By lllRAl\1 WESLEY E VANS

l'!']J'>'ial ,Witord and EmPffl)r, Kni,h,; oj.!M r"' Kl= Klml '
J
THE KLAN'S FIGHT FOR AMERICANISM
BY 1111lAM WESLEY EVANS
(T.W. ,.,.. .,. I.U KM Klwz ElM., I.UJ...-.1. ,.,_....
<!/ IMI Onkr oeilJ 6t U. I.U ..--,..,...,.,..A..,-btr t/ liril
Rov.aw ..Uh nmi!arir IAIIlic ,.pmfrom oppotln, poW. of....,, ... lrihUd
b)- Ill lko. J. &"O'rT, 8. J. , of t.\1 Oolug1 of Sl. I'Nmcit Xo.U.r; Dr.
W. &. lJIIJlGIIAROT Duooo, of t.\1 Noti<mol A...Wtinn for lh Ad .. of
O.,.t<l Poo,U: U..R..,.I ClOiaouStLvEIQIA.'<, D. D., &bl>iEm1ri1uqf lA
EoruEI of N,,. YMt: au Prof..- WILL1AM Suu MnRO, of Pri-
UoW.N,. r._ ,.,..,, ._ N.o ,.,.,.,. ..,......,_,.. ..ut I.U ,.._
- .. ,.... ...., ..,. ..... --. rqq .. il.,..., ... ,.,.,., U.U,.u..J --
,;u.,; .. , "' ........ lflhjld: .... ..tin_,..._, ......... ....n....JJ, -
,......,.... tlliM.U, .,.. ..W-. of t.\1 K IC/u Kt... ..W ill J1o -
A ......... ,..,......,.of ill Tn N.,..o
""- ... lavtiiW ,..,. ........ ......,. .... - !""'- "' .. ,. ........

1'1111 Ku l\1ux lOan on last Thanksgi'oing Day passed ita tenth
annhenary. ln one decsde ith.a.s made a place and won a record
Cor achievement whidl are almost, iC not quite, unique in the b.is-
tory of great popular movements. I t bu not merely grown from
a handful to a membership of millions, from poverty lo riches,
l rom obscurity to great influence. (rom fumbling impoiA!DCC to
the leadership in the greatest cause now before the American
people. All t.h- arc import.a.nt. but not vital.
'Wbat is vital is that in these years t.he Klan bas shown a power
to rdorm and cleanse it.ael from within. lo Connulate and vitaliu
fundamental instinct.a into concrete thought and purpoodul
action, to meet ebADging conditions wit.h adaptability but with-
out wealrneaa, lo peak lor and to the common people of
America and, linally, to operate through the application of prac-
tical lo public life with increuing aucceu, ud along
the only eoastructhoe lines to be found io the pruent ft!ter ol
our nat.iooal tboucht.
1 ..... ,.. .... .--.aen.O ; dN. AIIWN_....
2 THE NORTH AlfERICAN REVIEW
By these things the Klan has proved not only its abilicy to live,
but it.s rigbt to life and influence. It has already lasted longer
than any similar movement; its tenth birthday finds it stronger
than ever before, with its worst weaknesses oonquered or being
eliminated, and so well prepared for the future that it may
fairly be to stand merely on the threshold of its life and
service.
Tbe greate8t achievement so far has been to formuJMe, focus,
and gain recognition for an idea-the idea of preserving and
developing America first and chiefly for the benefit of tbe children
of the pioneers who made America, and only and de6nitcly along
the lines of the purpose and spirit of those pioneers. 1'he Klan
cannot clAim to have created this idea: it lli\S long boon a vague
stining in the souls of the plain people. But the Klnn can fairly
clsim to have given it purpose, method, direction and a vehicle.
When the Klan first appeared the nation was in the confusion of
sudden awakening from the lo..-ely dream of the mellin.g pot,
disorganized and helpless before the invasion of aliens and alien
ideas. After ten years of the Klan it is in arms for defenoe.
This is our great achievement.
The second is more selfish; we have won the leadershi.p in the
movement for Americanism. Except for a few lonesome voices,
almost drowned by the clamor of the alien and the alien-minded
"Liberal", the Klan alone faces the invader. Th.is is not to say
the.t the Kle.n has gathered into its aU who are ready
to fight for America. The Klan is the champion, but it is not
merely no organization. It is nn idea, o. faith, a purpose, an
crusade. No recnit to the cause has ever been really
lost. Though men and women drop from the ranks they remain
with us in puq)Ose, and can be depended on fully in any crisis.
Also, there are many millions who have never joined, but who
think and feel and-when called on-fight with us. This is our
real strength, and no one who ignores it can hope to understand
America today.
Other achievements of these ten years have been the education
of tbe millions of our own membership in citi.enship, the auppres-
sion ol much lswlessness and increase of good government wher-
ever we bave become strong, tbe restriction of immigration, and
THE KLAN'S FIGHT FOR AMEUICANISM
the defeat of the Catholic nttempt t.o seize the Democratic party.
All these we have helped, and all are important.
The outstanding proof of both our influence and our service,
however, has been in creating, outside our ranks as well as in
them, not mercly the growing national concentre.tion on the prob-
lems of Americanism, but also & growing sentiment against
radicalism, cosmopolitanism. and alienism of all kinds. We
haYe produced insteAd a sane and progres.ive conservatism along
national lines. We have enlisted our racial instincts for the work
of preserving and developing our American traditions and cus-
tom$. Thie wao u_\OfJt. etrikingly ohown in tl\e lnst. Lill,
when the conservative anl&Ud all
the LaFollette rout in tl>e Northwest. This added
enormously to the plurality of the !'resident, the size of which
wns the great surprise of the election.
I wish it might fairly be claimed that the Klan from tle be-
ginning had this vision of its mission. Instead the beginnings
were groping and futile, as well RS feeble; they invoked errors
whieh long prevented any important achievement. The chief
idea of the founders oeems to have been mercly to start a new
fraternal society, bRSed on rather vague sentiments of brother
hood among white Americans, and of to the nation and
to Protestantism. There was 1>lso a sentimental reverence for
the Klan of the 'Sixties which led to revival of the old name and
some of the ritu..l. There was the basic idea of white
supremacy, but this was also at the time fl mere sentiment. except
ua lt. o.ppliod to oomo Negro um-cot.
Rut along with thcso ideas there shortly apJ><'.ared others far
from laudable. The Klan bad remained weak, gaining barely
10,000 members in the first lew years. Then the possibility of
profit, both in cash and in power, was seen, and soon resulted
in a "selling plan" batoed partly on Southern affection for the
old Klan, partly on social conditions in the South, but chiefly
on the po$3ibility of in.Oaming prejudices. They began to "sell
hate at 810 & package".
To us who know the Klan tod!ly, its in.Ouence, purpose and
future, the fact that it can have grown from s ueb beginnings is
nothing less than a miracle, possible only one of those
\
' THE NORTH AMEIUCAN REVIEW
mysterioWI interventioN in huiiWl affairs which are called Prov-
idence. Tile fact is, u we - now, that beneath the stupid
or dangerous oratory of those early leadert lay certain funda-
mental lrutht, quite uMeen by them, and Uaen hardly bigger
thaD tbe vital germ in a grain ol corn, but which matured auto-
matically.
The bale and invisible ,ovemmenl ideas, however, nre what
gave the Klan its first great growth, enlisted eome 100,000 mem-
bers, provided wealth for a lew leadera, and broll8ht down upon
the organiut.ion the eondtD)JI&tion of most of the country, leaving
il a reputation from which it baa not yet But even
before out..ide indignation bad appeared there began an inside
reaction, caused by abu.tet and exeeues and by the fitstslirrings
of pUl"J)O!IH which now dominate. Tbuo began 1M relonn
of the Klan by iU..I.I, which gained steadily until it won full
control in JiliN. It laid the bll.!ois for the astounding growth of
the last three yean!, and lor the pmenl immeruoe influence.
This reform did more than merely rectify the old abuses;
it <kveloped into luU life the hidden but vital gei'IDS, and reJeaaed
one of the mooot inuislible forees in human affairs, the fuodr.-
mental instinctol race pride and loyalty-what Lothrop Stoddard
calls "the imperious urge of superior heredity". Closely asso-
ciated with it are two other instincla vital to euccus among the
northern raca: patriotiiiUl, ttimulated to unW!ual ..._1.ivity by the
hyphenism revealed in tbc World War; Md piritual independ-
ence, a. revival of the individuali8m which P"'"I! up just as the
Nordic racet began to al!llfrllhemselvte in their great
of the lMt four and which found itt chief expression in
Prot..,.tantil!m. These ideas gave direction and guidance to the
reforms demanded by doe rank and 6le three years agn. They
have been further developed, made more de6nile and more pur-
pooodul, and they are the oool of the Klan today.
The direet reforms brought about were oe"eral. First wu the
slopping of anY enrcite of "invisible government". This wu
reinforced by a change in the oath, by which aU JOaosmen are
aworn to uphold legally conttituted otlioen in enforcing the law
at aU timea. One result of t.bia is to be eeeo in the dec:reaae of
lawlessness in Klan lenitory. We ean juttly claim credit for the
/
TRE KLAN'S FIGHT FOR AMERJCANlSl\.l
5
remarbble as reprda lyoching in the lut two
yean.
The eliminat.,., of private pro6t for of the Klan came
nut and with it went a democratizing of the order. The Klan,
lxing chiefly an organized crusade, cannot operate efficiently on a
purely democratic b.u;., but the autocracy of the early years haa
lxen rq>la<:ed by a aystem approximating that of the American
in ita early years; 6nal pott in the banda of the
rank and tile, but fuU power cf leadership in tho officers they
choooe.
Another most important reform was o. complete change in the
method of "propagation"-<>! recruiting and spl'tlllding our
g<N!pel. In the e&rly days this h&d done very oecretively, a
higj1 percentage of money had gone to the kleagleo-tbe "1ales
"&"'nll "-therehad lxen a higb-preuureap!-'tosenlimeotality,
hatred and the in,.aible govemmont idea, and a tendency to
emphasise numlxrs rather than quality of recruits. Today,
instead, the evanBiJiltic emphasil is put on Americanism,
Protestant Christianity, and action through govemment liiA-
an number of the field "&"'Dll are on salaly,
1;.ta of poaible memlxrs are carefully weeded outlx!ore any are
approecbecl, and thole found worth while are won by penonal
work, backed by open diseussion. Thill has. to be sure. cut down
the numlxr of new members accepted, but bas greaUy inc.....M
qu&llty and loyalty, and it has brought amtUlng gains in strength,
p11rticulnrly in tho Mld-West and North.
Most important of all has been the formulation of the
Klan purposes into definite principles. This baa a gradual
proee.s. We in the lead found ounelves with a following io-
apired in many wayt beyond our understanding, with beliefs
and purpoees which they themselves only vaguely understood aod
could not expreu, but for the ful6hoenl of which they depended
on UJ. We found ourselves, too, at the head of an ann,y with
unguesaable inBuence to produee resulta for which responsibility
would reat oo leaden-but whiCh we bad oot f-n
and for which we ere not prepuecl. At the IOiemn responsi-
bllit;yto gi\'C right leadership to tbeae millions, and to make ri,Pt
111e c( this inllueoce, .. .., broQgbt home to u., we were compelled
II
Tilt: SORTll AliERICA..'I' REVIEW
lo analyxe. 1ml into definite words, nnd give purpooe lo lh-half

n.., Kbn. tt ... ,..,cm. ha. now com to lor the great mass
ol i\nwrirnns oil he old pioneer stoclc. We believe that il does
fairly anl laithlully rq)re<enl them. and our proof lies in their
upporl. To unlrslAnd the it is oc:cusary lo und.,.,.
Ia no I I he daomrlcr ond prr ... nt mind ol the mi\$S ol old-loek
AmcritnnJ. The il must be remembered, ns distinguished
I rona t hr intelllunlly " Liberals".
,, .... A,.., in thr li,.,.lpl11re. a blend Of Vftn0\18 f>tOples of the SO
t-nliNI rHt<t', rtl('t' which, with nil ilK luue given
Ow I nlmu .. l llw t1l uuxlern l"h'iliu\tion. 1'1te Klan
lot" uHt lry to :uw JX"'pit- hut
1114-'rY' i .. 1u .. 1 In m ruunt Ute virtues Cl ( th(' American pio-
nt'C'.,.: l.ut it lun n ftNt ro..,.,Tttt ten thnl in tho pioneer I'M: riod a
,. Jl""'''' tl rigor w-t-nl on. rorn lhe firal only
hanl) h .. ntun .. and men and ..-omt'!n dattd the pioneer
' "'"' "'"""K th- a11 but the heot dil swiftly, oo thot
t hr- "''"
1
lthnl "hich became the Amerialn race was bred
"I' In 1int til<' hi!!hesl in hitory. This ranarkable
racr f"harartt"r. wltb lhC" newYmn contint:nt and the new
.... m:ulf' Lhr inheritanc..-e of the Americans
I he rifht"l .chen to a of mt-n.
In ol it, these Sonli<- Amm'lln lor the last
gttnrmtiHu hn\'t fuuntl thtmooc-l,es intrcnsing1y uncomfortable,
ntl(l lillltll,\ ""CJI I,V tii.:ili\'-.'-<C.CI. TIH:I'( niiJW' A\f''c l fi rst conrusion
in IIIUI usininn. a totroping Arl l hesitancy about Ulltional
alTai,... ftnl prh-att- life alike. in sharp rontra."t to the clear,
"'' "'i,dtHnr\\urtl purpmots of our eatli<'r yeAr'N. Thtrc was
futil ity lu rdit-tiuu, luu, whicla was in mnny wnyl!l evtn more d_ia...
t.,...inK I'"Ynlly ..-e 1..-gan to find that 'lfe were dealing with
lnani('C' loku; that al..-.ys 100nded 'lfelf, but 10mehow
al''" uu .. tit U" ill more
t i,.ally "'""" til<' tooral breakdown that has '-n JCOing on lor
t'lfO '""''" One- hy OhC' all OW' traditional mO<a.l standards
,. ... , hy I 1-nl, or ,...,..., so dim-garded thaL they c:eued to
hr l,iulinl(. nw of OUr O( OUt homtt:, of
cha.tily. anti 6uolly ., . .,, o( our right t o 1-'> our own cbildrm
THE KLAN'S FIGHT FOll A.\!ERJCANlS) 7
in our own IChoob fundamental bctt and lnltha were torn
&wa.f from ua. Tbooe who maiolaioecl the old staodarda did
.o oDly in the race or ooostant ridicule.
Along with this went economic distreM. The aMurance for lhe
future of our children dwindled. We found our great citiu and
the control of much of our industry and commerce taken by
alrangers, who atacl:ed the cards of suceas and proeperily against
Ul. Sborlly they came lo dommatc our sooernmenl. The 6loe
ayatem by hich thil was done is now familiar to all. Evtry
kind of inhnbilant CJ<ceptthe Americt1n8 g&thered in groups which
operated 11.'1 units in J)Olitics, under orders of corrupt, self-seeking
and un-Ameriroo leaders, who both by purehll.'le nod threat en-
forced their demands on politicians. '!'bus it cme obout that
the of Amcrie&Jls were always the Jut to be ooosidered
by either national or city go'-ernmeots, and that the nathe
Ammcans were eoostantly discriminated agaii\Sl, in bu.sineas, iD
lqpslation and in administrative goernmenL
So the Nordic Ameriean today is a atranger in large parts of the
land hi.o fathcn pvc him. Moreover, he ;.. a most unwelcome
atranger, one muc:b apit upon, and one to whom even the rigbt
to bave his own opinions and to .,.'Ork for his own internll it no
dRied with i-s and revilings. "We must Amerieaniae the
Americana," a dulinguisbed imm.igrant aaid recently. Can any
thing more clearly .dlow the slate lo which the ffi'l American
bas fallen in thi.o oounlry which was once hia own?
Ou.r falling birth rn.tc, the result of all this, is proof of our dls-
We no longer feel that we can be foir to children we bring
into the world, unles& we can make sure from the start that they
.dlall have capital or education or both, .o that they need never
compete with thoae who now till the loorer fUJI8' of the ladder
or suooess. We dare no longer risk letting our youth "make ita
o""' way" in the conditions under wWch we live. So evm our
unborn children a.rc being ero ... ded out of their birthrigbll
All t.hil baa been true for years, but it....., the World War that
IJ&"e us our fint hint of the real CllWlC of our t:roublea, and began
to CI')'Stallize our ideu. Tbe war revealed that millioN whom
we bad allo,..ed to lhate our beriUe and pnl!lperity, and whom
we had uaumed bad become part of us, 1rere in fact not wholly
8 TJIE NOltTH AMERICAN REVIEW
"" Th.v had loyalties: each '1\'&s willing-snxious!-to
... crifil'e lbe iniAOreSI.s Of the l'OUntry Jhal bad gi\eo him sheller
to tlc inlen.'111S or the one he was supposed to hcne cast off; each
in fact did lL"" lhe r..._..,uom and political power we had ghen him
againsl ouJ'5CI\'C5 whenen<r he oould sec any profit for his older
loyally.
n .... or course, ,. . .,. chie8y in international affairs, and the
excilcmenl CAused by the di..'Covery ol disloyalty subsided rapidly
after the wnr ended. But it WitS nol lorgollen by the Nordic
Anlt'rican.<. They had been awakened and alormed; tl1ey began
to uJ"-'<'lthnlthe hyphcnism whidt hlld been shown was only
or wlut llteir cauicl wns not that of renewed sleep.
but ol strong men wailing cry walchlully. And presently they
begun lo orut tlecisiunl' about nll tho.sc nllens who were Americans
lor Jl")flt only.
Thy d...,;,t.-1 that .,, . ..,. U1c tros.<ing of salt '1\' &ler did not dim a
inglc pot "" " leopnrd; that sn alien usually remains an alien
uo matter whAl Ls done to hhn. what veneer or education he gets,
whal oatJ,. be lakes. nor whalJ>ublic altitudes be adopts. They
decided Uu\t the mdling pol was a gbo.sUy failure, and remcm
bcn.d that the very IUlnle WAS t..'Oined by & member of one of the
....,..._the Jews-which moot determinedly refuses lo melt.
TI1ey that in every '1\'11.)', llS well OS in politics, the alien
in the ul u111jority of cases is unalterably fixed in his instincts,
charader, thought anti interests by centuries of racial selection
.d <le,elopruenl, lltnl he thinks first for his own peOJ>Ie, works
only with a.u.l for lhctn, ca.res cnlire.ly for Uleir interests, considers
bint<o4:1r nne or th\'IU, auul OC\cr nn American. 'ntey
thnt in clmnLd.<:r. thought, and purr,oses- in
hL" whole soul- au1 ulicn r<:1nnins tix<.dly alien to Amerie& and
all it means.
111(-y too. that the alien wns tearing down U1e American
stuu.latnl or living. iu the lower 't\l.ks, It became clear
that bile the Amt.-rican can oulwork the alien, the n.lien c:ao so
fnr the :\nwrican as to fon::e him out of aU competctive
labor. St, tllt'Y ctuuc to reuH1.c that the Nordic can easily aur
vi,c and rule anrl iucn:ase il l1e hol<l for bim.<ell the ad\antagea
" ' Oil Ly stn:ngtb and daring of his nn<..,.loMJ in tiDieS or stress
THE KLAN'S FIGHT FOR AMERICANISM 9
and peril, buttbat if he surrenders those advantages to the peoples
who could not 5l1are the stress, he will soon be driven below the
Je,el at which he can exist by their low standards, low living and
fut breeding. And they saw that the lo10 standard aliens of
EAStern and Sou them Europe were doing just that thing to us.
They learned, though more slowly, that alien ideas are just
as dangerous to us as the aliens them.wlves, no matter how plausi-
ble such ideas may sound. With most of the plain people this
conclusion i based simply on the fact that the alien ideas do
not work well lor them. Others went deeper and came to under-
stand that the differences in racinl background, io breeding,
instinct, chnracter and emotional point of ''icw are more im-
portant t.ban logic. So ideas which may be perfectly healthy
lor an alien may also be poisonous for Americans.
Finally they learned the great secret of the propagandists;
that suooeas in corrupting public opinion depenrls on putting out
the suhvershe ideas without revealing their sour(:e. They t'Ame
to suspect that "prejudice .. against foreign ideas is really a
protective de,ice of nature against mental food that may be
indigestible. They saw, finally, that the alien leaders in America
aet on this theory, and that there is a steady Oood of alien idea.
being sp""'d over the rountry, always carefully cli.lf!uised as
American.
Aa they learned all this the Nordic Americans have been grad-
ually arousing to defend thei.r homes and their own
kind of civilization. 1'hey have not known just bow to go about
it; the idealist philanthropy and good-natured generosity which
Jed to the philosophy of the melting pot have died hard. Re-
sistance to the peaceful invasion of the immigrant is no such
simple matter as snatching up weapons and defending frontiers,
nor baa it much spectacular emotionalism to draw men to the
colors.
The old ... lock Americans are learning, however. They have
begun to arm themselves for this new type of 'OI'arfate. Most
important. they have broken away from the fetters of the false
ideals and philanthropy which put aliens ahead of their own ebil-
dren and their own race.
To do this they have bad to reject completely- and perhaps
10 TRF. 1\0RTH AMERICAN REVIEW
lor the moment the is hit loo w mplete--the whole
body of " Lilo<!rnl" idens which they hnd followed with such simple,
un<tnestioning faith. The first and immediate cause of the
brenk .. -ith Lihtmlism was that it had pro,ided no defense agai nst
the alien hut bad excused it--even defentled it
nscuinst Au1cricnnism. Lihcrnlism today chnrgcd in the mind
of "'""t Amcri<:llns with nothing less than national. racial and
spiritual trcMOn.
Out this is only the t .. t of many <:Au.oes of distrust. The plain
people now lh:lt Lihcrnlism hns fome completely under the
dominance of weaklings and parn.si lcs whose alien
reaches its logical peak in the Oobbe,ist plaUorm of " produce
as little as you can. beg or steal !rom those who do produce,
ami kill the pr<><luc:cr for thinking he is better tha.n you." Not
that .UI Lit.eralism goes so far, but it all seems to be on tbat
n)llol. The "'"mge LiiJCral idea is apparently that tho.<;e who c-an
JJI'C)Cincc IJOul<l carry the unfit, and let the unfit rule them.
This nberrn\ion would have been impossible, of course, if
Amcrienn Libcn1lism hnrl kept its feet on the ground. lnstead it
IJame wholly academic:. lc.st all touch with the plain people,
di!owned it& in<lincts ond common sense. and lived in a " orld
ol (111TC, high, w-ouodlw logic.
\\' orse yet, thL l:><"Camc a world without moral slnodMds.
Our lorefat he,.. had stnndnrd'l<-the Liberals today say they were
narrow!-aml thry had ronsciences and knew that Liberalism
"""t he kept. within fixe< I hounds. They knew that tolerance of
U1ing tlmt tmwh the foundations of the home, ol decency, of
pntriotL<m or of mce loyalty is not loYely but deadly. 1\iodem
A""'rican Lil,..mlism hM no such bounds. If it has a conscience
it hides it luunefncedly; il it has any s tandards it conceals them
... .,u. II it h ... nuy convictions-but why be absurd? Ita boaat
is thnt it bns none except conviction in its own decadent religion
of LiiJCr:ilism to .. ard eerytbing; toward the right of every man
t o make a fool or degenerate of himsel! and t o try to corrupt
others; in the right of nny one to pull the foundations from under
U1e )l()u.'!e or IJOison the wells: in the right of children to play with
matches in a powdennill!
The old stO<:k Americans believe in Liberalism, but not in this
THE KLAN'S FIGHT FOR AMERICANISM 11
thing. It bas undermined their Constitution and their national
customs and imtitutions, it has corrupt.od the morals of their
clildren, it has ' 'itiat.od their thought, it bas degenerat.od and
pervert.od their edu<:ation, it has tried to destroy their God.
They want no more of it. They are trying to get back to decency
and common sense.
The old stock "pl&in people" are no longer alone in their
belief as to the nature or the dangers, their causes, and the folly
or Liberal thought. Recently men of great education and mind,
students or wide reputation, have come to see all this as the plain
Americans saw it years before. This wa.o Rtated by Madison
Grant:
1'11e Nordic race . .. it it. takes warning in time, mfty fnce the future with
auurance. .1-'igbt. it but let the fight be not a civil war agaiu.at ill own
blood kindred but against the foreign raco, whetJH!I' ll1ey advance
aword in hand or in the more in!i.dious gu:ise of begganaL our galea. pleading
for admitt.aace to share our prosperity. U we continue to allow them to
they will in time dri,e us ou.t ol our owa.land by the mere foroe of breeding.
Tlwo great bope olllwo lutun: be= in America tiet in t he reali&otion ollhe
wwkio3 m- t.bat competition olllwo Nordic will> the alien i>latal. wbelher
the latiu lwo the lowly iJnmi.!!rant !tom Soulhero or &amm Europe. or lbe
IMre obvioualy Ori.nW. apinst whooe otaodardo ol tivin3 the
white m.an. cannot compete. Ia. thi$ counby we must look to aucb of our
:?le our fanuen aod art:isa.os-u a.re still of Americaa blood. to recognise
'!!:litioo io the ...Wl of loUowing llle lea<k.Wp ol idulista
aod pb&IOiltblopie doctriuires.
The chief or Mr. Grant's demands, that the un-American alien
be barred out, ha.s already been partly aecompliabed. I t ia
established M our national policy by overwhelming vote of Con-
gress, after years of delay won by the aliens nlrea.dy here through
the political power we gave them. The Klan is proud that it was
able Lo aid this work, which was vital.
But the plain people realize also that merely sLopping the alien
tlood doea not restore Alllerieanism, nor even aceure us against
final utter defeat- Ameri<:a must also defend benelt agaimt the
enemy within, or we shall be corrupted and conquered by those
to whom we have already given shelter.
The first danger is that we shall be overwhelmed, as Mr. Grant
forecaat.s, by the aliens' "mere foree of breeding". With the
birthmte, the Nordic stock will have become a hopeless
THE NORTH AMERICAN REVIEW
minority witloin fifty years. and will within two hundred have
been choked to death, like grain among ,..eedJ. Unless tome
means is fouml of making the Nordic feel safe in having children,
we are al..,.dy doomed.
t\n equal danger is from disonity, so strikingly shown during
the war and from a mongreliation of thonght and purpose. I t is
not merely foreign policy that is involved; it is all our thought at
home, our morals, edut"alion, social conduct-everything. We
are aJrel\dy confused and disuniwd in every way; the alien groups
t,hemselveA, nnd the skilful alien propagandn, are both tearing
t.eadily nl. nil that mnkes lor unity in nationhood, or lor the
soul of Am(rieuuism. ll Ute word u integrity" cnn still be used
in ito originol meoning of singleness of purpose or thought, then
"e n nut ion have lost all integrity. Yet our old American
motlo irl<'hulcs the "'ords" ... divicied we fall! "
One more J>Oinl about the present attitude of the old stock
t\muicnn: he hM and increased his long-standing distrust
of the lloonan ('alholic Chureh. It is for this that the native
Americans, nod the Klan as their leader, are most often de-
nounced as intolenlnt and prejudiced. This is not because we
oppooe tloe Catholic more than we do the alien, but because our
enemi<'lJ I'<:(.'Ognit.e that patriotism and rue loyalty cannot aalely
be denounced. while our own tradition of religious freedom gives
them nn opening here, if they can sufficiently confuse the issue.
The f11cL ill, of <Xmrse, t.hat our quarrel with the Catholics is not
religiou but political. The Nordic race is, 1\S is well known,
nhnosl cut irely l'rolcstnnl, and there remains in ita menW
hcritnJ(I! "'' unti.Calholie ullitude based on lack of wympathy
.. ilh the Cnlholic psychology, on the historic opposition of the
lloman Church to the Nordics' struggle lor freedom and achieve-
ment, and on tloe memories of persecutions. But this otrictly
religiou Jlrejudice is not no"' ad:ive in America, and eo far u I
can learn,""'"' bas been. I do not know of a single manifesta-
tion in of hostility to any Catholic because of ru. re-
ligion, nor to the Catltolic Cbureh because of its beliefs. Cer-
tainly tloe American has al,.ays granted to the Catholic not only
full religious liberty, without interference or abuse either public
or private, but also .,,.ery civil, &Ocial and political equality.
THE KLAN'S FI GHT FOil. AMERI CANISM 18
Neither the present day P1otataot nor the Klan wishes to change
this in any degree.
The only possible exception to this statement is worth mention-
ing only because some people give it far too much importance.
This has been in the publication of vicious and ignorant anti-
Catholic papers, with small circulation and minute inBuence.
These publications, by the way. the Klan has denounced and
helped suppress. Ir the Catholic Church would do as much by
Tokranu aod some of the equnlly vicious and ignorant sheets
published under its ~ . it could come into court against the
American people with cleaner hands.
The real indictment against the Roman Church is that it is,
fundamentally and irredmably. in its leadership, in politics,
in tllougbt, and largely in membership, aetunlly and actively
alien, on-American and usually anti-American. The old stock
Americans, with the exeeption of the few such of Catholic faith-
who are in a cla.ss by themselves, standing tragically tom between
their faith nnd U11rir racial and national patriolism-aee in the
Roman Church today the chief leader of alienism, and the most
dangeroua alien power with a foothold inaide our boundaries.
It is this and nothing else that has revived hostility to Catholi-
cism. By no stretch of the imagination can it fairly be cnlled
religious prejudiee, though, now that the hostility has become
active, it does derive some trengtb from the religious schism.
We Americans oee trulny evidences of Catholic alienism. We
believe that it.s officil'l )>Osition and its dogma, its theocratic
autocracy uod its cluim to full Mthority in temporal as well as
spiritual mnUers, tll Olllkc it impo8Sible for it as a church, or for
i ts members if they obey it, to coiSpemte in a free democracy
in which Church nod State have been separated. I t is true that
i.n this country tl!e Roman Church speaks very softly on these
points, so tbat many Catholics do not know them. It is also
true that the Roman priests preach Americanism, subject to
their own conception of Amerie&nism, of course. But the
Roman Church itself trulkes a point of the divine and unalterable
character of its d<>gJOA. it hu never seen fit to abandon officially
any of these un-American attitudes, and it still teaches them in
other count.ries. Until it dot4 renounce them, we caDDot believe
14 THE NORTH AMERICAN REVIEW
anything except that they aU lemain in force, ffildy to be called
into action whenever feasible, and temporarily hushed u,p only
for expediency.
The hierarchical government of the Ro-n Clmreh is equally
at odds with Americanism. The Pope and the whole bierarehy
have been lor centuries almost wholly Italian. It is nonsense
to suppose that a man, by entering a chureb, loses his race or
national loyalties. The Roman Church today, therc!orc, is
just what its name says-Roman; and it is im,>OSSiblc !or its
hicrnrehy or the policies Utey dictate to be in real sympathy
with Americ1tnism. Wot"Se, the Italians lutve J>rovcn w be one
of the least n8Similnble of people. The autocratic nntute of the
Cntholic Church organization. and its SUJ>pression or free con-
science or free decision, need not be discussed; they nre unques
tioned. Thus it is 11lndamental w the Uomrtn Church to demand
a supreme loyalty, o,ersbadowing national or r ~ W C loyalty, to a
power that is inevitably alien, and whkh nt the best must in-
evitably inculcateidesls un-American if notacthely anti-American.
We find, too, that e,en in America, the -jority of the leaders
and of the priest. of the lloman Chureb are either foreign born,
or of foreign parentage and training. They, like other aliens,
are unable to teach Americanism if they wish, because boUt race
and education prevent their understanding what it is. The
service they give it, even if sincere, can at. best produce only
confusion of thought. ~ W h o would ask an American, for instance,
to try to teach Italians their own language, history, nnd pa-
triotism, even without the complication of religion?
Another difficulty is that the Cntholic Church here constantly
represents, speaks for l],nd cares for the interests o( 0. large body
of alien peoples. !11ost immigration of recent Y""'" so uo-
assimilable and fundamentally un-Americnn, has been Catholic.
'fbe Catholics of American stock have been submerged and al-
most lost; the aliens and their interesta dictate aU policies of the
R o ~ Cbureh which are not dictated from Rome itself.
Also, the Roman Chureh seems to lake pains to prevent the
assimilation of these people- I ts parochial ac!tools, its foreign
bom priests, the obstacles it places in the way ol marriage with
Protestanta unless the children are bound in advance to Roman-
--
THE KLAN'S FIGHT FOR MffiRICANISM
16
ism, ita peniotent use of the foreign languages in church and
school, ita habit of grouping :iliens together and thua creating
insoluble alien ma,...,_..ll these lhings strongly impede Ameri-
caniu.tion. Of course they also strengthen and solidify the
lie Church, and truike its work easier, and so are very natural,
but the fact remains that they are hostile to Ameriranism.
Finally, there is the undeniable (act that the Roman Church
takes an active part in American politics. It bas not been con-
tent to accept in good Caith the separation of Church and State,
and coMta.ntly tries through political means to win advantages
tor itself and its people-in other words, to be a. political power
in America, as well as a spiritual power. DeniaiJJ of Catholic
activity in politics are too absurd to need discussion. The
"Catholic vote" is as well recognized a , factor M the "dry vote".
All polit.icialU take it for grant.ed.
The fn.cts are lbnt almost evex:ywberc, and especially in the
great industrial centers where t.be Catholics are strongest, they
vole almost as a. unit, under oontrol of leaders of their own faith,
always in support of the interests-of the Catholic Church and of
Cat holic candidates without regard to other intereata, and always
also in support or :ilienism wbene,er there is an issue raised.
They vote, in short, not as American citit.ens, but as aliens and
Catholics I They form the biggest, strongest, m06t cohesive
of all the alien On many occasions they form alliances
with other alien I>IOC8 against Americnn interests, as with the
Jews in New York today, and with others in t.be case of the NCCDt
opposition to immigration restriction. I ncidentally they ha.ve
been responsible for some of the worst ahuses in American politics,
and today aro the chief support of sueh machines o.s that of Bren-
nan in Chicago, Curley in Boston and Tammany in New York.
All this migl1t occur without direct sanction from tho Roman
Church, though that would not make it Jess a "Catholic" menace.
But the evid.ence is that the Church acta directly and often oon-
trols these activities. The appearance of Roman clergy in
" i!Uide" politic:al councils, the occasional nec<Mity of "seeing"
" prelate to accomplish political results, and above all the fact
that during the fight in the Democratic National Convention of
1Pi4 the hotel lobbies and the corridors ot Madison Square
16 TJIE NORTH AllfER.ICAN REVIEW
Garden were suddenly block with priests, all -m to prove that
the Catholic Church nct.o in politico a a church, and that it
must bear responsibility for theoc evils.
This is t he indictment of the old-st.o<:k Americans against the
Roman Church. If nt nny time it should cltnr itn skirts, should
pro,e its -illingnC'S. to b<rome in America. and to be
r10lit ioally an equal among equals with other religious bodies,
then Americans would moke no indict-nt of it whatenr. But
until it does the.., t hingo it must be opposed as must all other
!\gt-ncies which stnnrlngainst America's drJJtiny.
Jus ln word nhout the American Catholics, of ,.hom there are a
few hundre<l thous:nul only. f'ron1 the time of the Reformation
on there alwnys l.een Catholics (like Lord Howard, who
t-ommnnded the f:ngli.<h Oeet against the Annada, despite the
l'ope' hull) wloo hMe put ratt :md national patriotism ahead
of loy .. tty, not to their faith, but to the ..,u-crealed Roman
hiemrcly. There nre such in America today, and always have
been. With these lhc American people have no quarrel what
e,er. They, even U1e Klan, have supported some of them at tbe
polls, unci will oonlinue to do 80.
Jlut the.<e people nro not "good Catholies" in tbe eyes of tbe
Tiwy are renlly in a tragic ituation. They are
pulled on one ide hy their faith and on the other by the deepest
racial and patriotic instinct. If there should be & crisis tbey
woultl he t orn hct we<!n them. They are put into this position
not hy their hut hy the nulo<:ratic biernreby which uses
their fHilh thi :L I,() en(orcc its OWR powerj which demands
not only !nilh nnd piety, bulsubscrvience, as the J)rice of salva
lion. they mny do in n crisis no man can forecast, but
wh11tever it may he, t hey will deserve nothing but the deepest
sympathy.
This is the generol tate of mind of tbe Nordic Amerie&rul of tbe
pioneer stoek t O<lny. Many of them do not understand tbe
reASOns for U1cir helic-fs 80 fully ao I ba,e staled tbem, but the
tale of mind is there beyond doubt, and the reasons are true at all
vital points. I t is inevitllble that these people are now in revolt.
This i. the mo,ement to .,.hieh tbe Klan, more through Provi-
dence than its own wisdom, hao begun to give leadership.
THE KLAN'S F'lGHT FQR AMERICANISM 17
The Ku Klux Klan. in short, is an organization which gives
expression, direction and purpose to the most vital instincts,
hopes and resentments of the old stock American.,, provides
them with leadenhip, and is enlisting and preparing them for
militant, eonstruethe action toward fulfilling their racial and
national destiny. Madison Grant summed up in a single sen
tenoe the grievances, purpose and type of membership of the
Klan: "Our farmen and artisans .. . of American blood, to
recog:nire and meet this danger." The Klan literally is once
more the embattled American farmer and artisan, coGrdinated
into a disciplined and growing anny, and launched upon a deJinite
crusade for Americanism!
This Providential history of the Klan, and tbe
place it bas come to hold, give it certain definite characteristics.
The disadvantages tbat go with them, as well as the advantages,
may as well be admitted at once.
We are a mo,ement of the plain people, \cry weak in the
matter of culture, intellectual support, and trained leadership.
We are demanding, a.nd we expect to win, a return of power into
the hands of the everyday, not highly cultured, not overly
intellectualized, but entirely unspoiled and not de-.Americanized,
average citizen of the old stock. Our members and leaders are
all of this class-the opposition of the intellectuals and liberals
who held the leadership, betrayed Americanism, and from whom
we expect to wrest control, is almost automatic.
This is undoubtedly a. weakness. It lays us open to the cbsrge
of being " hicks" and "rubes" and "drivers of second hand
Fords". We admit it. Far "one, it makes it hnrd for us to
state our case and advocate our crusade in the most effective
way, for moot of us lack skill in language. Worst of aU, the need
of tmined leaders constantly bampers our progress and leads to
serious blunders and i,ntemaltroubles. ll the Klan ever should
fail it would be from t hia cause. All this we on the inside know
far better than our critics, and regret more. Our leadership is
improving, but for many years the Klsn will be seeking better
leaders, and the leaders praying for greater wisdom.
Serious as this is. and strange though our attitude may seem
to the intellectuals, it does not worry us greatly. E very popular
18 THE l\OHTH A.\fERICAX REVTEW
mo,cmcnl has sufTcrc<l fl'()m jnsl this hnndicap, yet the popular
mo,ements have hccn the m11insprings of progr<.-ss, nod hnve
usually bod lo win against the "best people" of their time.
Moreo\'cr. we can clepen<l on gelling this intellectual bneking
hortly. It is nolnhlc thnl when the plain peoj>lc hegin to win
wiU\ one of their 1novcmenb. such ns the Klan, the very lntcl-
lcc:luals who ba\'e sooiTed and fought most hiUcrly presently
U.gin to dig "'' 50uncl-at Jcnsl well-sounding!-logic io support
of the The so fnr as can be juclged, is
neither hurl nor helP<" I by this pr<>CeSll.
Anothrr wcaknc is t hat we ha\'e not been able, as yel, to
hring luuuo t.o th<' whole. I he need of continuous work
on organiat.ion progrnmmcs both local and national. They are
too to work at timrs of ancl es.dt.emenl, :.uul then
tn ft..>cl th,y can 1<1. tlown. Pnrtly, of course. lhis is inherent io
the (;,ans:cli.st.ic quulity of our crusade. It is medicine .. ,
highly eonol ional. Rtl(l l)resently bring on a period of reaction
on.! lelharjzy. All cntsa<lers and k.now this: the
whole rountry .. wit ilfler the war. The Klan will not be fully
entrenched till it hn P.'"'''"l t hi retu:l ion period, and steadied
down for the long pull. That lime is only beginning for most of
ll1e Klan, whicl1 really is hardly three years old.
llut we hove no It"" of ll<c outcome. Sinoo we indulge our
&elves i11 convictionJ, we arc not frightened by our weuknesses.
We bold the convi<:tion that right will win if backed ,.;gor
nnd <.-onSCC!nttlon. \\'c are iuc...-reasing our consecration and
learning tCI make lx!llcr o our \Vc nre sure of the
ftmtlnJneutal of our tnuse, as it concerns both ourselves
and U1e progress of t he worM. We helie,e that there can be no
1ucst.ion of t l<e right of the <hildrcn of the men who made Amer-
ic-a to own and L'Onlrol Amerien. We believe that when we
allo..-ed othen t o ohare our heritage, it waa by our own generosity
and by no right of theirs. We believe U1al therefore v.e have
every right to protect ou.....,lvcs when v.e find that thoy are
betrnying our trust nnd endangering u. We belie ve. in short. that
we ha,e the right to make America Amnioo11 and for Americans.
We bclie,e also t hnt only through this kind of a nation, and
through c)c,elopmt:nl along these lines, can we best serve Amer-
TilE KLAN'S FIGHT FOR AMERICANISM 19
ica, the whole world today, and the greater world yet unborn.
We belie,e the band of God was in the creation of the American
stock and nation. We believe, roo, in the right and duty of
every man to fight for himself, his own children, his own nation
and race. We believe in the parable of the talents, and mean
to keep and use those entrusted to us--the race, spirit and nation-
hood of America!
Finally we believe in the vitality and driving po.,..er of our
race: a faith based on the record of the Nordics tb.rougbout all
history, and esjl<X:inlly in America. J. P. Morgan bad a motto
which said, in effect, "Never bet against U1e future of America."
We believe it is equally unsafe to bet ngninst the futnre of any
stock of the Nordic race, esjl<X:ially so finely blended and highly
bred a stock as that of the sons of I he pioneers. Handicaps,
weaknesses, enemies and all, we ,..;n ,..;n I
Our critics have a.ecused us of being merely a "protest move-
ment", of being frightened; they say we fear alien competition,
are in a panic beenuse we cannot hold onr own against the
foreigners. That is partly true. We ~ t r e n protest movement--
protesti ng against being robbed. We are nfraid of competition
with peoples who would destroy onr stnndard of living. We are
suffering in many w.,ya, we have been betrayed by onr trusted
leaders, .,..e are half beaten already. But we are not frightened
nor in a panic. We have merely awakened to the fact that we
must fight for our own. We are going to fight-and "'oinl
The Klan does not belie,e that t.he fact that it is emotional
nod instinctive, rather than coldly intellectual, is a weakness.
All action comes from emotion, rather tban from ratiocination.
Our emotions and the instincts on which they are based h&ve
been bred into us lor thousands of years; far longer than """"""
bas bad a place in the hnman brain. They are the many-times
distilled product of experience; they still operate much more
surely and promptly than reason can. For centuries those who
obeyed them have lived and carried on the race; those in whom
they were weak, or who failed to obey, have died. They are
the foundations of our American civilization, even more thpn onr
great historic documents; they can be trusted where the fine-
baired reesoning of the denatnrcd intellectu&ls ca.nnot.
20 THE NORTH Al\1EIUCAN REVmW
Tb1111 the Kllln goes back to the American rocinl instincts,
and to the common Knse wbicb is their first product, as the basis
of ita beliefs and methods. The fundamentals of our thought
are convictions, not mere opinions. " re are pleased that modem
research i finding backing !or these convictions. We
do not nted them <>Unoelves; we know that we are right in the
same Knse that a good Christian knows tbnt he has been saved
and that Christ lh- thing wbieh the inlellec:tual can never
undent.and. These con.-ictions are no more to be argued about
than is our love for our children; we are merely willing to state
them lor the enlightenment and conversion of others.
There are three of the'"' great ra<:ial instincts, vital elements
in boUo the historic and the present attempts to build an America
which shall fulJill the ospirstions and justify the heroism of the
men who mnde the nut ion. These are the instincts of loyalty
to the whit.c rllee, to the traditions of America, and to the spirit
ol lrolHlantism, which has been an e.uential part of American-
ism e,er since the days of Roanoke and Plymouth Jtoek. They
are condensed into the Klan slogan: "Nati,e, white, Protestant
supremacy."
in t.he KJansotan's mind is patriotism-America. for
Aweri<:Ans. He believes religiously that a betrayal of American-
ism or the An1erican ncc io treason to the most sacred of trusts,
a truat from his falheno and a truat from God. He believes, too,
that Americaniom can only be achieved if the pioneer stock is
kept pure. There is more than race pride in this. 1\foogreliza-
tion hn hcen Jlrovcn had. It is onl)f between cl.,..,ly related
SlOCkK o( the SlkiUC nlt'C that interbreeding has improved men;
the kim,l of that went on in the early days of Amer-
ica het .. een Englt<h. Dutch, German, Hugenot, l rish and Scoteh.
Hadal integrity is a \'cry definite thing to the JOonsman. It
n:aea.niJ even more Uum good eilir.enship, for a man may be in
all "'"Y" a good dti>.cn and yet a J>O<>r American, unless he h.u
racial understanding of Americanism, and instinctive loyalty to
iL I t is in no way a reOection on any man to say that be is un-
Amer;can; it is merely a statement that be is not one of us. It
is often not even wise to try to make an American of the best of
aliens. Wltat be is muy be SJ>Oilecl without his b<.-coming Ameri-
THE KLAN'S FIGHT FOR Al\IERICANISM 21
can. The races and stocks of men are as distinct as br<!C<Is of
animals, and every boy knows that if one tries to train a. bulldog
to herd sheep, he has in the end neither a good bulldng nor & good
collie.
Americanism, to the Klansmnn, is a thing of the spirit, a pur-
pose and a point of view, that ean only come through instinctive
racial understanding. It has, to be sure, cert.in defined prin-
ciples, but he does not believe that n.tany aliens undcntand
those principles, even when they use our words in tnlking about
them. Democracy is ooe. fairdealing, impartinl justice, equal
opportunity, religiomliberQ>, independence,self-reliance,counge,
endurance, acceptance of individual l'<';jponsibility as well as
individual rewards lor effort, willingness to sacrifice for t he good
of his family, his nation and his race before anything else but
God, dependenoe on enlightened conscience for guidance, the
right to unhampered development-these are fundamental.
But within the bounds they llx there must be the utmost free-
dom, tolerance, liberalism. In short, the Klonsman believes
in the greatest possible diversity and indhidualism wit hin the
limits of the American spirit. But he believes also that few
aliens can understand that spirit, that fewer try to, and that there
must be resistance, intolerance e\en, toward anything that
threatens it, or the fundamental national unity ba..oed upon it.
The second word in the Klansman's trilogy i. .. white". The
white rare must be supreme, not only in America but in the world.
This is equally undebatable, except on the ground that the races
might Jive together, each with full regard for the rights and inter-
ests of othero, and that those rights and interests would never
con6.ict. Such an idea, of course, is absw-d; the colored races
today, such as Japan, are clamoring not for equality but for their
supremacy. The whole history of the world, on its broader lines,
has been one of race con6icb, wars, subjugation or extinction.
This is not pretty, and oertainly disagrees witb the m&udlin
theories of cosmopolitanism, but it is truth. The world baa been
10 made that each mce must fight for its life, must conquer, ac-
cept slavery or die. The Klansman beHeves that the whitea will
not become slaves, and he does not intend to die before his time.
Moreover, the futu.re of progre&s and civilization depends on the
21! THE NORTH M fEIU('.\1'\ REVIEW
t-ontinuf'11 supremncy of U.e white m<..-c. The forwnrd tno\'crneot
of the world for ccrtlurics hu.s corne enlirt.ly from it.. Otltcr races
ctlch llfltl its chance :uHI cillcr fnilcd ur ful'i t, while white
ci,ilization shows no sign ol ho,ing rcudoro its limit. (ntil the
whites fnHc.r, or some colored civil.ization hns a lUiri'Lde of uwttken-
ing, there is not. n single colored stock lhnt cnn clnim U\'Cn equality
with the "'hite; much less supremacy.
The lloinl of the Klnn prirocir>le:s is tho\ l'r(Jicstant.ism noust be
liHiptcmt: Htnl lhJine shall nut rule {\mcrica. The KJ:ulfUUt\Jl
hdic"cs this nol meJ(Iy he is u nor e\Cn be--
cause tltc Colonies lhal are uuw our nation were selUt.-d for the
Jlllf'J>OSe of ,\merico from the c"tnltn)l of Home anti "-st.ah-
n lnnd (){ frt:c Jl c l.clic,., .. :-o il nlso h(..'(:a.use
is fUI cs...--entinl part or wilhout it
Ameri{;a l"tmhl nt;,er have t,,..,.n cre'lh-cl ami without it sh,, {'Unnot
go forwurl. Homnn rule woultJ kill it.
Prutcstnntism conl.nins 111orc Uuu1 J'(ligion. Jt is (:xprcs
l'ion in or the :mmc )opiril or irulcpcntlcnce. self-reliance
and fn..ulom whic-h nre the highest of the
rtu..-e. It 81'11.1flg into l.tcing nulomnt ittlly at the lime of the
uv .. urgen<;c ., of in u.e r\ordic peoples thnt opened
lloe spurt of chilizution in Lhc 6!teenllo century. It has h<.-cn a
Ji.stinclly Xordic religion, mul it l1a.s been through tbi$ Nligion
llonl lhe NorJiCll hove louml Slrcnb<llo lo lake lttulersbip or aU
untl U1c suvrcma<-y (J the eurlh. I ts destruction is t he
lcepest. I"'""'"" of nil other l""l'les. lloat \\'ould mean the end
of Nordi<; n1le.
It is the only religion tlmt ltermibl the unhumpcr<."<l individual
de\elOJII.IIt!Ul tuu.l the unluunpcretl couscien(..-c und action which
wc.re in tle ScttliuJ: of Amcrlca. Our pioneen were all
Jrote!'1tlnts , excc)JL for n.u IJ'Ct'll$ionnl Jrislunnu- Proletilunts by
natur e if uol; uy rdigion- for Lloough French moJ Spanish dared
and explort.'<l anl oloo\\'ro great beruLm, Uw:y uwle little of the
lAnd !heir 0"'" America"'"" Prot.estunl !rom birth.
She must remnin f'rotcslftnl, if the NoNiic t;tock is to finish its
lcstiny. W c of Lhc old slock Americons could not work- and
the work is mostly ours lo do. if t.he re<:ord of lloc past. pro\'<8 any-
tlling- if we lJC<. 'Omc r,riest .. rilden, ir we lmd to submit our con-
.
'
THE KLAN'S J.'IGJIT AllfEJtiCANJSM 23
sciences and limit our activities ond suppre!.!! our thoughts at the
eom.mnnd of any man. much less of a IIU\n sitting upon Seven
Hills thousands of toiles away. This we wiU not permit. Rome
shall not rule us. J>rotestanlisrn must be supreme.
let it be clear whnl is meant hy "supremacy" . It is nothing
more thnn power of control, under just !awl. I t is not imperial
ism, far less is it auloct1\cy or even aristoet1\C)' of a race or stock of
men. What it does mean is thnt we insist on our inl1etited right
to insure our own sn.fety, individually and ns n race, to secure
the future of our children, to maintain and de,elop our racial
hetil#ge in our o"n. white, Protestant, American way, without
interference.
Just bow we of t he Klan will accomplish this we do not yet
know. Our fi rst task has been to organize and this is not yet
quite nccomplished. But already we are beginning our second
stage, wbieh is to meet, stop and remo\'e the in,ader and lea,e
ourselves free once more. In theslriet sense wehnvenoprogramme.
We nro not ready for one and have not put our to it. No
such popular movement ever springs full -pnlloplied from the
head of any man or group. For some lime we mml he oppor
tunisls, meeting the enemy wbere,er he attacks and attacking
where we can. This course, so far, bas accomplished much more
than could have been done by a hard and last programme. We
expect to continue it.
There are, bowe,er, certAin general principles and purposes
which are always kept in view. Enough has been said about
pioneer Americanism. Another constant aim is better citizen-
ship. The Klan holds that no man can be either a. good Klans-
man or a good Amcricnn without being a good citizen. A large
part of our work is to preach this, and no man can be a Klansman
long without feeling it.
Another constant objective is good government, locally and
nationally. The Klansman is pledged to support law &nd order,
and it is also a port of his duly to see that both law andoffioera
are as good as po6Sible. We believe that e'-ery man and wotnan
should keep well-informed on aU public and take an
active and direct part in all public aJrair11.. There is nothing
spectacular about this; it is merely good citizenship on the job.
TJH: SOIITII .\)IEIIW.\1\ BEYI F.W
11w Klnn. lowC\'t.' r. tlt'\'Cr nltcmpts tn .Jic:tale lite votes of its
memlJ('n., hut .-loc.a furnh.t. infornmt ifln nhout men :uul measures
Jn the :\Ktim.:tl G4wcnmtenl uur iuh'"-'Sl j.,. theume line:t.
with :!>fl('f'inl <'"rnphn .. ( Ill auli:ali.cn orul pro--.\ merifnn
Al"'. fur mort than in lo<nl nfTnirr'. " "l' take pnins t o support
men wlm l Ull) an luynl to the t"'-'$l Atncricnn lr11di
tion8. .\pnrt frmu tlul the 1\lmt uo inlcre.!5l in nny govern
m('nt mnttt'r.; f.:'X('\']il n din.><:t henrin,: on lecency
anfl hotlt'"il y .
\\' c tHk l{no:tl Juin" in nil utnttcrs l o he made use
nnt mnn. pnrty <rfndifln, \ Ve have
m l"'lilif'nl inlcrt!-!l l'1 .\wni4'1Wi"'m. nnd t iCl uol. hclong in
or with :m,\ party or f:u-liun. \\'e I -. urpnrl n t_-crtnin American
tyre nf mrm. :uul "'"lli)Ofl :wy \\' hich tlrns the right
kintJ of :m j .... ,..-. If t1u-r. ; .. nn :-mh i:, ... tu-. nnd un dwice hctween
('.Ontlidl\h':oi fr.un 111t' .\uwriml tuint nr \' icw. we kNp uut.. I t i s
true tlml sou-. mtn nhlt lo nmke usc cJf the 1\lan on ce,
but it tm!4 u1way .. fl'IH' Itl lhtm,
It ine\;tult1e lltnt must of acli\e work of the Klan.
ouU:ilc: our u\\n mn"' .. huuM he in puhlie affairs. Ry no other
meanc rnn most uf uur Itt: nccomplishcct. And il is
again8l pAtriulit lhut t.he most. Yiolent criticisms
hu\' C ht'tll IIUUIC, \\' t tift.' 'ICCIUittl Of iujt.. -cling old prejudices.
halrttl , flU'e nnrl into JHJiitit'8, of crt'.atiug AU un-American
claM dh;ann. u( I to 1ro6t t.y nu::c and e.nmilies.
o( \'ioll\tinJ.t l'rimiph of ecluB1ity. nncl of n1ining the Demo.
cratif purty.
Mnlilt .. r ure unt. wu1 t h nnswrrin.a;c. So long &If
polilidnnl'i euler lu uliNI rneiul urul religious groups. it is t be
mcre!lt tu IHt\'(' a Prot t!tt:mt onl an American
.. \'ole" anti t o 1nnkc- it ,.. ... rx..'Ct.ed. :uul prejudice are,
aJI ha lx-en t o e\ery candid person. llisplnyed by our
euemic snd nol. by u",
As to the charge Uutt the Alan hrought tfu::c and religion int o
political. that simply j , u.ot tru4:'. 1'h:tt was done ly the very
people who :trc now :wcusing us. lx."'C.1lu.se: .-e. an.: <:utting into lhe
profilli tl1ey had making in IKllitic-s out of tllrir races and
thrir lt:wc fllu l rdigiuu lm\'c for yeors l;een used by
I
TH:t: KLAN'S FIGHT FOil Al\n:lliCANISM
the aliw u polilical plalloruu. Tbe !\lao is ill no -y respollSi
ble lor this condition. We merely """'f!Di&ed it when otben
dared not, and we fighl it in the open. Our belief is that any
aur.n who runs lor oOice or asks political lavon, or advocata
policies or carrie on lli\Y other political activity, either a
of any racial or rdigioUJ group. or in the illt.eslJ of or
UDder from web a group or ol any non-American
whate\-er, abould be lor that ''fff _..,.,. Tbe Klao'a
ambition is to get """'and out of polities, and that caD
not be done so loaf! u there is any profit in .xploit ing thHD. It
therelore fights every attem1>t to ,..., th .. n.
Thio icious kind of pulities mostly lx.-en more or le&J
aecret. We of the Klan wish ,. could dnion credit for bringing
the oc:andal into the open, but e c.nnot do lhAL Tbe
ope11 istue ...-as for liM' first time on a national scale at lbe
l\alional Con-enlion ol IOU. This was the doin1
ol lbe Catholic politicians. who aeized upun Catholicism as a
cement for holding the anli-?lfcAdoo lurcet lngelber. The
bitter cleavage lhut followed ..... inevit.nlolc, and it was they-
the Catholic leaden- who 110 nearly wrecked the party and were
quilt ready to wreck il completely if tbal ould have helped their
local Catholic
One ollbe Klan' chid intcrcJts ia in education. We believe
that it is the duty of government to insure to every child oppor
lunily to develop ill naturnl abilitieo to their utmost. We willh
to go to tbe ery limit in the improvement of the public liChool;
ao far U1nt there will oo '"' cxcu."" CXC'I:J>l uobhcry lor the privAte
ecboot..'
Furtber, tbe Kltm wiJheslo restore the Ullolt to the school, not
only because it is part or the world' J!I'OAl in literature
and philosophy and b .. vroloundly all white civilisa-
tion, but because it is the loaoio on which all Cbriotian religions
are built, and to which they must look for their authority. The
Klan believ"" In the right of each child to I'""" lor itself on the
ultimate authority behind the creed he i ked to adopt; it be
lie-u in preoerving to all children their right to religio\UI volition,
lo fuU freedom of ehoiee. This is impcmible if tbey are b&rftd
bom lbe Bible. We ow- any .,_,. by wbic:b any priesthood
'lO 'l'll t: .UI F:HIC".\'\ llt:\"1 1: \\
it .. l1ohl un J1"1.Jtr hy lti,Jin;.: ur a,tarl,lin'( t lte
fuudametttMI ( hristU.n .
.. rnb '"one uf the ft"&.-.ns r.,, the io\.b.n',. .tot.jn-tioo tn J.:&nx'hinl
,.,., hooi.J or auy t"hurth. TI1ey ,,.ry 1"-"("(Jnw nwn nJ:('nties
uf rMJNIICitlltlA. Auotlter i> thal iu mnny the in
thr han I" uf aiM!nt ... htt t:annot &mtk"taml .\mcricanim
or t rain .t\m.-rinn" tQ Mti1.en!thia. In ('\'tn.thc
lul\'c pen erk"<l Ut.-l Auh .. ricnui .. m j, fnbiflt.'d. lislort ecl
and )l(lrnYttl. '111C! h:lnn would like to nil s!uh :!CIInols,
dn .... If t 1u-y c:annot 1..,. .. aholiiJk'41, thr h.ll\u :.im'l tu l ;ring t hcnt
111ukr (vmt"''' .. r the so tt " lh elimhuht iuftlH'C
rtliJ,tillllli' \' olitinn. nrul tu(nn."t! t l u: tC t rue ,\uwricM,i!llm.
fn . i .... Ul('ll, i-. u ... uwntul ntlilutlt. tlu ... an I tlw phut of
tht " Inn h)tiAy. nullt tht" u( aul bt-.,.insl
I hAt chal)tt'"' tf ry. tit''" iutultranN.' n ntl
Jlh'ju lk-e f'UII fltirly 1,... llt lnt,i:hl. ( ' h:lr t;t'"" rune I-. on ut JtNUtuls
ttN'41 uut Lt hut u( Klan an- 1Jr'f1JIItl'1'41 lo adtnil
tltal ...,.,,.. uf 11......, areal k-asLJ.-rlly
'l1i .. uut uw:an ltlt'f't'Jy thut t lwre are ''lif(Oh a net fRmatic:-8
n.M.mg UJ. '11tcrt: :u-e: " e l"t!' n .. li.ng out. but --e
b.a\e k-fl. aud oUK"r"' .;u j<.in in ul our ca.l't':.
fault it hut 1\Vl (;tttt.l. f. \ 'Ct)' !'IJeh tnU\ Cfl\t'lll )uu
th\'JU, as loutul wbeu h<' luhh<. .. lllt(' ilimilnr uuisatlt..>e1J in
hl. H\\11 1110\CIUClll ''lht." lunatic (ringe .
d001 tt.i_ t Dlt'IUl, C'ither. All n.lmi.i(m 4tf I I.e dlAfJC''' Of those
wtu_. tlcny t o Awcri<nu!i the rigll- whith C'\try 111icu urul
lu his miu,J freely unrl t.riHtbc thiutt"' hina.
J, .. ur C 'atludiOt Ul'(' Ll"i.sh their ,,.u .. tit of any.
J\mtrl..uu. XcJthlng is i.JJlUHme: our ,.:rc.nt rncn, HUr bis
t .. ric .-truJu;ltt'nnd s:urilic:.-c.s, our ustonu. nud dUr
" l ' urilau -aU laa,.-e 114.."t'U IK'1IrifM.>ti ithoul mercy.
y,., lh<- 1.-ut crilici.ut ..t lhe.e .. ,..., 'ilnvlic nilict or ..r Lhcir
Vffil'k IJrinr ftmdb .l"auti-.Semitic" or aoti..("athoHc '. \\'e
or l ite 1\J.n .... y no nllcttlioo lo lllO>C ...... argue with e)tilbeltt
only. tben,l,y 11<lmil th<ir ,.-,.,J.-. ''"'' .,.., .WI
aitinl( for OUW" ooe lull)' to &bC"r us i1l1 fAC\lri an.l
frvm lltne lltingM. we of th. 1\ltcn eu.hnit that we
arc intole.raut :uul narrow in atoertain SCil.se. \\'.:do not think our
/
THE h.'L.\1\'S FIGHT FOR MfBRICANISM
intolerance is so ..,..ious nsthat of our It is not an intol-
crant-e that tries t.o prevent free speech or free assc.mbly. Tho
KJan has never broken up n nti!'Cting, nor tried to clrive a speaker
to cover, nor started n riot, nor attnckccl n procession or pornde,
nor murdered men lor belonging t o I he Knights of Columbus or
the B'nni B'rith.
And we deny that either bigotry or prejudice ente,.. into our
intolerance or our narrowness. lY<" nre intolera.nt of e\-erything
that strikes at the foundntioos of our rnc..-e, our country or our
freedom of worship. We are narrowly oppo>led to the usc of
nnything ulien_,rncc, loynlly t.o :my (nrt.'ign JW>wer or to nny
religion n to win puliticul1:towcr. \ Ve nrc
prejudiC!cd agninsl ltny attempt to the privileges aud op-
portunjties wl1ith hold only throug1 nur I!Cnerosity as le\'ers
to force u.i t o c:h:tnge our ci"iliz..,lioo. to from us control
of our own country, to exploit us lor lloc l..,nefit ol any foreign
power-religious or foif'Culur--and e:opcrinlly to use America ns
t\ tool or cat'!lpn.w for the ac.l\'nntug: of nny in the hatreds
nnrl qunrrels of the 01<1 World. This i our intolerance; bnscd
on the sound inst.ineb which u.t rnany times from tho
follies of the intelloctuols. We admit it. l\{ore and worse, we
are proud of it.
Bulthi.' i.' nil ol our intolerance. We do not wish hann to ony
man. even to those we fight. "'e ha"c no desire to n.huse, en
slave, exploit, or deny nny legal. politiCJII or social right to any
JD.t\n of any religion, nwc or color . \\'c grnnl them run free<lom-
exccpl frredon\ to our own freetlom llnll ourselves. In
nmny way!l we honor ruul respccl then\, l:vcry race has mn.ny
fine and lrnils, cacb hitS made notnhle achie\emenls.
There is much lor lo learn from cnrlo of them. But we do
insist that we ""'Y learn what we ehoOlle, and what het 6t
the genius of our own rnec, mlber than have them ell""""
our lessons for us, and then ram them down our throats.
The attitude of the Klan townrd outsiders is derived logically
from these beliefs. J<'rom all Americnns except tbe rneial and
spiritual expntriutes we expect eventual support. 01 the
expatriates nothing cnn be hoped. They are men without a
couotcy and proud of il.
Tilt: :'\OHTH AMEil i C.\...'\ tU: \ "l EW
11oe thr Klan mnsidc.,. a "JJ(!<'ial duly ami pmlolem ol
hite \ ttMrlraiL llf B us no i'h of h.i.s:
..-... U.f" it to l1im and tu to him full prolt"rtion and
f'Jilf.tOrtunity. Uut hi" 1imilation .. Arf' t"\itlenl : " 'f' "'illuol permit.
him to ftAin pw4tr to cont rol our rhili.zation.
will rldu"' him .ilb promi...,_ of social euality "hicb we
kno" ran,.., ., 1.- roali,....l. The 1\!an lor,.nl\1 to the day
"'hen the prollltm will huvc hL"Cn t14Jivetl (ut tiHillt" much
sa1wr hR"'il'l :Jwl when State will enforce
law,. any St".x beh, ecn 3 hitt and a C"Qiorecl
lN:' """' 111 n crit nr,
Fur 11w nlitn iu we ha\'t' opJ)Urlunit y. jus
tM hut uu p(rtnnntttt -.t"komC' unlf'SS he lt4V'Ottles truly .\ mcri ...
nn. It ,., uur to "'tT th:at he ha.so du,nrc fur tl1i ... 1tnd
v. r ,.hn11 '"-' ,:1,. 1 h tW('\'J'' him ir hr doeJ. \\', lu,1tl uu
agaiu .. t l1im: hi" r;<"C. in .. training. nlf'lllnlity and whole
outlunL. ... r tift rr usually .-iddy Jiflt-renl (rom fKJrs.
blame him f hr lu tfwtn anl attt'tnJttc. to ('()O\frl m t o
them. ,., ..... t.y fun-e. Uul ..-e must K'f' t hal he can llC\''r 8ucceec:l.
n.., J ew i> a tunll>lex .... m. II i< ahi!itit; great.
bt- eont riiMJIO' tnUC"b to auy C"OUnlr)t lhH. 11tia is par-
tir1olrlytno<' of the \\"e>ltno J ew. lh.,.., oltlo<al orkawe have kno....,
so lonu. '11dr M:puratiuu from us i01 more than racial.
frt"t'(l fn.tn peNj("("utMm Jews hA\'e a ltoclency
to atul amaiKaJ1Ulh. \\'e may hOfM! that in
tJ1c frt-t of J\t1wric:1, Jt'WI'I uf this cln!!t will CCI\SC to be
a pruhh111 . CJuhf nre tlu:! J.:nsteru of imo_U ..
gratiuu, the knowu as the I t U inttn_'!fting
to nntf thnt now 1t l1 us thAt lhHC Art' not true
lu1t nuly .Jud:eiY.A!I ) ftmgol,.- Chaznra. '11aCS<:, unlike the
lnJ4" JldiA:W. a t.li\(tg\!Dce rroul I he Amtrkan lype 110 great
lhat t},..,. _,,.little'"""' or U>cir ...;,llilation.
Tioe nK.,t ""'"""ing most dilfK'ult pmhl.rn America
LOO.y t. tloi of the pennanently uo\Uiiimilahlc ali n. , ,,., only
tolution ao far olfued is that ol Dr. F:!iot, emmtua of
fl.vnn!. .\lll't" lmiHinJI lhat the melting J)C)IIo.u faikd- lhua
upport inK 11rionnry position of the Klan! - head.Uthat lhe.re
is no hot"' of "'"" a single, ......., .. toc:k of
THE KLAN'S FIGHT FOR AMERICANISM it
the kind necessary for national unity. He then suggests that,
iostesd, there shall be a of divene peoples, living to-
in sweet harmony, and all working lor the good of aU and of
the nation! This solution is on a par with the optimism .. bich
foisted the melting pol on us. Di,erse rac:es never have lived
together in such harmony; race antipathies arc too deep and
strong. U ouch a state were possible, the nation would be too
disunited lor progres.. One raee always ruled, one always must,
and there will be struggle and repri. .. ls till the mastery i estsb-
lished-nncl bitterness afterwards. And, speaking for us Ameri-
cans, we have come to realize that il all litis could possibly be
done, still within a lew Yt"'rs we should be supplunted !Jy the
"mere Ioree ol breeding" of the low stan,lard peoplt'J!. We in-
tend to see that the American stock remains supreme.
This is a problem which must shortly engage the hcst American
mjnds. \Ve can neither expel. e.xterminale nor enslave these
low-standard aliens, yet their continued presence on the present
b&sis means our doom. Those 11ho know the American character
know that if the problem is not soon solved by "isdom. it -..ill be
solved by one of those attsclysmic outbursts which have so often
disgraeed-nd saved!-the race. Our aUempt to find a sane
solution is one of the best justifications <llbe Klan 't existence.
Toward the Catholic as an individual the Kl&n hu no "atti-
tude" whatever. His is none of our bu1iness. But
toward the Catholic Church as a political organization, and to-
ward the individual Catholic who serves it as such, we ha,e a
definite intolerance. We are intolerant of the refusal of the
Rotnnn Church t.o ne<:epl equality in a den1ocrucy. nntl resent its
attempts to use elericul power in our politics. We resent, too,
the subservience of members who follow clerical commands
in polilie8. We ore intolerant, also, of tbe elforts of the Roman
Church to 1>revent the assimilation of immigrant members. We
demand that in politics and in eduattion the Homan Church
abandon ill clutclting alter speeial and un-Ameriean privileg<s,
and that it become content to depend lor its strength on the truth
of its tesebinga and the spiritual po..-er of its leaden. Further
than this we ask nothing. We admit that this is intolerant ; we
deny that it i.s either bigoted or unjust.
SO Til E XORTH llf:\' IF: \\"
11tc: 1\lon heeau!!C of the position it hn come to fill. is
ly far the l'f mo,cmcnl rtoCOniQI for the ,fer en lot nod (u_J ..
fillmcnl of .\muicaniotm. IL has a memht-rship of lhe
suppor1 of millitJt\S rnorc. U U1ere be :\ny truth in the
t hot tlte \' niec uf the I><'Ople is the n>ice of (;O<I. then we hold a
Divine t"Otumi".!limL Our 6nnuces arc sounrl ns, they hn.\'C been
for we pcnuit no ,cre3l hut hn\'(' rcOuc:..'Cd our
fees when we fountl them proclucing mfuc thnn cnnugh to carry
on uu r tru.JC.ndc.
Our ritunl i:c iueomplctc. \\'c! I1A\'C lu-.u IO) httf4y ..:cl.ling
nur nrmy inln shupc und our to the higher
ltJrret .... hut iii .-inn(', Our fir ... l, nul s. fur only
harJtl'I,V u!041 tlqcn._'(', inculc-ate:-; mtd
.\uwricn. lu l'rnl(!ilnnli:o-m. lu l:1w nnd ur, ltr tuul lo the Klnn.
Tl< oil4."rnnd, tuminj:! inlu ""'' cmplm .. pnl ri(,ti .. rn. The
tl1irl "''ill t-.uhr nrourul Pnll." .. r:mti!im. nnjl th'" fuurth nne I Jn..' t
annml na(-.' pricW. hynhy anti n..,.J)OIL .. il.ility. It mny be added
th:at rn("ml""" uf ntbcr onlcn- who have seen l'IUd' o.s
'o\C nlrealy Ag'l"t'C th:al it is un<"Xc::t"ll(."(l in solemnity, dignity
awl heauty.
One of lite outstao1<ling principles >f tlu- Klan L """""'Y We
hn\' C hetn IIIIK'II crilici7.cd for it. nne I nt'CUSC.( of COWttrtlice,
tl1ous:l h'"' uny l'l:me pci"SQn c.t1n C"uwurdirc ngtthut men
wlw "10011 while lwal tutti shut them tiU\\' TI! as
1\lnmun('ll were bcntcn ruul shot nt Cnmcgie nml other places,
('lHUWt. mtlt.Nd:md. Our St."Cre<y is, in fn<:t, nl<:cssary for
our pr(lh:,tiun us the: hitler intolcnmcc and fnnnti c pcrse-
cutima IMI<4, l lutil lhc Klan strong in" comn:mnity,
ilulivithut1 l1u ve often founcl in tfuoger
Ctf or work. lmBiUCS!C. properly nocf C\'CU life. Tltcro i a..bo
I he A<hnutogc iu !K!(:.r(.<'Y that il gives us greater driving rorce.
sinec our mNnies. a re handicapped in not knowing just what,
wbtre or bow g""'l iJ the ,. . can extrt.
Oot h Lht..., """"'""for _.,..,.y will grow less in time. but it can
AAfdy he l>re<lied tl>al U>e Klan iU ne,tr oflicially abandon i ts
........,y. '11ac mal!k. hy lhe ..-ay. iJ not a part of our J<JCrecy at
nil, hut of our rilual. aud can newr be aban<loned. The personal
SC<'rt"<y dis:.vpcars, as the Klan gains 1tn:ugth,

-
TILE KLAN'S l'IGIIT FOH Ai\IF.HI CANI$ )1 :n
from the """I of toc01bers who wish to work Ot>enly. whereby the
Klan"''" be l!Cen emerging as :U. 'ISOnry c.lid a :ago.
One more charge the Klan worth noting: U1nt we are
to cure prejudice by using new and stronger prejudice, to
end disunity by setting up new barriers. to ,\rnericaniza-
tion by t.liseriminalions and issues which nre un-Amcricam. This
is n plausible charge, if the facts alleged were true, for it is
that prejudice is no cure (or prejudice, nor <:an we hoJ>e to pro-
mote Amcricttnism by violating its principl's.
Uut the Klnn doc not stimulate prejudice, nor lw it raised
ra<..-c or religious issues, nor violated $piril oF Aancricunism in
an_y wny. \Ve simply re<.:ogniu: (nets, nnd mOtt the situntion
they rovenl, 8.$ it must be meL Non-rcsishwcc to the nlicn in ..
vnsion, and ustricla-likc oplitnisro hn"e nlrcndy us lo l11<.:
verge or ruin. TI1e time hns come for poslti\c actinn . "fhc Kino
is open to the same c:hnr!,re of creating tliscord t hal licK nguinsl
any people wbo, under outs ide atlnck, hcgin ""'istaucc
when injuries luwe become intoler.Wie-it is blnmnhle to that
extent, but no more. There can be no hope of curing our e,;Ls 50
long as it is possible for leaden of alien grouJ>S to profit by tlem,
and by preventing assimilation. Our first tluty L to """ to it
thnt no man may grow rich or powerful by breeding und exploit-
ing disloyalty.
The future o the Klan we believe in, though it is 5titl in ll1e
hands of God anti of our own abilities anc.l consccrntion in
div'idunls and us a race. Previous movements of the kind
have been short-lived, killed by internnl jealousic. ntl<l personal
ambitions, nnd ruutly, too, by pnrtinl accomplishmc nl or their
purposes. I tbe Klan l:.tls away from it. mission. or !nils in it,
perhaps even if it. su<.'Ct.-eds--certainly wlle!lcver the lime come.!f
lhat it iJ not doing needed work- it will become n mere derelict,
witboul purpose or Ioree. If it fulfills its mission, its future
power and service are beyond calculation so long America has
any part of her destiny unfulfilled. Meantime we of the Klan
will continue, as best we !.:now and as best we can, the c:rU!Ulde for
Americanism to which we have been called.
H lRAlol W D!t.P.Y EVASS.