Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1922-10-19
kU KLUX ACTIVE, La GRAHDE
lcontinued from Page one.l

Continued from Page One.)
sides being a division point Of the
Union Pacific railroad, and the
klansmen claim because of that
fact, La Grande is a strong Cath
Ollie community, supporting large
parish congregation and paroch-
ial school.
The first organization work in
La Grande was among the railroad
employees and was done by Union
Pacific maintenance OF way fore
man by the name of Fields, who
still is the kleagle Of the klan
there. TO the trainmen the plea
OF the Kluxers was that they must
organize into "a strong Protestant
association for their vocational
protection. Backing up this decla-
ration, the propagandists asserted
that the managing heads OF the
Union Pacific system are Catholics
and that they follow an unvariable
policy OF hiring only Catholics in
the best paying positions, and that
Catholics are always given prefer
ence In the matter OF employment
and advancement.
Among Railroad Crews.
With the knowledge general
among all OF the company's EN-
ployes that at least two OF the
railroad executive officers were
Catholics, the propaganda fell on
fertile ground. The result was
not only disasterous to the morale
OF the men as employees of the rail-
road, but also struck deep into the
different locals Of the unions rep
resented by the trainmen. Among
trainmen, by reason OF their
grouping into crews and the con-
sequent close association at their
work, strong friendships are the
rule. In innumerable instances
among the crews making their
Headquarters in La Grande the
klan, with its teachings OF suspi-
cion and prejudice, was directly
responsible for breaking up friend
ships that had existed for years,
Among the trainmen making
their headquarters in la Grande
there are about $50 Ku Kluxers,
large part of them married and
having families.
BY reason OF this strength the
khan had an effective boycott club
to wave over the heads OF mer-
chants they sought to intimidate.
Threats OF the boycott were used
effectively in lining merchants up
as members,
Organizing Baker.
1t can hardly be said that the
khan has even gained foothold i
In Baker. for they did not start
organizing there until after the I
Invisible Empire had been pretty |
generally exposed and was fast
falling into disrepute. After some
preliminary work an attempt was
made to organize Baker on the
night Of July IA, last, with Major
Powell, king kleagle for Oregon,
and Kleagle Fields Of La Grande
on hand to do the honors. Fifteen
men, including the chief Of police
aud Che manager of the local Of
flee OF the Western Union Tele-
graph company, were initiated.
That is as far as the organization
ever got. The day following the
initiation bank clerk who was
among those 'naturalized" was
told by his employer that his serv-
ices would no longer be needed,
and notice was served on the
klansmen by prominent and intlu-
entiai men OF the city that the Ku
Klux Klan was not needed, not
wanted and woa!d not be coun-
tenanced in the community.
This, briefly. Is a resume Of the
history OF the khan in eastern Ore
gon. Outside OF Peadleton and La
Carande they have been able 70
make little headway and are fast
losing the ground that they gained
during the first few months OF
their activity. Politically they
have confined their efforts, gem
orally with little success. to state
offices, carrying out the program
II the state khan leaders In Port
and.
(Tomorrow-rhe Ku Kluxing
4 Portland,)