Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1921-01-13

IT'S uhStortunSS. North carolina, too,
had its negro and carpet-bagger leg
stature; its fraudulent bonds and its
officers VIGOROUSLY out Of sympathy
with the South. Young man, YOU OF
the present day, imagine il you can
a legislature in your capital cry Of
Raleigh composed OF illiterate negroes
and the scum OF Northern society.
Could YOU afford to align yourself
with the political party which elected
them? That was the condition which
vas forced upon the South solely be,
cause OF the fact that il refused TO rat.
fy the l4th amendment to the Federal
constitution. New Jersey. Ohio and
Oregon after frst ratifying the amend
ment, withdrew their ratification, but
no such punishment was accorded those
States.
Almost il not all OF the Southern
States had negro congressman and
the State Of Mississippi had two United
States Senators. Bruce and Relels; the
State OF Louisiana had two and Flor
ida one. All of this was the result OF
the seed sewn by the carpet-bagger
and the soalawas TO accomplish his
own disreputable purpose.
Ii was at this acute stage in the his
tory OF the South that tho "Ku Kux
Khan" was organized, having FOR its
object the restoration Of white supre-
macy and the removal Of the negro
OF the South. No ono has ever learn
ed, and il 10 safe to say that no one
will learn, by whom this organization
was started. But that il did start and
that it saved the civilization OF the
South, everyone is bound to recognize
The methods adopted by the Khan were
At times severe and harsh, but, for
one, do not believe that it acted at
any time save from an honest and sin
cere motive TO protect the society Of
the South and TO convince the negro
that they must not take the advice OF
the carpet-bagger and the republican
Sca.awag and greater. After the "Ku
KluX Khan" began operations, in an
am0St incredibly short time, the carpet
Dagger in the South ceased to exist
The wrath of the South had been
aroused, until in mighty flame il
roured forth and swept before it and
banished the carpetbagger policies and
negro rule champions from its borders
TO return never again.
! The best OF the South's citizenship
was enrolled within the ranks of the
"Ku kluX Klan," and not an irrespon-
siblc aggregation Of rOwdies and cut
throats as some Northern and anti
Southern newspapers we're wont to al
lege. 1t was composed Of men who
were loyal to the South and its ira
ditions; men in sympathy with its
ideals and aspirations; men who
thought il better to die in defense Of q
righteous cause than to live in infamy
and disgrace brought about by negro
and carpetbagger domination. Nc
man could be eligible to membership
in this Khan who placed his in
dividual liberty and we'll being above
that Of the people Of the entire South
land. Had il not been for the work
and activity Of the "Ku Kux Klan,"
in the dark and trying days OF Recon
struction when the whole Southland
lay torn and bleeding; when its fields
lay waste; its institutions closed and
its civilization imperiled, there would
be no prosperous South such as we now
have and such as the Confederates SOL
diers through four hong years Of war
fare battled for. AS further proof
OF the calibre and moral fibre OF the
men who composed the "Ku Klux
Klan," history does not record one
single instance in which member ever
violated the oath taken upon his ad-
mission to membership through the
whole machinery Of the federal courts
and information relative to the work
ings OF the Klan and its membership
To the men and women Of the South
the true men and women I mean the
"Ku Klux Klan" needs no defense.