The Dallas express. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1893-1970, 1921-02-12
Simmons Asserts Fraternity Works to Preserve
Order and to Avert Outbreaks Of ANY Ma
ture Whatever. Not Against The Negro.
Opposes Political Equality for the
Race as Well as for Chinese
or japanese.

Atlanta, Feb. 1O-The Knights Of
the Ku Klux Klan the organization
whose white-robed men would be
ready to ride down Broadway" In
eoTding to its organizer and leader,
Colonel w. ]. Simmons, of Atlanta, Is
mot the enemy of the Negro or any
other, race; is anti-nothing, but pro-
american, and is engaged only in the
work OF preserving the law and pre-
venting outbreaks of all kinds" said
Colonel Simmons today in a state
ment replying to attacks made upon
MS 9rganization from various sources.
Colonel Simmons emphasized that his
organization has given information in
regard to bootlegging and other Of
fenses, and would continue to do so.
a law unto itself, but 1t does believe
in white supremacy. The Colonel said:
1T believes that never in the history
Of the world has a mongrel civiliza-
ton endured, and 1t is opposed to the
Negro being allowed to vote, or the
Japanese. or the Chinese, because such
suffrage means political equality and
is another way of saying that Me-
gro has as much right to occupy the
office of Governor or any other high
position as white man"
Uses klan ms CudgeI
He. said the National Association
for for the he Adyagncement SdIdg Of co,ored Peo7
izatlon. was "using the Ku-Klux Klan
as a cudgel to exort money from
members OF the Negro race for the
purpose Of carrying on its nefarious
purposes"
Recent publicity on establishment of
dens of the Ku-Klux Klan all over
the country and the statement by
Colonel Simmons have aroused interest
in the principles and activities Of the
order.
'one of the chief objects of our
.NIA ntI Gl1A
uphold law When gin burnings start
ed short while ago. after the slump
in cotton. / sent out an order to mem
bers of the Klan to form themselves
ing the gins. After my order the bur
nings stopped. That was due to the
efforts of the Klan. And yet some
people, who were ignorant or mali
cious, charged the gin burning to us.
Our invisible force for law and
order is so strong in Atlanta that IL
the entire police department, both city
and county were abolished tomorrow,
the city would still be protected
"Two of the most common charges
made against the Klan are: First. that
It is an outlaw organization; second.
that Is Il an organization against Ne
groes.
"If 1t is an outlaw organization. how
Is Il that the State of Georgia ISSUED
charter authorizing its formationr
II II is an outlaw organization, now
is It that I. the head of the order. am
a sworn officer, both state and Fed
eral that in almost every community
where the Klan Is organized the sher-
iff is one of the first to join; that its
members include officers of the law
from Washington, d. c., on down the
line, among them members of Con-
gress7
~ could fill book with what we
bave done in the way of furnishing
information against bootlegging and
offenses OF that sort"
AssnIIs COIOred Organization.
The Imperial Wizard OF the order
oepsured the National Association for
the Advancement of Colored People,
with headquarters in New York, which
he charges Is largely responsible FOR