The Modern Ku Klux Klan Part 21

"MR. WILLIAMSON. Well, I take it, from the word "executive," that it must be Mr. Clarke, and Mrs. Tyler, because they are the two executives of that department. Then the field men--they are the Kleagles--have been paid, in round numbers, $464,000. That would be $5 out of the $10, of which $4 would go to the Kleagle and $1 would go to the King Kleagle. That uses up $5. Then 50 cents goes to the Grand Goblin. And it is all used up but $4.50 and $2 goes to the Klan.

"MR. CAMPBELL. And all of the $8, then, is used up in paying officers or agents of the Klan?

"MR. WILLIAMSON. That is true.

"MR. CAMPBELL. How much of the remaining $2 has been spent, if you know, for the benefit of needy people, or for helpful purposes in communities--charitable purposes?

"MR. WILLIAMSON. Well, if you call Mr. Simmons a needy person, then some thousands of dollars have been spent for him. But general charity, I do not think, has received any of it; at least it does not appear on the accounts.

"MR. CAMPBELL. What is Mr. Simmons' salary, if you know?

"MR. WILLIAMSON. Mr. Simmons at present gets $1,000 a month. He has been getting that since the first of August."

When questioned as to the activities of Mrs. Elizabeth Tyler, Mr.

Williamson described her as a business woman who was engaged in the work of propagating Ku Kluxism as she would in any other mercantile pursuit, without any altruistic motives whatever. This is brought out in the following colloquy:

"MR. CAMPBELL. It is purely a business proposition, so far as she is concerned?

"MR. WILLIAMSON. Absolutely.

"MR. CAMPBELL. She is using the mysticism, the regalia, the paraphernalia, the masks, and all of the literature of the order for the purpose of making money out of it? Is that correct?

"MR. WILLIAMSON. That is correct. In fact, she told me at least twice that she was in the business for the purpose of making money, just like she was in any other business for that same purpose."

William J. Burns, Director of the Bureau of Investigation of the Department of Justice, was called as a witness, but stated that his department was still investigating the Ku Klux Klan and that he had nothing to offer at the present time.

His Majesty William Joseph Simmons, "Emperor" of the "Invisible Empire,"

Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, was the last witness examined.

Having a good conception of the theatrical, he had arranged to be introduced to the committee by Congressman W. D. Upshaw, of Georgia. In spite of the remark from Chairman Campbell that Simmons did not need an introduction to the committee, the "Cracker" Congressman cleared his throat and delivered the following "spread-eagle" speech:

"Knowing his sterling character, as I do, I am prepared to underwrite his every utterance as the truth of an honest patriotic man. I do not know "what all" Colonel Simmons has been doing behind closed doors, but I do know that, as a st.u.r.dy and inspiring personality, as a heroic veteran of the Spanish-American War, as an honored Knight Templar and member of something like a dozen other honored and well-known fraternities, as a consecrated churchman, and a G.o.d-fearing citizen, he is as incapable of an unworthy, unpatriotic motive, word or deed, as the chairman of this committee, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, or the President of the United States.

"I have known this good man to use his great influence to stop an incipient race riot. I have known him to dispense benevolence to a negro educational inst.i.tution. I have known him to prevent negroes from being mobbed for crime, even as they were recently mobbed for no crime by white men in Omaha, in Chicago, in Indiana and even here in the Nation's capital.

"Not for one minute would I stand for personal or organized wrongdoing by any man or any friend. More than any other Congressman, because of my relationship to this district, I want to know the light and I want the world to know the light and I want the country to know the light concerning this organization and other secret organizations whose deeds are questioned by many and whose memberships are limited by race, creed, or color.

"I have the privilege, gentlemen of the committee, of presenting to you my long-time, personal friend and const.i.tuent, Col. William Joseph Simmons."

Simmons, no doubt, expected great applause from the committee, but, instead, was met with the cold remark often used by the police authorities: "You are notified that whatever you may say will be used against you."

The "Emperor" was on the stand for three days and his testimony before the committee with its accompanying exhibits fill over a hundred printed pages of the record of the proceedings. a.n.a.lyzing his statements, I should say that in many respects he was an excellent witness who verified completely the charges made against his organization by the _New York World_ and myself.

Denouncing me for repudiating my oath of allegiance to his "Invisible Empire" by exposing its secrets, he proceeded to go much farther than I had done, by turning over to the committee his ritual, oath and many other doc.u.ments to which I had never had access.

His testimony can be cla.s.sed partly as confession and avoidance; partly as denial of facts that were clearly proven by the _World_; partly as attempted cheap wit that had no element of humor whatever in it; considerable denunciation of the _World_ and of myself; many wild and erratic statements without foundation of fact; and a great deal of praise both for himself and for the organization he represented.

Among his denials, for example, he stated that Mrs. Elizabeth Tyler had no connection with the organization except as an a.s.sistant of Clarke in his publicity work. This statement was made in the face of the fact that less than thirty days previously he had issued a "ukase" making the Queen of South Pryor Street his "Grand Chief of Staff." He denied that the Klan at Beaumont, Tex., had perpetrated the outrages against Doctor Paul, when it had been proven under the official seal of that Klan that it had maltreated Paul. He denied responsibility in the Pensacola and Mobile cases, in spite of the fact that he had taken official action himself. He denied that he had given the interview to the _Searchlight_ previously mentioned, in which he predicted direful things would happen to the enemies of the Klan. These are merely a few denials of previously established facts, facts so well established that any jury in the country would accept them.

He was particularly bitter against the _World_, and lost no opportunity of denouncing it. Included in some of his choicest attacks on the paper were the following:

"The attacks against the Klan were originated and started by the _New York World_, which is owned or controlled by a Jew, Mr. Pulitzer, whose main purpose is circulation and revenue. The circulation manager of this paper stated to one of the newspaper trade publications, the editor and publisher of New York which published this statement, that the Ku Klux attacks had added a hundred thousand circulation to the _World_ and additional advertising.

"The _World_, according to their own statement, spent over four months, with unlimited resources at their command, in an investigation of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, using trained investigators, newspaper men, and covering every section of the country. In the face of this careful investigation the _World_ has not been able to prove anything detrimental to the Klan except their own colored views of unfounded rumor and expressing the att.i.tude of its Jewish ownership.

"The _World_ saw that the Klan was the fastest growing purely Protestant, non-political organization in the United States. The _World_ knew that when you strike at a man's religious and fraternal organizations you are striking at the very fiber of his being and that then all political affiliations and party lines are forgotten.

"The _World_ is the stronghold of the Democratic newspapers and the Democratic Party, and it has been said by those in a position to know that if the _World_ could, by shrewd propaganda and untruthful slanders, force a Republican Congress and administration to throttle or destroy a purely local American Protestant fraternal organization, as is the Ku Klux Klan, that its hundreds of thousands of members, friends, and those who think as does the Klan, would at the polls three years from now forget party lines and preference and vote the Democratic ticket.

"I wish to notify the chairman of this committee that there are plans on foot at the present time whereby one of the representatives of the _New York World_ is to be tarred and feathered in the name of the Klan, and that this plan has been originated and its details worked out by representatives of the _New York World_ so that it will appear that the Klan did this in a spirit of revenge. Furthermore, through this plan the _World_ hopes to be able to secure additional circulation and advertising for their paper in keeping alive this matter. The congressional investigating committee that I want to investigate the Klan will receive the sworn proof of this plan of the representatives of the _World_ to further try to discredit or harm the Klan."

These statements are fairly good examples of the misinformation and erratic statements the "Emperor" gave the committee. He probably did not know that Ralph Pulitzer is a communicant of St. Thomas Episcopal Church, and that the exposure of his political-financial scheme was no more Jewish in origin than Simmons is himself. That the circulation of the _World_ increased 100,000 copies a day is the truth, but it was due to the fact that the American people wanted to find out the facts about Ku Kluxism, and it is significant that, in New York City, from which all this gain in circulation came, Ku Kluxism has been unable to make any progress since the exposure was made.

Among the exhibits, presented by Simmons to the Rules Committee was his secret const.i.tution, which up to that time had been a private doc.u.ment.

This revealed the fact that Simmons has created for himself a life-time position at a good salary. The Const.i.tution, Article 8, Section 2, reads:

"The Imperial Wizard shall hold office for life or during good behavior. He may be removed for just cause by an unanimous vote of the Imperial Kloncilium, or after charges have been preferred and a trial upon three-fourths vote of said body in session a.s.sembled."

This unusual section did not appear to the "Emperor" to be anything extraordinary, his comment being: "As long as the old horse is pulling well, it is no use to take him out of the harness when you have him harnessed up. He cannot do you any harm."

Simmons modestly stated to the committee that he had no vision of turning the United States into an Empire. He stated, among other things:

"If tomorrow morning our great President Harding should resign, and all the functioning faculties of our great American Government would become instantly paralytic and if the American people should rise up and proclaim me the monarch of America, I would die before I would accept it."

While modestly laying aside the Imperial crown, Simmons, however, placed himself in the distinguished company of Julius Caesar, Jesus Christ and George Washington, as he gave utterance to the following choice outburst:

"Julius Caesar had his Brutus, Jesus Christ had his Judas, and our great and ill.u.s.trious Washington had his Benedict Arnold. Sir, I can state to you that I can enter the fellowship of all three of those because I have suffered in my soul as a result of the treasonous and treacherous conduct of traitors. I refer to one in the beginning of my statement this morning. Right recently, those who have furnished material to the outside world and whose names have been put across the page, are one man by the name of Craven, of North Carolina; another man by the name of Fry, who hails from Tennessee; another man by the name of Wright, who hails, so far as I know, from New York.

Mr. Craven was a disgruntled office seeker who tried to have me appoint him as State head of the State of North Carolina. When I had not made any appointments along that line, and had not gotten to that, I understood he was trying to get the appointment to use it for political purposes. The appointment was not made at the time he wanted it, and he sent threatening letters, and because he did not get it, or because he could not get that appointment, he became a disgruntled office seeker in this Order and proved a traitor to his sacred trust. Mr. Fry, or Captain Fry, as he is called, was in our field force. He also proved a traitor, and violated as solemn an oath as a man can take."

Simmons admitted, in discussing his ritual that he had appropriated without any credit the immortal poem of Josiah G. Holland ent.i.tled "G.o.d Give Us Men," but made no effort to defend himself against the charge of plagiarism, frankly stating that he had taken the poem and but slightly paraphrased it.

The climax of Simmons testimony was a highly theatrical and emotional "break down," which some observers have declared to have been deliberately staged for the effect it produced, although Simmons claims that it was caused by an illness from which he was suffering at the time. After concluding his long-winded statements and verbose testimony he turned to the committee and cried:

"Again I want to express to you, Mr. Chairman, my deep grat.i.tude and thanks for the courtesies you have extended to me. I want to say to all those men and women who have given a.s.surance, with your permission, of their belief in me that they have my thanks, and I want to say to my persecutors and the persecutor of this organization in all honesty and sincerity no matter to what creed or race you may belong in your persecutions, through the medium of the press or otherwise, that you do not know what you are doing. You are ignorant of the principles as were those who were ignorant of the character and work of the Christ. I cannot better express myself than by saying to you who are persecutors of the Klan and myself, 'Father, forgive you, for you know not what you do,' and 'Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.'

"Mr. Chairman, I am done."

He then fell forward, face downward on the table.

CHAPTER XVIII

CONCLUSION

The facts which I have endeavored to set forth in these pages should have caused the reader to do some serious thinking, for serious thought is something this country at present needs above all else. The United States has but lately emerged from the greatest war in the annals of the race.

When we laid down our arms the might and power of the German Emperor was forever crushed. Having a.s.sisted materially in crushing a visible Empire in Europe, the American people should be able to make short work of exterminating an "Invisible Empire" at home. When this righteous task is accomplished, they should pause a little and reflect upon some of the conditions that exist in this country today--conditions that must be soberly and earnestly faced.