Phoenix tribune., 1923-04-28


did not regard as worthy to become
members any persons except native
born white Americans of Protestant
faith. But the most active and effec-
tive opponents the Klan organizers
encountered were nativeborn white
Americans of Protestant faith, or ma
tive-born white Americans with no
faith at all.
The Jews, as has been character
istic of Jews for centuries, refused
to fight when the Klan threatened
them. But Christians, both Catholics
and Protestants, stood ready to pro-
tect the Jews in the United States,
and the Klansmen knew it. There
fore, while in many communities the
misguided hooded imbeciles went
about at night, dragging people out of
bed to be tortured or murdered there
Is no instance on record of a Catho-
lie or Jew being whipped or mur-
dered by them The Knights of Col
umbus, a Catholic organization, was
always contemptuous of Klan preten-
tions. But the K C.'s did not modest
the Klan; they only waited patiently
for 1t to attempt to make good some
Of It's boasts against Catholics. And
the leaders of the K. C.'s were never
unaware of the nature Of the Ku Klux
organization or the identity Of the
people behind It, Some rank-and-fi'e
Catholics may have thought the Ma
sons we're endorsing the Klan. but
X. c. leaders and prominent Jews
who themselves were Masons, knew
that no reputable Mason belonged to
the Klan or approved of its ideals or
conduct. There are two big patriotic
fraternal organizations in this coun-
try, both of which are superior to Ku
Klux ideals; they are the Masons
and the K. C's.
The mounting ambition of Colonel
William Joseph Simmons to be called
emperor" rather than wizard" and
the proclamation issued by himself
WHILE he was a wizard making him
self an emperor, was the first tiny
mole hill that now has grown into
mountain of contention among ambi
tious Klan leaders and threatens to
land some of them in jail for NAL
feasance. When Simmons proclaimed
himself an emperor" one Evans
had himself elected wizard" and de-
clared that his was the highest office
and that there could be no emperor
Of the Klan. The tide Of sentiment
among members was skilfully direct
ed against Simmons. He saw him
self being edged completely out OF
the organization he founded, and in
order to acquire some adherents Of
his own, he organized a woman khan
Of Kluxettes. Evans refused to al
low the lady kluxers to be affiliated
with the Ku Klux Klan and a bitter
fight for control of the original or
ganization, with, OF COURSE. the
right to appropriate the graft money,
ensued and is still raging. The Phil
adelphia Public Ledger recently had
the following to say editorially about
the trouble In the Klan:
"All is konfusion-indeed, one might
almost say khaos-in the Grand Head
quarters of the Ku Klux. Internal ex-
plosions are occurring daily, and no
one knows what the end may be.
"a year or so ago Wizard Simmons,
sitting alone in his palace at Atlanta,
asked himself whether wizarding
were not, after all, rather rough work
and whether 1t wouldn't be nicer to
be an emperor with a throne n every
thing. And Emperor of the Invisible
Empire he became by his own proc
lamation. 1t was not long till EN-
peror Simmons had cause to wonder
whether he hadn't elevated himself
out of power A new Imperial Wiz
ard, one H. w Evans, had been ap-
pointed. Emperor Simmons seems Of
ten to have thought fondly of the SO
per hood which he had garnered In
earlier and happier days. He appears
to have descended from his throne to
make few inquiries about it, only
to be ignored by his chief magician
So he went to the lawyers He start
ed suit, with sheriffs, affidavits,
lawyers, seizures, injunctions and
counter-injunctions all in a magnifi-
cent row. He ousted Evans for a day.
Then he was ousted in turn. When
he found himself being edged out of
the order, he was suddenly illuminat-
ed within by new inspiration He
would organize the Ruxettesl He
would have ladies' Klan, and sell
hoods and furniture for their
49, ks~.az