or later and Mr..
Clarke had to find something to keep him
busy.
He found Colonel Simmons. who at that
time. according to the frank admission of
Mrs. Tyler, wasn't able to pay his rent or
meet his own modest personal expenses"
In the Colonel's mind was the idea for a
revival of the Ku Klux. 1t was an idea
that clearly appealed to Mr.. Clarke's COM
mercial sense. He and Mrs. Tyler talked
long with Colonel Simmons and decided that
a way was open for n new sort Of drive.
Now Simmons is Imperial Wizard of the
Invisible Empire. Mr.. Clarke is Imperial
Kleagle-that is. treasurcr-in- chicf-and
Mrs. Tyler has just been named in an i'm
pcrial edict as chief Of staff to Wizard
Simmons and head Of the newly proposed
women wing of the Klux.
If all three aren't rich they ought to be.
Since Mr.. Clarke got his card indexes and
his publicity bureau at work on the Kan's
affairs approximately $1,000, 900 has been
paid into the organization by new members.
There is a Ku Klux college in Atlanta,
a Ku Klux press and Ku Klux publicity
bureau and it is generally understood that
the firm that makes and sells the rogalia
and the masks of the order is also a closed
corporation bosscd by the Rig Three.
To keep this big commercial undertaking
on an advancing wave Of prosperity an in
tcnsivc and extraordinarily efficient propa
ganda system operates to set up religious
hate. bigotry and secret violence as leading
forces in the life of the United States.
To the man who couldn't meet his own
modest personal expenses in ordinary en-
Payments 800 900 members of the clan now
swear allegiance. They call him Emperor
and take his orders and do his bidding.
The Atlanta background of Ku Kluxsm
was deliberately built up by circus methods
to impress slack minded. ignorant. ungcn
crous and bigoted people 1t appears to
have turned the heads Of half a million
people
Booster Clarke appears to be amazed at the
spread Of his scheme. Mrs. Tyler appears
to be bit frightened. And it is the plain
duty of the Government to see that the
dangerous forces organized for profit by
these unthinking people are vigorously
checked and kept under rontroI