St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1946-08-16
BilbO Admits
He's Member of
Ku Klux Khan

WASHINGTON, ID. G. (NNPA)
Senator Theodore q. Cine MANI
BIlDO, Democrat OF MISSISSIPPI,
DIunIIy admitted IN a radio broad
cast last FRIDAY night that he is q
member Of the ku klux Khan and
tnat a Mississippi klan unit is
named after hIm.
Asked about ms membership dur
ing an interview by four newspaper
ana magazine correspondents, bIIDO
replied:
Il am a member of the Ku Klux
Khan NO. Az, called the BlIDO Khan
NO. Az, MISSISSIPPI. attended one
meeting and have not attended 1t
since, because was not IN SYM
paJhy with some Of the things in
a."
Concerning his present status in
the organization, ne said:
No man can leave the Khan. He
takes an oath not to do that. Once
a ku hIuX, always a ku klux."
Lawrence SpIvak Of American
Mercury Magazine asked:
Senator, how can you take an
oath to uphold the laws of your
state and your country and De a
member OF an organization that
secretly undermines the law, as the
Alan does 2"
Il am not informed that the Ku
hluX Khan, as know it, is seeking
TO undermine the Government"
Senator BIlbo replied. 1T is only
the Communist party Of the United
States that is seeking to do that by
force"
He said he was mot advised" as
to present aims Of the Khan, but
commented:
Il heard Governor elect Talmadge
tell some newspapermen last FRI
day night they could ind out all
about 1t by consulting Governor
Arnall of Georgia. He Is a member
and received plaque award as
member"
The Khan would not support Gov
ernor Arnall because mo traitor to
an organization, or any Khan, ever
got any support" Bilbo said.
When asked about reports of a
statement attributed to him during
the recent Mississippi primary
campaign to the effect the best
method of preventing a colored
person from voting was to "see him
the night BEFORE" Bilbo at first
challenged the accuracy Of report
ers.
Pressed by the interviewers, he
explained the meaning of his state
ment was that his Interpretation of
Mississippi law held colored people
had no legal right to vote in the
Democratic primary. Therefore, he
said, he felt ''the best thing was to
see him and advise him the night
before and tell him he had no
right"
Bert Andrews of the New York
Herald Tribune asked whether the
effect was to "intimidate" colored
people.
You can call it what you may"
said Bilbo, "it is good diplomacy
and good strategy to keep them
from voting"
He said he was not in sympathy
with lynch law" and had fought
it when Governor of Mississippi.
Asked by Andrews whether he
agreed with the opinion of Wash
ington newsmen who voted him
The Worst Man in the Senate"
in a magazine poll, Bilbo parried,
81 think the best judge Of service
in the United States Senate would
be the people of the State and l am
perfectly satisfied with their YER
dict every time I've asked for the
| jOb-three times"
Bilbo was asked to comment on
a recent speech by Senator Robert
A. Taft, Republican, of Ohio, in
which Taft termed him "a disgrace
to the Senate"
Bilbo countered that Taft was
known as the "blah blah blah" Of
the Senate and that Taft reminded
him "of a mockingbird just Matched
out of the shell-all mouth and no
bird"
Bilbo spoke over Station VOL
and the Mutual network at their
offices on X street northwest, as
pickets marched in front of the
building. Thanked by three per-
sonal bodyguards, Bilbo lodged
the picket line of some $50 persons
in front of the VOL building by
using back entrance to the studio.