Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-09-17
KLansn,en Take
BLOOd-SedLed YOU

| ITO" EhEe ohc
but deluded men who may have as
sumed, or may be committing them
selves to assume. the Ku Klux obliga-
| tions. 1t shows a Klansman can COM
NIT only four offenses so heinous that
q fellow Klansman is not bound to keep
them secret il knowledge of them is
committed to him in the sacred bond
of "Klansmanship. Three of them
are crimes. The fourth-and signif-
cantly, the first to be mentioned-vio-
lates TO statute or constitutional prin-
ciple of the American Commonwealth
or any of its subdivisions, but does
violate THIS solemn OATH" Could
anything show more emphatically how
a Ku- -Kluxed mind and conscience
| function?
Real Fangs Exposed
Treason-rape-mali murder
these are to be revealed. They are so
heinous that even Klansman culprit
must not be shielded from the ven
geance of outraged constitutional law.
Violation of the Khan oath is equally
heinous, and also is not to be shielded
from vengeance to be indicted by-what
Imaginable tribunal save the drum head
court of extra and super legal ku kluI
Justice
Finally we come to the fangs OF the
tbi... that works underground anu
strikes from ambush, like rattlesnake.
II swear that l will most zealously
and valiantly shield and preserve, by
any and all justiiable means and
methods ('justihable, not legal
| means and methods) the sacred con-
stitutional rights and privileges OF free
public schools, free speech, free press,
separation of Church and State, liberty,
white supremacy, just laws and the
pursuit OF happiness against any en-
croachment, of any nature, by any per-
son or persons, political party or
parties, religious sect or people, native,
naturalized or foreign, of any race,
color, lineage or tongue Whatsoever
Gives Simmons Power
Here is the nub Of the movement
fathered by Simmons, and zealously
spread, on commission basis, by
Imperial Kleagle Clarke's sales crew.
1t is the skeleton framework of a po-
tential super Government set up in
these United States to standardize @
peculiar brand of "Americanism" as
the only brand to be tolerated, and tc
exercise an invisible censorship over
the thought, teaching, press, religious
and political activities and persona
morals and conduct of the population
of the country.
With the permissible limits Of yea
and valor wholly underlined, tn
klansman swears "zealously and val
iantly" to preserve and shield certain
things by any and all means ant
methods which are deemed justifable-
by whom? The individual Klansman
The local Klan? The Supreme Coun
Gil or the Emperor of the '1nvisibl
Empire"i
Free public schools, speech ant
press, separate Church and State
laws, the pursuit of happiness ar
the things to be shielded by tn
Klansman and his Klan. And VIII,
decides when schools, speech and pres
are really free" and Church and Stat
sufficiently Separated? Who de
Cides what constitutes liberty an,
stamps laws Just? What are tn
requirements of satisfactory whit
supremacy" in the United States?
Who Is TO Decide?
What makes one man or womal
happy makes others unhappy all,
cenSorous. Who is to decide whu
"justifable" happiness shall be, no,
far it shall be pursued by the variou
groups and classes which Ku Klux
ism, Inc, recognizes as existent 4
| America, and what shall constitut
an "encroachment Of any sort
| against this pursuit?
| Uncounted centuries of custom On
| evolution have established standard
for all these things except white su
| premacy, and these standards are tn
| political social and legal heritage @
the Nation. The Constitution and th
| Bill of Rights specifically guarante
every part of this heritage save whit
supremacy, and provide legal and def
mite means and methods Of saving ther
from encroachment. The detnit
means and methods are established
Federal, State and local statutes, law
and ordinances, and administered b
duly chosen or appointed function
aries, over whose probity and com
| petence publicity and the resultau
| public opinion act as censors.
| And now comes secret, oath
| bound order whose members, boun
by the oath we have just examined
mask their faces and conceal thei
identity. and assume to duplicate