Evening star., 1937-09-18
BLACK IN WHITE"
KLANSMEN'S TEST
Getting Him Into Senate Like
Inspiration and Baptism,
Adviser Declared.

Getting man named Black VIII,
wears white" into the United State
Senate WAS like getting an inspira
ton just before baptism" William f
zumbrunn, imperial legal adviser o
the invisible empire, told some 2,OO'
Ku Klux Klansmen assembled il
Birmingham, Ala, on the night o
September z, 1925.
Among the listeners and the targe
Of this witticism was Hugo L. Black
now an associate justice of the United
States Supreme Court.
Black, according to series o1
copyrighted articles by Ray Spriglt
Of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ano
the North American Newspaper ALI
ance, Of which this is the last, had just
accepted life membership in the Klar
and had thanked his fellow Klansmer
for their political support, with the
aid OF which he had won the Demo-
cratic nomination to the Senate.
zumbrunn at that time was said
10 live in the District, but he is not
listed as living here now.
Proceedings OF Meeting.
The proceedings of the meeting and
Zumbrunn's speech, as recorded by
the official Klan stenographer. follow
The imperial legal adviser first ex-
tended his fluctuations to the Ala
bama Klan for its choice of United
States Senator
To come down here now" he told
the klorero, land find that you have
given us a man named Black who
wears 'white'-do you get that, boys?-
to occupy seat in the Senate OF
the United States is like getting an
inspiration just before baptism.
And l want to say to you that
you have a wizard that bows the
knee to no man, and he does not
kiss the helmet of anybody. I want
to say to you that so long as he is
vizard-and I have no authority to
speak for him. but I hazard the pre-
dicition-he will never kiss the signet
OF any mans ring"
The imperial legal adviser turned
to the States next Governor, Klans-
man, Exalted Cyclops, Kleeper, Col,
Gov-nominate Bibb Graves
Il am so glad that you have man
all but elected Governor who comes
from town that. prior to his ad
vent as exalted cyclops of the local
Klsn, / am told was owned by the
Jews, controlled by the Catholics and
loved by the Negroes. Laughter and
applause
Now he tells me that the Jews
have foreclosure sale at bank
ruptcy, selling out; the Catholics are
on the run, and the Negroes are in
hiding. tApplause)
Strikes at AL Smith.
And pay tribute to you, sir, and
through you to these Klansmen who
made that condition possible, because
today America has been challenged
and the man known as Al Smith,
who seeks the presidency of the United
States, lowered the dignity of that
high Office by bowing the knee to a
foreign potentate and kissing the
ring upon his finger. Men, it is those
conditions which the Klan is called
upon to correct.
Men, there never was time in the
history OF our COUNTRY when the
need for men and the need for ac-
ton was so pronounced as it is today.
America. the home of the free and
the brave. has been invaded by large
hordes of foreigners that have neither
the inclination nor the training to
love our institutions and our nag
Il remember when quite boy We
had scare in America about the
time the Catholics as an institution
and l am attacking none OF them
personally, for I have only sympathy
in my heart for the Catholic, man
or woman-but when a boy we had
the scare in America that the Catho-
lies we're about to organize an armed
invasion.
And many of you men remember
that in many of the churches and in
many of the hospitals of that faith
ccflns were sent in loaded with mu-
nitions OF war, and it almost led to
scandal.
The Catholic hierarchy has been
driven from every country on the
face OF the earth. save Mexico and
America, as political machine. Now
catch my distinction. These coun-
tries that found it necessary to break
the control of the body polite that
the Catholic hierarchy had have
broken that control, except in Mexico.
and when recently the Pope had. or
caused to visit the shores of America.
his representative at the Eucharistic
Congress, II was done as part of
his political plan to plant the seed
OF his faith in America. that it
might ultimately be the home of the
Catholic Church and at the same time
challenge the supremacy of the Klan.
Are you going to permit it?" shouted
the imperial legal adviser. and the
stenographer records the temper Of
that gathering with cries of no, no.
Well, If you are not going to per-
nit it, gentlemen, in 1928, give us
oe sure to give us delegation that
Will send back TO the confines of
haoes any many that lowers the
dignity of the United States TO kiss
The ring of any foreigner"
No Stigma to Membership.
In Alabma there is little if any
stigma attached TO membership in
the klan, either past or present. II
Is easy 10 find scores of Klansmen.
some of them still members of the
hooded order, others who have let
their memberships lapse, who pride
FULLY recount the details of the 1925
klorero which they attended
Rev. w. c. Vest, Baptist clergy
man, widely known throughout the
State, had no hesitancy in making
sfhdavit testifying TO the fact that
he had attended the 1926 Klorero OF
the Klan and saw Senator -nominate
Hugo L. Black receive the golden
grand passport that made him life
member Of the Khan Rev. MIR. Yes,
was for years pastor OF the Coo
Springs Baptist Church near Ash.