The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-10-15


members in their community Thus it raised the
issue which was of long standing among the South
professional and business elements, of keeping
the Negro in state of social and economic inferior
ity. The manifestations of increased consciousness
among the Negroes made such propaganda as this
very effective among these elements The middle
class having always hid their immoral sex life by
highly moral pretenses raised the cry of saving
the responsibility of bourgeois family life they only
threatened IT'D. The South being overwhelmingly
protestant in religion and the middle class being
very bgoted in their professionalism, the khan also
raised the cry to the danger Of catholicism from
Rome Selling the United States government They
utilized for this purpose alleged document issued
by Pope Leo XIII, in which he asserts that the
American continent belongs to him and his church
by virtue of its discovery by catholic, Columbus
and the time IS coming when he will take
forclble possession, at which time fit will be the
duty of the faithful to exerminae all heretcs found
within the jurisdiction of the United States"
This propaganda against social equality for the
Negro, against the danger of a growing proletariat
and for religious bigotry appealed tremendously to
the Southern middle class and there be no doubt
but that large numbers were drawn into the Ku Klux
Khan and a still larger number influenced by it's
propaganda. careful perusa of the propaganda,
leaflets booklets, etc. issued by the khan clearly
shows that it was all aimed to appeal to the eco
nomlc interest and social priggshness of the petty
hourgeoisie of the South The actual membership
however, has been grossly exaggerated In 1921
az the time when the organization was reaching it's
height, congressional investigation showed it to
have total membership of So 1926 en- it's books while
the newspapers throughout the country were decar-
ing it to have 100000 to 100000 members.
Until 1923, the organization increased its member
ship somewhat but since then the organization dis
integ1ated through exposure of it's mummery
through internal fractional struggle by leaders and
groups OF leaders for power and through severe
attacks by other organizations. Today it is safe
to say that their strength is approximately what
1t was in 1921, about coo members and this largely
confined to the South and small part in the West
Actually the khan has failed to accomplish anv
serious purpose. The bourgeoisie can thank the
American Federation of Labor far more than the
Ku KluX Klan for the poor condition Of Southern
labor since it the A. F. of L. that prevented the
workers from being organized. The klan's circus
methods of work attracted far too much attention
to the situation. The bourgeose of the present pc
Rod in America have more subtle methods than the
crude weapon of the nineteenth century khan The
Kan will only serve an emergency organization
for when the workers defeat the present methods
of the BOSSES
The hourgeoisie will at any moment that it's es-
tabshed state machinery fails to function suf-
ficenty smoothly strengthen such fascist organiza
tons the Ku Klux Khan as "extra-legal" methods
of fighting the proletariat or sections of it.