The first public meeting in the interest of the Ku Klux Klan to be held in Charlotte will be addressed by Dr. Caleb A. Ridley, pastor of the Central Baptist church of Atlanta, Ga., and recognized as one of the foremost ministers of the Baptist church in the south. The meeting will be held in the city auditorium next Thursday night and both men and women of the city are invited to attend.
Dr. Ridley will make the only address of the meeting. His subject will be “The Ku Klux Klan.” Dr. Luther Little, pastor of the First Baptist church of this city, will introduce him to the audience. The opening prayer will be made by Rev. C.B. Mashburn, pastor of the Christian church. Invitations will be extended to 100 prominent Charlotte men, including several ministers, to occupy seats the platform. Robed clansmen will also occupy a portion of the platform. Robed klansmen will act as ushers.
PROMINENT SPEAKER
Dr. Ridley has appeared on the lecture platform on numerous occasions and is recognized as forceful and interesting speaker. He is a native of this state. The minister is president of the Dixie Defense League and recently was the subject of considerable newspaper comment when he protested against the pamphlet of Governor Dorsey of Georgia, claiming that negroes of that state were held in peonage. Dr. Ridley contended that the pamphlet was issued by the governor for political reasons and that his claims were without foundations.
Those in charge of arrangements for the meeting said they expected the auditorium to be filled to capacity because of the reputation of Dr. Ridley as a speaker and because of the interest being manifested the Ku Klux Klan. He will explain the ideas and purposes of the Klan and give as much information as to the mysteries of the order as the regulations will permit.
DELEGATIONS COMING
Delegations from Ku Klux Klan organizations in Gastonia, Monroe, High Point, Greensboro and other North Carolina cities are expected here for the meeting, which will be one of the biggest meetings the organization has held in this state. In this connection it was learned that new Klans are being formed in several smaller cities of this section of the state. The Klan at Gastonia has been in existence for a few weeks, while the Monroe Klan has just been organized.
Charlotte is said to have between 300 and 400 klansmen who are taking an active interest in the local Klan which was organized about three months ago. Regulations prohibit the naming of members of the organization; neither do they permit members to let it be known to individuals that they belong to the Klan.
An organizer has been located here for several months. From this city he is directing the organization of new Klans in neighboring towns.
From The Charlotte News, Sunday, June 12, 1921
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