Fryeburg Academy - Academy Bell Yearbook (Fryeburg, ME)

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-X men Them. 70 do Clds, irful iski, id 3 lled fere 1 of dis- Lrd- ses. ley in Jle its ed H- Ld rn Y Lt d 1 l THE ACADEMY BELL 21 In 1871 a committee of twenty-one was sent to the South to determine the true facts in regard to the outrages being committed. Cn April 20, 1871, an act was passed which was meant to crush the Ku Klux. This provided that any act, of violence or of intimidation, was a conspiracy against the gov- ernment, and was punishable by fine or imprisonment. Presi- dent Grant immediately took advantage of his power and ordered the arrest of some daring clansmen in South Carolina. The Federal officers in the other states followed the example and in less than a year an end was made of the whole business. At the height of its power the Klan was composed of nearly a half million persons. The Klan accomplished one of its main purposes: white supremacy in the South. In Georgia in 1915 another Ku K-lux Klan sprang up and very quickly spread through the North and West, creating national alarm. This time the activities were directed against Catholics and jews, as well as negroes. In 1921 some murders took place in Louisiana and were attributed to the Klan. That government pleaded with na- tional authorities to stamp out the organization, but in 1923 no action had been taken by the Government at Washington. The following facts are from the defense of the Klan by Hiram Wesley Evans: The klan does not attempt to argue on the doctrine of universal social equality. Science does not support it and the average American does not believe in it. This matter can never be settled by argument. If ever settled, it will be by race instinct, personal prejudices and sentiment. Actual so- cial equality between whites and any other race is not prac- ticed to any great extent anywhere on earth. Facts prove the idea unworkable. The Klan looks forward to the day when the union of a white person with one of any other race will be illegal in every state in the Union. This is the basic idea of the Klan: VVe believe that the pioneers that built America be- queathed to their own children a priority right to it, the con- trol of it and of its future, and that no one on earth can claim any part of this inheritance except through generosity. We believe, too, the mission of America under Almighty God is to perpetuate and develop just the kind of nation and just the kind of civilization which our forefathers created. This is said without offense to other civilizations, but we do believe that ours, through all possible growth and expansion, should

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THE Ag,4DEMY BELL 20 r inion. But there was one party of men chang1HblC?i5FEtt313Ilti11and take what was forced upon them. 251130 wisok the law into their own hands and attempted to do ese I . t. idation what thev could not do in political fields. Dy In lm . 0 d f 1 This group W 1 K1 h K K U Em- . . ordegnt Delayu 1865 3 few men of the younger set in Polaski, Tennessee finding life monotonous after the war, formed a secret club for the single purpose of amusement. They called themselves Kuklas Cthg Segretj, Secrecy and mystery were their main objects, secrecy in regard to the members, and 'of the place and objects of the meetings, and the mystery of dis- guise ancl parades in the moonlight, white masks, .tall card- board hats, white-sheeted figures and muffled hoofs of horses. It was the satisfaction of seeing the looks of terror they brought from the darkies, that put thoughts of mischief in their heacs. This example was found very tempting by dishonorable men in other Southern states., Every town wanted to have its own Ku Klux Klan, until in a few years there was formed An Invisible Empire of the South, bound together in a com- mon cause. Instead of being a joke the organization had grown to be serious. They were to protect the people from indignities and wrongs, to succor the suffering, particularly the families of dead Confederate soldiersg to influence what they conceived to be the real laws of their states and defend the Constitution of the United States and all laws passed in conformity thereto, to aid in executing all constitutional laws and protect the people from unlawful seizures and from trial otherwise than by jury. ln a short time other similar orders had been organized: Knights of the White Camelia, Pale Faces, Constitutional Union Guards, and the White Brotherhood. Soon became impossible to keep these lawbreakers as the beginning of that now large an power u ltd angler hand. Mere rogues began imitating the gang and set- ACE PCTSOIEIEJ gfudges. The leaders of the Reconstruction wer Wifob riven from their country. If the Klanls orders burial? ti Syed, force was used to make them. Houses were Street ' den OCCUPHIHS shot, men were dragged into the s an tarred and fe th d ' the North were in Const a dere . Even social workers from . ant anger Man brut l ' if re Commltt , . , - y a crimes ue ed. a veritable reign gf terrorv held Sway.

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22 THE ACADEMY BELL remain the same kind that was 'brought forth upon this con- tinent.' Also, we believe that races of men are as distinct as breeds of animals, that any mixture between races of any great divergence is evil, that the American stock, which was bred under highly selective surroundings, has proved its value and should not be mongrelized, that it has automatically and instinctively developed the kind of civilization which is best suited to its own healthy life and growth, and that this can- not safely be changed except by ourselves and along the lines of our own character. Finally, we believe that all foreignerx were admitted with the idea, and on the basis of at least an implied understanding, that they would become a part of us, adopt our ideas and ideals, and help in fulfilling our destiny along those lines, but never that they should be permitted to force usuto change into anything else. There can be no doubt about the traditional American spirit, the Americanism of the pioneers , which we are trying to save. Wfe are 'already seeing in America law of disunity through alienism: our our progress checked, our spirit scorned tion confused. The Klan, knowin the workings of the councils are divided, , our purpose as a na- g this believes that the whole tendency must be stopped, and that the control of the nation should return to and r lation. - emain in the hands of the white popu- Plain recognition of facts supports the Klan's o 't' A pposi ion to the Roman Catholic Church. The facts are that the Roman Church has always opposed the fundamental principle of lib- erty for which America stands. It has made certain compro- mises, taking advantage of the tolerance we give but which h t e Roman Church denies, and is trying through these com- promises to win control of the nation. The real objection to Romanism in America is n t h o t at it is a religion-which is no objection at all-but that it is a church in politicsg an organized, disciplined powerful rival to every political government. A religion in politics is seri- ous, a church in politics is deadly to free institutions. Another ground for our opposition to the Roman Cath- olic Church is that most of its members in this country are aliens, and that the Church not only makes ff . . no e ort to help them become assimilated to Americanism, but actually works to prevent this and to keep the Catholics as a group apart.