Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1922-08-18


began the publication of its series
exposing the Ku Klux Klan. AS
sociated with the World were thirty
other newspapers covering practi-
, cally the entire United States, and
for twenty-one days the exposure
of Ku Kluxism held over five mill
lion newspaper readers spellbound
in their absorbing interest in the
story of the organization. The
series comprised twenty-one articles
and occupied the front page in the
World TO the exclusion of every big
piece of news of national or inter
national Importance.
Exposure Covered Main Facts
The exposure covered in the main
facts and documents which | sub
mittcd to the paper. 1t fully sub
stantiated and vindicated the
charges made by me in my letter of
withdrawal that the organization
was un-American, that it was be-
ing propagated by spreading relig-
ious and racial hatred, that it was
money making scheme for the ben
eft of few insiders, that its oath
was illegal and its ritual a sacri-
lege, and the various other matters
referred to by me which are set
forth in my letter in a previous
chapter With but few exceptions
the entire American press agreed
with my position in tho matter by
endorsing the Worlds exposure, and
vast number of the most prom
inent men and women in America
publicly expressed themselves as
gratified over the action of the
World showing up the Ku Klux
Klan.
One of the most interesting de-
velopments made by the World in
the course of its exposure was its
publication of facts collected by
the paper in connection with the
relations Of Edward Young Clarke,
the Imperial Kleagle and head of
the Southern Publicity Bureau, and
his business associate Mrs. Eliza
beth Tyler.
Mrs. Tyler Arrives
On Saturday, September 10, 1891,
four days after the World COM
menced the ! ication of its series,
Mrs. Tyler arrived in New York
and engaged an elaborate suite of
rooms in one Of the most couspic-
uous hotels in the Wy. She had
obviously been sent by Clarke for
the purpose of securing favorable
publicity for the Klan, and i'm
mediately upon her arrival gave a
story to an evening paper as bait
for the Sunday papers. Although
her mission was but a partial sue
cess, she did succeed in getting her
picture in few papers, together
with prepared statements deploring
the unjust attacks" that had been
made on the organization, and ex-
pounding its ''noble aspirations. -
She was particularly emphatic on
the proposition that one of the main
objects of the Klan was to pro
tect tho purity and chastity Of
womanhood and to preserve the
sanctity of the American home. -
She stated that women were to be
admitted to membership, that she
had been made the first woman
member, and that she would have
charge of the women's department,
While she was in New York En-
peror' Simmons issued one of his
typically bombastic proclamations,
composed in pure Simmonsese, des-
ignating Mrs. Tyler as his Grand
Chief of staff" This proclamation
reads as follows;
''To all Genii, Grand Dragons
and Hydras of Realms, Grand Cob
lins and Kleagls of Domains, Grand
Titans and Furies of Provinces,
Giants, Exalted Cyelops and Terrors
of Cantons, and to all citizens of
the Invisible Empire, Knights of
the Ku Klux Klan, in the name of
our valiant and venera,ad dead,
affectionately greet you;
an view of our Nations ne6d
and as an additional force in helping
ON the great work of conserving,
protecting and making effective
the great principles OF our Anglo
saxon civilization and American
ideals and institutions, the Imperial
Kloncilium, in regular session as
sembled, after deliberate care and
earnest prayer, decided that there
shall be established within the
pounds and under the supreme au-
hority anu government OF the In
-...t.t. te...~;-. an nroauizafioa that /