KU KLUX KLAN: At Klansas Sity

Men began to drift into Kansas City, Mo. Women began to drift in. So did children. The men were Knights; the women were their wives; the children were their offspring. They had come for the Second National Imperial Klonvocation of the Invisible Empire of the Ku Klux Klan. It was said that there were 2,000 men and 3,000 concomitants present.

An Imperial Klonvocation, according to the Klan constitution, is the “sole legislative body” of the order. It meets biennially. The delegates consist of the Grand Dragon (Governor) of each Realm (state), one Klepeer (elected delegate) from each Realm, the Great Titan of each Province (subdivision of a Realm) and one Klepeer (elected delegate) from each Province. The delegation from each Realm has as many votes as there are hundreds of Klansmen in that State. The individual delegates cast their proportional share of the Realm’s voting strength in the Klonvocation. The Imperial Officers are also members of the Klonvocation. The presiding officer of the Klonvocation is the Imperial Klaliff (First Vice President). All acts of the Klonvocation become laws of the Empire within one hour of passage, unless vetoed within that time by the Imperial Wizard (President). The Klonvocation may pass laws over his veto by a three-fourths vote.

This great body assembled in Kansas City. Its meetings were held behind closed doors; a card and a password were necessary to gain admittance. Only Klansmen with courtesy cards were allowed to view the procedings. What was published about the proceedings came through the Klan publicity office.

A photograph, so given out, showed the platform adorned with a great U. S. flag. On the flag was a picture of President Coolidge, flanked on either side by pictures of Washington and Jefferson. The meeting was opened by the Grand Dragon of Nebraska. Then the Imperial Wizard, Dr. Hiram Wesley Evans of Atlanta, appeared, accompanied by his Kloncilium (Cabinet) consisting of 15 genii: Klaliff (First Vice President), Klazik (Second Vice President), Klokard (lecturer), Kludd (chaplain), Kligrapp (secretary), Klabee (Treasurer), Kladd (“Conductor”)*, Klarogo (Inner-guard), Klexter (Outer-guard), Klonsel (Attorney), Night Hawk (Courier) and the four Klokann (auditors).

Dr. Evans delivered a message to the Klonvocation on the state of the Empire:

“This Klonvocation, held here in the great Middle West, is assembled on the battlefield of the immediate future. Some of the Eastern states are today lost to true Americanism and must be rewon; but the great American population of the Middle West, of the South and of the Southwest are left to do valiant battle.

“You are of this superior blood. You are more—you are leaders in the only movement in the world, at present, which exists solely to establish a civilization that will insure these things.

“History has proved, and is proving daily that only Nordic and Anglo-Saxon peoples have reached a high level of intelligence.

“When petty persecutions failed, our enemies resorted to direct terrorism. They started a series of riots which have shed blood and disgraced our country throughout the spring and summer; and it [terrorism] is still in evidence — perhaps to remain for some time to come. Most of the attacks were planned and directed by the same forces which were behind the early form of persecution. Some, it must be acknowledged, have been the product of racial instincts, hostile to Americans and everything American.

“We did not lose a single suit; not one effective anti-Klan law was passed; not one serious charge against the Klan was proved; the Klan was not shown to have been responsible for a single riot; not one imitating organization has been successful; and there was not a serious defection inside the Klan.

“The Constitution of the U. S. tolerates creeds, but it favors none. Hence, the only demand the Klan makes of the Roman Catholic Church is that she cease meddling in Americanpolitics, and that she come down from her self-erected pedestal of special privilege and take her place alongside the Methodist, Baptist and other churches.

“The Klan believes in the upbuilding of the American nation—founded, as history emphatically declares, on the supremacy of the white race, the genius of the Nordic and Anglo-Saxon peoples and the free private interpretation of God’s word.

“The Lord has guided us and shaped the events in which we rejoice. He has held us under His protection. The fact that we have this Divine guidance and protection should, and must, increase our faith in the Klan, in its growth in grace and power, in its mission, in its final, complete victory.”

*The only function assigned to the Kladd by the Klan constitution ….. perform such duties as are assigned to him by the Imperial Wizard.