A stirring of appeal for the awakening of the native born white man of America to the dangers which threaten and his union for the protection of his own country was contained in the address of Col. John Nolen, imperial lecturer of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, delivered before a fair-sized audience in the city auditorium Friday night.
Declaring that our fore-fathers left a heritage which the native born citizen of today is about to let fall into the grasp of Europe’s scum, the clan official appealed for action by pure blooded “100 per cent white, native born, gentile, Protestant American citizens.”
He was speaking in the interest of the Ku Klux Klan which has a strong organization in Charlotte and which is establishing local clans throughout the country, but his address dealt primarily with dangers which he said threatens to undermine the very constitution of the country. Despite the rain the first floor of the auditorium was comfortably filled and the first row of the seats in the balcony was occupied. Robed clansmen occupied seats on the platform and robed men silently ushered those attending to seats.
The glory of the history of the Caucasian race was interestingly portrayed by Colonel Nolen, who declared that the white man is superior to all other races and then set out to prove it. He referred to the wonderful government the white men of America has built up in 150 years. The Chinese with their 5,000 years if civilization behind them, are seeking the assistance of Americans in establishing a government there modeled after our own system. The years spent in savagery by the negro was dealt with, his elevation into the civilization of America commented on, and the declaration made that if the negro were placed back in Africa and was unable to see a white man again he would drift back into savagery in 75 years.
Intermarriage Condemned
Interracial marriage was condemned by the speaker, who declared that the fall of all white nations in the past has been because they allowed their blood to mongrelize with inferior races. Intermarriage of the races will not solve the situation because a race of people cannot be blotted out. The negro and the Caucasian will breed the Mulato but other breeding will return the Mulato to a black man.
“One hundred per cent, pure, white, native-born, gentile, Protestant American Citizens,” white supremacy, separation of church and state, and the protection of womanhood are the four principles of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, declared Colonel Nolen. He then set out to explain the klan’s attitude towards each of these principles.
White supremacy does not mean injustice, intolerance, oppression or tyranny towards any class, he said, but it does mean that the white man, which established this country, is going to keep the reins of government in his own hands. The declarations regarding the superiority of white man followed with the appeal that the white man owes it to his mother and to his children which will follow to refrain from mixing his blood with another race.
The Ku Klux Klan stands for the separation of church and state because the constitution says that they two shall be separated and because Christ said they must be separated, the speaker declared.
The Protestant, the Jew, the Catholic and all creeds shall be allowed to worship God as they please, said the speaker, but “there shall never be a union of church and state in this government.”
He said that womanhood is dropping from her high pedestal on which she was placed by our forefathers. He said the Ku Klux Klan wants to put her back as the queen of the home, and he appealed to his hearers to join with the organization in this movement.
Foreigners a Menace
Laying particular emphasis on the influx of foreigners into this country during the last 50 years, the speaker declared that they are now trying to get their hands on the reins of the government and take it away from the white man.
They did not come to this country because they loved America, or the flag or the constitution but because they loved the American dollar, he declared.
The speaker referred to the cries of “patriotism” in all quarters of country. He declared that he is tired of the words “Patriotism” and now wants action.
He took a rap at the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, declaring it was an organization which sought to abolish the Jim Crow laws, to revoke the laws against intermarriage of the races and which seeks control of the reins of government for the negro, the Japanese, Chinese and other colored races.
The speaker was vigorously applauded throughout his speech and the audience listened with marked attention. He possesses an interesting style of speaking and after going through a rapid-fire line of argument he produced laughter when he declared he is just a “plain, cotton-mouthed Georgia Cracker.”
From The Charlotte News, July 16, 1921
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