Evening star., 1921-10-13

head of the propagating bureau and
Mrs. Elizabeth Tyler. his assistant.
and will issue an Official statement
when il comes into possession Of all
the facts. Mr. Simmons also stated
that when the charges were first
made Clarke and Mrs. Tyler presented
their designations, to be acted upon
after full opportunity has been given
for thorough sitting.
The revocation of charters at Pensa-
cola, Fla. and Mobile, Ala. was or
dered by the khan, Mr. Simmons testi-
fed. after 1t had been found that
some persons pufportng 10 b. N mbefs
had violated its best traditions. At
Pensacola three men wearing robes
ordered Greek to leave the city but
it never was established. he said, that
they were klansmen, and the charter
was restored on assurance by the
local officers that they would keep
up a relentless fight to find the Of
tenders.
Declared "siIIy Act"
The Mobile Incident, Mr.. Simmons
continued. was due ito the silly act"
Of member. who. "imagining he had
the power of Napoleon" posted khan
warnings ito bootleggers and others"
that the organization was preparing
to clean up the town. The notice was
signed, he said, by man who had
no sense"
Discussing charges of violence on
the part of alleged klansmen. Mr..
Simmons declared that when a MEM
ber took the law into his own haLds
he automatically was dropped from
the organization.
And have never yet failed" he
added. ito turn over to the local au
thorities, if l had it, any evidence
needed to bring about conviction. l
have been doing everything in that
direction, and no man living can say
that 1, personally or as head of the
hian. ever a,,.mpted 10 SHE'D a
criminal. a members oath requires
him to uphold and respect the law.
Our ritual, about which SO many
slanderous things have been said, Is
copyrighted and filed these five years
in the Library of Congress. surely,
lit would not have been put there, un-
der the eye of the government. If we
had ANYTHING to conceal. There is
nothing in it but love of country and
pure Americanism."
Held Protestant and Son-POliticaI.
The char~e that the klan sought
to obtain officers of the law as MEM
bers was characterized by the impe-
rial wizard "as a tremendous 1ndict-
ment against the honor of American
citizenship" Denying that the KAN
melted to riot. he declared no riot mad
occurred in any city where the KAN
had representation.
The Ku Klux Klan is purely a
| Protestant and uon-political organl-
! cation" he said. 1T does not seeh
political power. IT has offered SiG
rewards for capture of law breakers
| posing as klansmen, and its RECORDS
show where it has provided SubStan-
tial aid for those needing it. In the
six years / have been with the order
| have received only $4,000. and my
Atlanta home was the gift OF mem :
| ters, most of whom subserined less
, a lawless band there would not be
such a growth OF membership. IN
! Guiding leading citizens OF many
communities north. east ana south;
zation received large sums as saia-
ries or bonuses. MIR. Simmons said:
; I'VE are spending the surplus
| money of the Khan in further buIld
1ersity. Atlanta, Ga. We have spent
! ard are spending. on Lanier Cniver-
sity the sum of $4,000"
Renders Financial Statement.
| He introduced into the record the EN-
| tire record and expenses pertaining to
I.anier University: also the entire re-
! ceipts and expenditures of the khan,
and added:
THE university is not sectarian; il
does not teach nor even touch the ku
kluX Klan; the only two courses thai
are compu' sorry is Il course in the fun.
| damental Of our civilization, which are
the tenets of the Christian religion
using the Holy Bible as basic text.
/ book. and the teaching and intoxicating
b! the fundamentals of pure Americanisn
| and development of correct citizenship.
Many Of the faculty and trustees are
/ not even members of the khan. They are
among the leaders in educational WORK
| in the south and would not be connected
with an institution or organization that
was even family tinged with what has
been charged against the kan"
| 1.-The charge is made that We are or
ganized tc preach and teach religious
/: Intolerance and especially that We are