Evening star., 1937-09-14

menL ntmSeU.
Although Hugo L. Black, now aSso-
ciate Justice of the Supreme Court
had submitted his resignation as a
member of the Ku Klux Klan in 1925,
he renewed his connection with the
organization at colorful mass meet
ing in Birmingham, Ala, on Septem-
ber 2, 1926, according to the second
OF series of copyrighted stories by
Ray Spriggle, written for the Pitts
burgh Post-Gazette and the North
American Newspaper Alliance.
The mass meeting, the newspaper
saws. was held after Black had won
the Democratic nomination as United
States Senator and Bibb Graves the
cubernatorial nomination. 1t is
claimed the real purpose of the meet
ing was to celebrate their political VIC
tory.
The Klan had reached high point
then in Alabama, and 1000 Klansmen,
exalted cyclops from half hun
dred Klans, great titans from the
three provinces of the realm Of Ala
bama. kludds and kleagles and kladds
from the Tennessee border to the Gulf,
and from Georgia to Mississippi, had
gathered for the event. There, too,
was Imperial Wizard Hiram Wesley
Evans. All knew that his klorero. or
meeting, was to honor the two men
soon to assume the highest public
Offices within the gift of the people OF
Alabama.
Record Taken Down.
The record of that meeting was
taken down in shorthand and tram
scribed by the official Klan stenog-
rapher, and from that record this &C
count was obtained by the Post-Ga-
Eette and the alliance.
The meeting, during which, accord
Ing to the newspaper, Black and
Graves were to receive gold cards
signifying life membership, started
informally, but soon was called to
order by Grand Dragon Esdale.
'Klansmen," he called. according
to the newspaper articles, Il have
here little task / am going to ask
DR.. A. D. Ellis to perform, as / believe
he can do it fearlessly and fairly"
DR.. Ellis, grand klaliff of Tusca-
loosa Klan No. IA, walked to the
front of the stage, and Black and
Graves were called to the platform.
Then DR.. Ellis began:
Il have been asked by our grand
dragon to perform a task which to
me is most welcome one." Klansman
Ellis told the two before him.
Exponents of Klancraft.
II want 10 ask you to think Of
yourselves for just moment the way
your fellow Klansmen in the realm
Of Alabama think Of you and the
way the loyal citizens of America, the
as the men who have been chosen by
the Klansmen of Alabama to come
out into the forefront. want you
to think of yourselves as having been
put out by them before the world
for all the world to gaze upon as
exponents of Klancraft, exponents Of
those principles of pure Americanism
which the Knights of the Ku Klux
klan stand for.
And as you think of yourselves
In that way, would have you realize
that, since we, your fellow Klansmen,
have put you in such a position, we
accept fully the responsibility that
comes upon our shoulders, and we
stand four-square behind you, holding
you up before our American citizen
ship as our ideals.
"The grand dragon has asked me
to represent him as he makes to you
q presentation OF certain certificates
which will bear before the Klansmen
throughout the Nation some semblance
of the respect, the regard, the devo-
ton and the support which he, as
your personal friend and as your
grand dragon, and through him your
fellow Klansmen, hold for you"
Governor Came First.
Then Which comes first, United
States Senator or Governor" Klalif
Ellis wanted to know. And Klans-
man Black replied, THE Governor. /"
So Klaliff Ellis turned to Klansman
Graves and handed him a cleaning
gold plaque.
II can't read it," he told him. May