The call of the North. [volume], October 05, 1923, Image 1

About The call of the North. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1923-1924

Image provided by: Minnesota Historical Society; Saint Paul, MN

                
VOLUME 1, NUMBER 11
Klan Stir«r Queen City
GOV. WALTON REPUDIATED
OKLAHOMA EXECUTIVE
GREAT LITTLE JOKER
BULLETIN
Early reports from Oklahoma indi
cate an overwhelming defeat of Wal
tonism. Even the Governor’s own
home community turn against him.
In spite of opposition the people go to
the polls and registered a protest that
is emphatically complete. The legis
lature will now have clear legal
grounds to assemble for the impeach
ment of King Walton I. The people
have spoken, giving the legislature
full authority to convene without call
from executive.
—K-K-K -
“Daily Oklahoman” Says It
Governor Walton now says that he
didn’t mean it when he said in a
speech at Henryetta that he declared
martial law in Oklahoma City “to pre
vent a Klan grand jury from meet
ing.” He asserts that his statement
was intended merely as a joke.
What a great little joker our swash
buckling King Jack I is! He is him
own court jester.
It was a joke, no doubt, when he
had his military train a machine gun
on the courthouse in which the grand
jury was scheduled to meet, and no
doubt the grand jurymen and the pre
siding judge laughted themselves sick
at the plain threat of the governor to
shoot them down in cold blood if they
attempted to carry out their duties
as outlined under the constitution.
Was it a joke that he ordered his
military to remove the duly consti
tuted chief of police and assistant
chief of police of Oklahoma City at
the point of the bayonet, although no
charges whatever had been made
against these men?
Was it a joke that he trampled on
the rights of home-rule by cities and
counties when he demanded at the
point of the bayonet that the duly
elected officials resign?
Was it a joke that he ordered the
cancellation of the state fair, when he
knew such a cancellation would cause
thousands of dollars loss, not only to
the business men of Oklahoma City,
but to farmers also ?
Was it a joke that he suspended
the time-honored right to writ of ha
beas corpus and asserted that the
courts of Tulsa county could not func
tion except at the will of the mili
tary?
Was it a joke that he suspended
the right of liberty of the press, free
dom of speech and right of citizens
peacefully to assemble?
Was it a joke that he threatened to
put into jail for the rest of his term
of office any legislators who might at
tempt to exercise their constitutional
right to function as a separate and
independent branch of government?
Was it a joke that he placed armed
soldiers with drawn bayonets at the
entrance to the legislative halls at the
capitol for the apparent purpose of
shooting down in cold blood any leg
islator who tried to enter the rooms
set aside as legislative assembling
places ?
Was it a joke that he invaded a
junior high-school in Oklahoma City,
with a bodyguard, and threatened to
whip an unoffending school teacher
because he had received untrue re
port that the teacher had criticized
his policies?
Was it a joke that he has beefi
turning the most dangerous criminals
loose to prey upon the public?
Was it a joke that he has been fo
menting a feeling of hate and bitter
ness between class in Oklahoma and
that he has threatened to arm great
numbers of private citizens for the
avowed purpose of shooting down
other citizens? Is it a joke that he
has threatened to stir up a civil war?
As a crusader King Jack is a great
joker.
K-K-K-
It may be doubted whether he
(Gov. Walton) has not strengthened
the Ku Klux Klan by the violence of
his charges against local authorities,
by his readiness to supersede them
with troops, and by his generally
bellicase attitude.
—New York Times.
—K-K-K
Taking the Oklahoma fight to count
must be a sad disappointment to the
ambitious coroners of that tempest
uous state.
—The Oregonian.
ROCHESTER NUMBER
THE CALL o/ ?she NORTH
It may be that the atempt of thd
Assemblymen to come together on
Wednesday was as Governor Walton
asserts, a lawless act done at the bid
ding of the Ku Klux Klan. Neverthe
less his orders “to shoot to kill” the
opposition legislators were theatri
cal if not worse.
—The New York Herald.
—K-K-K
Gov. Walton is out to save this
country from the Klan even if he has
to wreck the country to do it.
—New York Post.
—K-K-K
Without questioning the motives
of Oklahoma’s governor, it looks at
this safe distance as though he were
running “hog wild” in his crusade
against the Ku Klux Klan.
—St. Louis Globe Democrat.
—K-K-K
The Good Book says that the rain
falleth on the just and the unjust
alike —clearly a misstatement, since
the unjust has usually stolen the
just’s umbrella. But there can be no
doubt but that state-wide martial law
hurts more innocent than guilty per
sons.
As for the military press censorship
which he sought to establish, it must
be thoroughly disgusting to thousands
lacking any sympathy with the Klan.
The sooner we recognize that the
Ku Klux Klan, like the Communists
or any other body of men with whom
we do not agree, have a perfect right
to organize and meet, iso long as they
obey the laws, and are entitled to
protection by the law in the exercise
of these rights, the batter for all con
cerned. Nothing but harm can result
from trying to drive them under
ground.
The fact that .crimes have been
committed by individual Ku-Kluxers
should not be imputed to the organ
ization as a whole, unless there is
much more convincing evidence of a
general conspiracy than has been
produced. It was Burke who said
that you cannot indict a whole na
tion. The same thing applies to
most organizations. The Minnesota
Star.
VIEWS FROM THE
OKLAHOMA PRESS
We hope that if Governor Walton
puts a censor in The American office
that he will be a linotype operator,
for we are used to that kind.—Afton
American.
The next thing it will be .neces
sary for Governor Walton to do will
be the inauguration of a “liberty
loan” bond to finance the big “mili
tary show.” The state auditor says
that Oklahoma’s money is being spent
at the rate of $1,000,000 a month.
History proves that the common peo
ple will stand a certain amount of
such squandering of their finances
and then go to arms. Such a thing
is not anticipated in Oklahoma, but
it is possible, says the Collinsville
News.
Governor Walton may have a
“council of twelve” in mind but if one
can believe what one hears, pussy
footers in his employ at the present
time would number nearer 1,200
Lawton Constitution.
—K-K-K
The starving farmers of Carter
county, as the governor described
them in his Henryetta speech, tolay
are bringing cotton into town and
getting twenty-nine cents a pound
and over for it, while those at home
are getting $1 and $1.25 a hundred
pounds for picking it. Come off,
governor. You have your geography
mixed.—Ardmore Stateman.
—K-K-K
Strange to say, nobody has sug
gested that the league of nations
might be able to adjust matters in
Oklahoma.—Chickasha Express.
—K-K-K
Let us have peace, even if we have
to fight for it.—Oklahoma Sun.
-K-K _
FERGUSON ’^OFFERS’'SYMPATH Y
James E. Ferguson, former gover
nor of Texas, who was impeached
and removed from office by the Texas
legislature, for committing high
handed and illegal acts, has tele
graphed Governor Walton offering his
—K-K-K
—K-K-K
—K-K-K
"Eternal Vigilance is the Price of Liberty"
ANTI-KLAN WARNING
IGNORED ENTIRELY
-K-K-K
PROTESTANT BUSINESS HOUSES
AT GOODELL ARE PAINTED
YELLOW
—K-K-K
Goodell, la.—(Special)—Three busi
ness places owned by Protestants
were given a coat of yellow paint by
emem.t.. <. -vu Klux KLr M
The lawlessness followed the burn
ing of a fiery cross near this town.
It was heralded by an explosion of
aerial bombs that attracted the at
tention of the whole town to the
scene.
Anti-Klan warnings were attacked
to an effigy which was hung from a
tree in a vacant lot on the north side
of Main street. A cross made of
fence posts, also bore anti-Klan warn
ings and was placed beside the “exe
cuted” dummy.
These acts lawlessness followed the
peaceful assembly of American citi
zens and brought home to the people
of Goodell the truth that the Klan is
not the dangerous element in this
country but that the order had a real
purpose when it organized to combat
this element that is fighting it.—
Hawkeye Independent.
K-K-K-
(UN CROSS IN
NORTHERN MINN.
—K-K-K
FIERY CROSS IN COHASSET
FIELD STIRS QUERY OF EX
ISTENCE OF K. K. K. CHAPTER
—K-K-K
Grand Rapids, Minn., Sept. 26.
(Special to The Herald). —Has Co
hasset, a peaceful little village five
miles west of Grand Rapids, a chap
ter of the Ku Klux Klan? .This is
the question which has agitated the
residents of that village, and to a
considerable extent those of Grand
Rapids, since last Saturday night,
when a fiery cross was burned at the
top of Forsythe hill, just east of Co
hasset. In Cohasset it has been
discussed almost in whispers.
The -cross was erected in a closely
clipped hayfield, about 200 feet from
the main highway, state road No. 8.
It was lighted about 10 o’clock in
the evening, and burned for about
half an hour. The flaming cross was
plainly seen by a large number of
people of Cohasset, and by a number
who passed on the road, but no one
had the courage to investigate. The
next morning it was examined, and
found to be made of heavy poles and
lumber, firmly bound together with
heavy wire. A large amount of bur
lap soaked in oil or grease had been
wired to the cross, for fragments of
the burned burlap were found scat
tered by the wind across the field.
No notices have been served on
anyone in Cohasset, so far as can be
learned, and no suspicion attaches to
anyone. Whether the flaming cross
was the work of some fanatic, or the
prank of some mischievous boys, or
whether it really is a symbol of Klan
activities, is not known.
sympathy and urging Oklahoma’s
chief executive to stand firm in his
determination to prevent a meeting
of the legislature.
No doubt Governor Walton would
appreciate the sympathy and advice
of other members of the “Down-and
out club.” If Napoleon were living,
he undoubtedly would send a mess
age of congratulation to Governor
Walton, and so would other despots
who have tyrannized over free peo
ple.
The laws • of Oklahoma provide
heavy penalties for anyone guilty of
interfering with an effort of the leg
islature to assemble.
If Walton wants to join Ferguson
as a member of the “Down-and-out
club,” he can qualify in tno quicker
way than by throwing the members
of the Oklahoma legislature into jail
and keeping them there during the
rest of his term of office, as he has
threatened to do. Perhaps Fergu
son's zeal purpose in trying to bolster
up Walton’s courage was to have the
latter join him in the “Down-and-out
club” and thus give him more com
pany.—Daily Oklahoman.
ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1923
(UN. INITIATES
MANY, IN .SANDPIT
-K-K-K
Guarded Cow Pasture North of City
Made Scene of Night
Ceremonial.
—K-K-K
Secreting the candidates at the bot
tom a large sandpit, above which
a great cross blazed 500
. ..ic : .. o f ibers of the Minne
apolis Ku Klux Klan initiated 50 new
members last night in a cow pasture
outside N the city limits on the Jeffer
son highway near Victory Memorial
drive.
With the pasture patrolled by
ghostly guards who forbade entry to
persons who could not give the Klan
password, the candidates and members
started gathering in the sandpit short
ly after dusk. The road off of the
highway leading to the field was jam
med with 200 automobiles, and groups
of others came on foot#
At the edge of the pit, a small plat
form had been erected and near it a
large cross which, when lighted, at
tracted the attention of hundreds of
motorists. The candidates for mem
bership in the pit were flanked by
white robed Klansmen.
As the ceremony proceeded, red fire
and small bombs were set off and,
shortly before the ritual was conclud
ed, the large cross was lighted.
The initiation was proceded by a
barbecue in the pit.—Minneapolis
Journal, Sept. 30, 1923.
-K-K
RESPERATE EFFORTS
RT FOE UNAVAILING
—K-K-K
Men Favorable to Ku Klux Klan Are
Nominated at Pittsburgh
Primaries.
—K-K-K
Pittsburgh, Pa.—While three can
didates for important county offices,
known to be favorable to the Ku Klux
Klan, have been conceded victories in
the primary election held here Tues
day, late returns may increase the
number to four and possibly more.
Results in outlying boroughs show
favorable returns for candidates said
to be Klansmen or favorable to the or
ganization. The candidates are men
that are known to be open minded on
the question of the organization, and
were elected by large majorities in
different districts of Lawrence county.
Reports indicated the hottest fight of
the campaign was waged in New
castle, Pa., the ''seat of Lawrence
county, and in the majority of cases
candidates that had been endorsed and
supported by the members of the Ku
Klux Klan were nominated.
Enemy Desperate
Previous to the election the Cath
olic priests urged the laity to do
their utmost to carry the election for
candidates known to be favorable to
the Roman Catholic church. Catholic
sisters were registered and every ef
fort was put forth to defeat candi
dates known to be favorable to Prot
estantism.
nurrestsTet
The disgraceful attack on a peace
ful meeting of the Knights of the
Ku Klux Klan participated in by
negroes and Irish Catholics took
place at Newcastle, Del., almost a
month ago. As yet state and county
authorities have arrested nobody for
attacking he Klansmen. Politicans
remark that there are 9,000 negro
voters in Delaware and hazard that
they might be offended by an investi
gation of the rioting which would
lead to arrests.
-K-K
PRESIDENT COOLIDGE’S
RELIGION
Ques. Of what church and of what
fraternal organizations is President
Coolidge a member?
A ns. President Coolidge is not a
member of any church but he 1 regu
larly attends the Congregational
church. Hia wife and two sons be
long to the Congregational church and
when in Washington Mr. Coolidge and
his family attend the First Congre
gational church. The President is not
a member of any secret fraternal or
ganisation*.
The Ku Klux Klan of Rochester is the Talk of
the Town; Newspapers There Devote Much
Space to Invisible Empire. Efforts of Anti's
Availeth Nothing, But Continue “Ranting”
with Much Noise.
K. K. K. Accused of Sending Anonymous Letters by Those
Who Know That “Outsiders” And Not The Klan
Had Sent The “Threats.”
“ROCHESTER PAPERS THREAT
ENED BY KU KLUX KLAN IN
NOTES WRITTEN ON BED
SHEETS; EDITORS WARNED.”
So screams a headline in the Sep
tember 29 issue of the Rochester,
(Minn.) “Daily Bulletin.” The head
line, you will note directly accuses the
Klan of threatening the Rochester
newspapers. A direct accusation in
all fairness should be fully substan
tiated by facts. Now then, let’s read
the article carrying the crushing
weight of a bold, “fearless,” charge.
We give it to you in full as follows:
Rochester newspapers late Friday
afternoon were made the target® of
alleged Ku Klux Klan Attacks and
threats in the shape of communica
tions written in ink on pieces of cloth
cut from bed sheeting. The threat
ening notes were entrusted to the
United States mail and they went
thru the local postoffice, being post
marked, “Rochester, Minn., Septem
ber 28, 4 p. m.”
The letters were addressed “Roch
ester Daily Bulletin, City, Attention
Editor, ’ and “Rochester Daily Post
& Record, City, Attention Editor.”
Both were in the same handwriting,—
a big scrawling style. The envelopes
were cheap legal size affairs.
The texture of the writing material
was the same in each case. The hand
writing was identical.
Threats Are Made
In each letter the owner of the pa
per was warned that his publication
would suffer and the ones supposed
to do the local writing, particularly
any writing anent the Klan, were pos
itively warned to desist under penal
ty of being ordered out of town, or
being made the victims of justice tak
en into hands for which it was not
intended by the constitution and law
of the United States. \
“If either one of these men write
another defaming article against the
Klan, they will receive a notice to
leave the city,” the communications
read. “If they do not leave, God help
them, for he will take justice into our
own hands.”
Authenticity Scouted
The Rochester papers are in no wajr
able to come to a decision whether
these are authentic communications
from a possible local Ku Klux Klan
organization or whether they were
panned by some sensationalist who de
lights in hoaxes. If the letters are
really of Ku Klux Klan origin, the
local newspapers would be interested
to receive confirmation from some one
who will admit affiliation with the
Klan. Otherwise, they will be posi
tively ignored as are all anonymous
communications received by newspa
per offices.
The incident is given attention in
print merely as a matter of current
news. The letters, of course, wiil have
no bearing on the conduct of the pa
pers one way or the other.
—K-K-K
Now that you, dear reader, have
read the foregoing article, it might be
well to study the “scoop” somewhat.
You will note that not a single sen
tence lines up with the headline. We
even read that “the Rochester papers
are in no way able to come to a de
cision whether these are authentic
communications from a possible local
Ku Klux Klan organization or
whether they were penned by some
sensationalist who delights in hoaxes.
“Why under heaven, did Reiter or
Beatty (of the Bulletin editorial senc
tum) then so wrecklessly write a
headline every “m” of which is ob
viously a falsehood? We can’t un
derstand the lhinds that revel in yel
low journalistic methods. The Bulletin
has stooped to editorial practices
which have no place in first class
newpapers.
THE PUBLIC IS TIRED
The public is rapidly losing all faith
in the daily press, and the daily press
is entirely to blame. So often news
items are distarted, re-written, slash
ed or wrongly featured that the aver
age reader is geting sick and tired of
the American newspapers. There are
few things that are needed as much as
honest, fair, fearless, absolutely un
controlled newspapers. Headline liers
are a continuous pest of a most dan
gerous variety. It is the fortunate
newspaper that is not suffering from
their tactics. The Rochester “Bulletin”
ought to do some fumigating, even if
that means an entirely new editorial
staff. Sensation-seeking hounds guid
ing the destinies of a newspaper will
surely steer it on the shoals of last
public confidence. And from what we
can gather even the most loyal sup
porters of the Bulletin are not quite
satisfied with the unethical practices
that are far from four-square. The
party, which the Bulletin has been
fighting for most faithfully, suffered
much under the whip of the kept
press. However, it is very evident
that the Bulletin editors have learned
but little in the battle and stand out
conspicuously as unjust, unfair and
unreasonable. It seems that when a
concoction can be advantageous
ly by the editors of the Bulletin, thfiy
do not hesitate. At any rate in their
attack on the Ku Klux Klan they did
not hesitate.
In the concluding paragraph thete
is an interesting explanation.—“ The
incident is given attention in print
merely as a matter of current news.”
Ye Gods and little fishes, when did a
lie become news? The Standard dic
tionary defines “news” as fresh in
formation concerning something that
has recently taken place.” Is a false
hood information ? Never!
—K-K-K—
--KLAN REPORTED TO
BE HOLDING MEETINGS
NEAR LOCAL CEMETERY
Membership Has Increased to About
Fifty According to Report in Cir
culation Today No Disturbance®
Have Occurred; Meetings
Orderly.
Rochester (Minn) Post and Record
Citizens were surprised today when
it was reported that the Ku Klux Klan
was fully organized here and had been
holding meetings in back of the Ca
tholic cemetery at regular intervals.
Reports further revealed that the klan
was conducting a strenuous campaign
for new members here.
The fact that the klan was holding
secret meetings back of the St. John’s
burial ground was first brought to
light by a small farm boy who seeing
the bonfire light in, the darkness of the
night a few weeks ago, let curosity
get the better of fear and investigat
ed.
What he saw caused him to scamp
er in haste back to his home with his
eyes covered to shut out what he
thought was an army of ghosts and
goblins bearing down on him. For
he had peked through the bushes and
saw many white figures standing
solemnly in front of the bonfire, sing
ing in solemn and spectural tones.
His father listened to the boy’s
story silently and for many nights
following, with another Rochester
citizen, took his car and drove slowly
around in the vicinity that the boy
had pointed out. Finally his patience
was rewarded and he stared in amaze
ment as he and his companion became
silent witnesses to a meeting of the
Ku Klux Klan and realized that be
hind those behooded figures were
many familiar faces.
Since that time it has become
known that the klan, have had many
meetings in the southeast end of
town and today have increased their
membership to over fifty, it is re
ported.
—K-K-K
Guess again, Mr. Reporter and then
multiply your wildest guess by four
times the number of the total num
ber of holes in all the buttons of your
coat, vest and pants. You will per-
$2.00 A YEAR. 5c A COPY
haps get somewhere near a true esti
mate of the total number of Klans
men in Rochester if your- second guess
is enough greater than 50.
—K-K-K—
--KLAN ACTIVITIES BEGIN HERE
AS CITY IS FLOODED WITH
PROPAGANDA
“Call of the North” Official Minnesota
Klan Organ, Distributed in Roches-
by Strangers in
Down Town District Reported to
Local Police.
—K-K-K
(Rochester Bulletin)
With practically every place of
business and home in Rochester visit
ed some time during the night, thou
sands of people of the city this morn
ing were given the opportunity to
read copies of “The Call of the
North,” the official organ of the Ku
Klux Klan of Minnesota. In some
cases, one copy was left; in other
cases there were two or three issues
distributed.
The distribution of the papers in
the dark of the night some time be
jtween sundown Thursday an day
break Friday, was the subject of much
conversation this morning on Roch
ester streets. “There must be a Klan
body here,” one would say, “else how
could they get the papers distribut
ed?” “No” I think they hired small
boys to do it. “Not much, they would
not do that. They probably have a
large number of members here though
there is no perfected unit.”
Literature Peddled
Evidently the city was divided into
districts and the Klan workers thus
more easily accomplished the task of
peddling their literature.
Rumors continue afloat about the
effect that gatherings of robed figures
have been seen in various parts of
town at night obviously holding meet
ings.
It is stated that not long ago when
the state highway department was
taking traffic census of main traveled
roads out of Rochester, a local youth
was employed in the work of counting
being located on the St. Paul road at
night. As he stood by his tent one
night, two white robed figures came
up to him, handed him pamphlets and
papers, said nothing, got into their
car, and buzzed away again. The
boy, it is said was given a bad fright
and was almost tempted to leave his
post for fear of molestation on the
part of the robed knights.
Prowlers Encountered
Last night, according to a reputable
citizen, a prowler was seen hurrying
out of the back entrance of a place
down town. In an adjacent alley,
three more prowlers were encounter
ed. All were strangers. The citizen
wondered who the men could be and
naturally ascribed their movements to
the Ku Klux Klan, especially so when
he learned of the distribution of the
“Call of the North” during the night.
—K-K-K
YES, THE MAYOR WOULD OPEN
HIS EYES IN WONDERMENT
There are more Klansmen in Roch
ester than the public knows anything
about*- When Mr. Orn visited Roch
ester on a lecture tour he met per
sonally Klansmen from seventeen
states that were in the Queen City
seeking medical treatment. If we
were permitted to reveal the strength
of the Rochester Klan and then did
so Mayor Reiter would open his eyes
in wonderment and retract his state
ment, as quoted in a Rochester daily,
wherein he said, “Rochester is not a
city where the Ku Klux Klan can
flourish.” That the Rochester Klan is
strong and growing daily at a speed
that is perhaps hard for aliens to un
derstand should open the eyes of
many to the tremendous appeal of
Klancraft.
The growth of the Klan in Roch
ester would not mean that Mayor
Continued on page four, column 5
—Editor.