Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-08-09


head.
Tried to Quit Quietly
THE sorest of all spots to me in
the business is with relation to High
point, where [ started the work, and
with others equally interested, built
up an organization of good citizens.
We refused admission to the wrong
element, and as result the organizer
started a war on me in which he lost,
but which, nevertheless, put me in
bad with the whole force of money
changers, to the end that one or the
other of us had to quit. I was nat
urally inclined to get out quietly, but
wasn't allowed to do so. Just at that
time, when [ had served formal no.
tice that 1 could not stand for the or
ganizing as being carried on, there
appeared the awful anonymous letter
to the Greensboro News. The same
committee had written other letters,
including the alleged threats to them
selves, some of which they succeeded
in getting published. This last COM
munication was SO utterly 1awless
and disgraceful, that l notified all
concerned that [ would get out with
loud noise unless the system back
of the letter was abolished No ac-
ton was taken, this leaving the let
ter with all it's misspelled words as
the official communication of the
whole organization.
1T is in fact an exact keynote to
the Ku Klux Khan as now existing.
AS for High Point and one other
place in the state where there is a
good organization, there is even there
no hope of ultimate good, without a
permanent state organization to con-
troll it, There is in these and other
places nothing whatever to prevent
outrages against the law in the name
and under the disguise of the khan
For instance, it is obviously impos-
sible for High Point to put an end
to autmobile stealing in the coutnq,
lied criminals are known to belong to
the order in Greensboro, and to be
sworn in fraternity and fellowship
with us. AS it stands, we are all
sworn brothers with most of the
worst criminals in the county. 1t is
crime than to protect law. One or
ganization voted not to interfere with
liquor selling and the town is now
wide open and they aim to keep it
that way. My protest was appealed
to Atlanta and pIgeonholed.
why did [ fall for it? Well, L am
a credulous, enthusiastic sort of per-
son, with lot of prejudices, etc, and
I think the professions of this thing
met the requirements of all the fool
ish ideas l possessed. Even then
held back q long time, and never en-
tered until I was shown what they
claimed was the whole system. They
told me, for instance, that Senator
Simmons was one of the first men
to join in the state; that Governor
Morrison, after his outburst against
it, was seen and promised good be-
havior, and later applied, for admis-
sion and was held on probation; that
Josephus Daniels was refused because
he was too friendly to the. negroes
after living in Washington eight
years; that Senator Overman was
twice refused admission; that Gen
erai Pershing, Attorney General
Daugherty, General Julian S. Carr
and numerous others were original
and earnest members; that the News
and Observer and Charlotte Observer
and Asheville Citizen and Whining
ton Star had agreed to keep hands
OIL IL InSY were let dlOuS, ludI IHS
Greensboro News was to be let alone
because it's criticisms would really
help; that the Raleigh Times was
controlled by some of the Raleigh
members; and that there were 15,OOC
members in North Carolina, with 9TH
ers applying for admission at the
rate of 1000 day; that no appli,
cation was ever considered until
| after rigid investigation, and that, as
stated in the anonymous letter to the
News, character was the only test
These are the reasons why [ Joined
Why L believed any of these things
is another thing entirely, and I can
answer it, except that it is easy tc
believe what one wants to believe
l was credulous and was caught.
Says Simmons is Sincere
'They then picked me to head the
permanent organization in the state.
| thought this was due to my ac-
quantanie with the state and with
the right kind of men inevery coun-
ty. In fact, l know now it was be-
cause they figured | was the best
asset they could pick, in order to use
it to bring in the coin. Colonel Sim
mons promised me everything. and
gave his personal word to me that
no action could ever be taken in the
khan that was not lawful that [ was
the supreme head in the state as he
was in the nation. and answerable
only to him. and that l could build
my own organization with men or
genuine ability and character. All
this was empty promise, and the Or
ganizers, professional money getters
from outside the state who knew
nothing and cared nothing about get
ting the right kind of men, proceed
cd to use my name secretly and
openly, as an answer to the charges
of fake and fraud. At one meeting,
while still in the faith, / pledged the
state organization for law and or
der, and guaranteed everything pro-
fessed, and al men came forward,
took the oath and paid the cash.
They caught me and used me, and
made the mistake of thinking I
would quietly lie down and take it.
"The imperial wizard is big
and is, in m yopinion, personally
sincere. He has only moderate abil-
ity. and no force at all. He is not
| competent to head the organization if
lit could succeed, in which event it
would control absolutely everything
in America. He has mixed up with
fraternal orders and dreamed this
without sincerity or dreams. took
charge of it, and control it, and
| laugh at the poor fools who fall
for it.
easy Money" Promised
"They gave me my chance to close
my eyes and revel for a year in the
easy money. but even if / were that
| kind 7 couldn't forget that there a re
other years. This thing could sue
coed only by making national and