No I am not intoxicated as the title might suggest. Some of our readers are attempting to translate what appears to be a ‘Latin’ phrase. It would not be difficult if it were a pure Latin phrase. It is a combination of Latin and Greek works that make the phrase, that is approximately “Not Self, But Others”. This phrase is found at the bottom of a programme dated, September 13, 1924, Kittanning, PA. At the top of the cover appears a symbol with the following letters, K I G Y. This is an Acronym that means, Klansmen, I Greet You! Yes, that is correct, in 1924 a rally of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan met for the day in Kittanning, PA. The programme offers schedule of events for the day, history of the KKK as well as their creed. It also contains the creed for the Women of KKK and the Junior organization. The rest of the programme contains ads from many of the businesses in Kittanning.
The Knights of the Ku Klux Klan was formed on October 16, 1915 by a man named William Joseph Simmons and thirty four friends, of which three were members of the original organization. After their application for a Charter was granted, a large gathering was held on top of Stone Mountain, near Atlanta, GA. There the gathering took the oath of allegiance in the Invisible Empire of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan. This, the second formation of the Klan was sparked by three events, but the biggest was the release of the film, Birth of a Nation. Director D. W. Griffith’s basically glorified the original Klan. His film was based on the book and play The Clansman and the book The Leopard’s Spots, both written by Thomas Dixon, Jr.. Dixon was quoted by a newspaper stating that his purpose was “to revolutionize northern sentiment by a presentation of history that would transform every man in my audience into a good Democrat!” The film created a nationwide Klan craze that would create a new era of the Klan.
Klan organizers, called “Kleagles”, signed up hundreds of new members in nearly every town across the country. Each new member paid an initiation fee and bought their costumes. Then, the organizer kept half the money and sent the rest to state or national officials. When the organizer was done with an area, he held a huge rally, often with cross burnings. They often presented a Bible to a local Protestant minister. The local units operated like many fraternal organizations and occasionally brought in speakers. By 1924, this organization had grown to an estimated 4 or 5 million men. Just eighteen months prior the gathering in Kittanning, the Women’s Order of the Klan had been formed and it was just about year since the Junior Knights were formed. That is believed what this event was in Kittanning, a rally to sign up new members to the Klan.
Klan organizers, called “Kleagles”, signed up hundreds of new members in nearly every town across the country. Each new member paid an initiation fee and bought their costumes. Then, the organizer kept half the money and sent the rest to state or national officials. When the organizer was done with an area, he held a huge rally, often with cross burnings. They often presented a Bible to a local Protestant minister. The local units operated like many fraternal organizations and occasionally brought in speakers. By 1924, this organization had grown to an estimated 4 or 5 million men. Just eighteen months prior the gathering in Kittanning, the Women’s Order of the Klan had been formed and it was just about year since the Junior Knights were formed. That is believed what this event was in Kittanning, a rally to sign up new members to the Klan.
The program for the days events were as follows;
8:00am – Salutes, Flag Raising, Band & Prayer;
9:00am – Daylight Fireworks to start and continue at intervals throughout the day.;
9:30am – Baseball Game between the Kittanning KKK and the Sagamore KKK.;
1:00pm – Band Concert, which will continue all day.;
1:30pm – Junior Klan address to be given by Kenneth McNutt.;
1:45pm – Songs by the Rev. H D. K Huber, “They Blame it on the KKK.”, Barney Google;
2:00pm – Aeroplane Flights and Stunts;
2:15pm – Address to be given by Rev. H. D. K. Huber.;
3:00pm- Klavalier’s Drill;
3:30 & 9:00pm – address given by Miss Jessie Sauer.;
4:00pm – address to be present by Rev. W. M. Bracken.;
7:00pm – Parade and Aeroplane Flight.;
8:30pm – address given by Rev. McClaine of Reynoldsville, PA.;
10:00pm – Naturalization of Men, Women & Juniors followed gigantic display of Fireworks
8:00am – Salutes, Flag Raising, Band & Prayer;
9:00am – Daylight Fireworks to start and continue at intervals throughout the day.;
9:30am – Baseball Game between the Kittanning KKK and the Sagamore KKK.;
1:00pm – Band Concert, which will continue all day.;
1:30pm – Junior Klan address to be given by Kenneth McNutt.;
1:45pm – Songs by the Rev. H D. K Huber, “They Blame it on the KKK.”, Barney Google;
2:00pm – Aeroplane Flights and Stunts;
2:15pm – Address to be given by Rev. H. D. K. Huber.;
3:00pm- Klavalier’s Drill;
3:30 & 9:00pm – address given by Miss Jessie Sauer.;
4:00pm – address to be present by Rev. W. M. Bracken.;
7:00pm – Parade and Aeroplane Flight.;
8:30pm – address given by Rev. McClaine of Reynoldsville, PA.;
10:00pm – Naturalization of Men, Women & Juniors followed gigantic display of Fireworks
Bill Oleksak from Ford City graciously donated to my collection this small pin or token from “Klan Day” in Kittanning. It is believed that this item was used during the Rally in Kittanning on September 13, 1924. The pin was dug up from the area at the lower end of 5th Avenue in Ford City. The site was the former location of the Nicholas Pabst Building. I don’t know if that was the original name, but it was a boarding house in the early days. Presently , Gary DeComo’s magisterial office is on the site. The Pabst Building burned down sometime in the 70′ or 80’s.
Many today have been mislead that the Klan was solely organized as a hate group against blacks who had been freed in the South at the end of the Civil War. Though partially true, the real intent of the Klan was formed as an insurgent movement during the Reconstruction era in the United States. As a secret vigilante group, the Klan focused its anger against Radical Republicans and sought to restore white supremacy by threats and violence, which at times including murder, against black and white Republicans. The Imperial
Grand Wizard, General Nathan Bedford Forrest said in an 1868 newspaper interview, “the Klan’s primary opposition was to the Loyal Leagues, Republican state governments, people like Tennessee governor Brownlow and other carpetbaggers and scalawags. He argued that many southerners believed that blacks were voting for the Republican Party because they were being hoodwinked by the Loyal Leagues”. The strength and strong presence the Klan made in the post Civil War era, led to Democratic control throughout the old South by the time the Klan disbanded when Forrest died in 1877.
The second Klan, which has been presented above, were strongest again in the South, but many chapters were formed all over the country. This Klan adapted more with social and region changes. They adopted anti-Jewish, anti-Catholic, anti-Communist, anti-Immigrants, and various other slants. In the 1920’s, the Klan took a strong stance against bootleggers, and drinking. Their Temperance believe and support of Prohibition was the strongest bond between Klansmen across the entire Nation. Many times, the Klan supported other organizations that hosted prohibition activities. The second Klan organization disappeared as World War II started.
In the 50’s and 60’s the third organization of KKK formed with a strong stance once again in the South, where segregation existed. Many of today Klan members are eccentric and associate more in a terrorist manner. Charleston, S. C., declared the Klan as a terrorist organization in 1999.
The second Klan, which has been presented above, were strongest again in the South, but many chapters were formed all over the country. This Klan adapted more with social and region changes. They adopted anti-Jewish, anti-Catholic, anti-Communist, anti-Immigrants, and various other slants. In the 1920’s, the Klan took a strong stance against bootleggers, and drinking. Their Temperance believe and support of Prohibition was the strongest bond between Klansmen across the entire Nation. Many times, the Klan supported other organizations that hosted prohibition activities. The second Klan organization disappeared as World War II started.
In the 50’s and 60’s the third organization of KKK formed with a strong stance once again in the South, where segregation existed. Many of today Klan members are eccentric and associate more in a terrorist manner. Charleston, S. C., declared the Klan as a terrorist organization in 1999.
Credits:
Special thanks to Bill Oleksak for donating a delicate piece of Kittanning history to be included in my collection of Kittanning Memorabilia.