Carthage courier. (Carthage, Tenn.) 1913-current, 1921-04-21

I-lan and to prosecute those who mis-
represent it. This department will be
in charge of the best men that can be
obtained and will have the advice and
assistance of the most capable legal
talent. False news reports concerning
the activities of the Ku Klux Khan and
its aims and purposes quite recently
have been the basis for numerous
editorials and special articles which
nave foully sIandered the organiza-
ton and it's membership, officials of
the Khan decare, and they assert it is
their purpose to bring to the bar of
justice the parties responsible for
these outrageous SANDERS.
1t is stated that officials of the Khan
have had created of such department
under consideration for some time and
that the decision to establish it at once
was FASTENED by an incident of March
3Oth, when one of the large news
services Of the country sent out re-
port from Covington, Ca, that the Ku
KluX Khan was involved in conspira-
cy to create a race riot at Ccvington
and stage a demonstration in behalf
of John S. Williams, the Georgia plan
Ter, then facing trial for the murder
Of several negro farm hands.
from headquarters in New York a
statement declaring the story from
Covington was false in every particu-
lar and that there was no basis in fact
for that report.
THE Knights of the Ku Klux Khan
has no quarrel with any one who
honestly and conscientiously does not
approve of the organization" says
Col. Simmons, "but we do not intend
to stand any, longer for lying misrep-
resentation regarding its motives, pur-
poses and activities. The Knights of
the Ku Klux Khan is duly chartered
institution, reorganized by law, and
those making or publishing or causing
to be made or published slanderous
statements about it are liable to pros
ecute and we intend in the very
near future to make striking examples
of some of those who have malicious
~ and outrageously slandered this
organization.
Il desire to repeat, however, that
we have no quarrel with honest and
conscientious citizens who may disa-
gree with us or who may not approve
of our organization, but those who, for
sinister reasons or because they do not
approved of our organiza ton, attempt
to bring it into disrepute by lying mis-
representations will be brought to the
bar of justice and called upon to prove
their charges. We intend to spend the
last dollar in the treasury of the Ku
Klux Klan, if that should be necessary,
to put stop to the propaganda that
is being spread against this organiza-
ton, most of which is a mere tissue
of lies. have not the time to stop and
answer every false news article and
every lying misrepresentation of the
activity of this organization, but we
have today set apart fund of $4,000
for department whose sole duty will
be to handle this matter and the very
best legal talent in the country will be
employed in the work. We intend that
this department shall operate through
out the United States.
Il wish it understood that we do not
intend to do anything sensational, that
IS not our style; we merely intend to
protect ourselves and our organization
from those who make it the object of
their venomous and slanderous at
tGcks. We intend to see that they shall
be given an opportunity to prove their
charges IN court of law.
The news articles referred to as
having charged the Ku Klux Khan
with conspiring to create a race riot
containing the following opening para
graph:
SPY United Press
"Covington, Ga, March 30.-A Ku
kIu7< hlan' conspiracy to arouse race
hatred between whites and blacks was
frustrated when a white boy barred the
entire plot to authorities, it was be-
Eeyed here today. The unnamed youth
was carefully guarded in the county
jail SIS officials feared violence might
result from the intense feeling in GER
tain quarters because of his supposed
confession"
AS soon as the publication of this
story came to the attention of officials
Of the Ku Klux Khan they began an
investigation which disclosed there
was no basis for it. The matter was
taken up with the New York office
of the United Press, over whose wires
the story had been sent, with the re-
suit that the United Press sent out an
interview with Col. Simmons DENYING
the Ccvington report The story was
not satisfactory to Col Simmons who
expressed his attitude in the following