Saturday, June 24, 2023

Klan Refunds Fee to Judge Carter, June 24, 1923

Klans Refund Fee to Judge Collins with Nice Letter. . . Raleigh’s Invisible Knights Send Copy of the Letter to Papers. . . New Branches. . . Three or Four New Klans Have Been Reported Organized in Wake County. . . Everett for McLean. . . Bailey Admits That He is Making Preparation to Run But Says That He Can Do Without Office

Raleigh, June 23—Klan No. 1 Realm of North Carolina, Raleigh, Invisible Empire Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, has written to City D.H. Collins, sending the press of this community a copy of the letter, and telling him that since he needs his $10 worse than the Klan needs him, he is being given a refund. The letter, the copy of which carries the imprint of the klan seal and the imprimatur of the Ku Klux Klan press—no union label—reads as follows:

June 22nd, 1923

Judge D.H. Collins,

Greensboro, N.C.

Sir:--You “saw nothing wrong in the principles of the Ku Klux Klan” and yet, because you were midlely questioned concerning your membership, you decide the principles, altho right, are unpolpular and therefor declare yourself a “sucker.”

You, doubtless, need your ten dollars more than the Klan needs you, and we are, therefore, sendihg you your money in the hope that in again being in possession of your ten dollars you will feel the better in repudiating the principles of the Klan.

Raleigh Klan No. 1

Realm of North Carolina

The foregoing came through the mails in a plain envelope. It is the first thing of its sort to reach the public in this community and offers supporting evidence of the claim that has been made by local klansmen that there would be no doubt of whether a note came from the Ku Klux or was a forgery.

It is reported here that three or four new klans have been organized within the past few weeks in Wake county, one at Apex and another at Wake Forest being included in the number. County Attorney Percy J. Olive was asked the other day, it is reported, by a casual acquaintance who thought Pierce was in on the organization, if “they didn’t have a big time in Apex” on such and such a night. The Klan had been to Mr. Olive’s home town and organized a lodge supposed to number about 40, without his having found it out.

Mr. Olive usually travels with J.W. Bailey, who has been pushed forward of late as the chief anti-Kluck in these parts. It’s an odds-on bet that he has had nothing to do with the organization.

Former Kleagle Guerrard is telling what part of the world which appears interested in some of his hunches as to why the charges against him were not pressed by the klan government in Atlanta. He avers that he spent some of the money he was alleged to have embezzled in the interest of certainplitical candidates and had warrant for it. He protests his innocence, of course, but he doesn’t concede for one minute that the prosecution was dropped for that reason alone.

It would not displease some of the members of state officialdom if the “newspaper boyhs” put out a little something in favor of Hugh Chatham of Winston-Salem, for state Democratic chairman. Nobody is knocking J.O. Carr of Wilmington, but it is pointed out that Mr. Chatham is close to the senator and that he is by way of being a liberal Democrat.

Just exactly what constitutes liberality in this connection is left to conjecture. Mr. Carr himself has always been understood to have much the same sort of connections as are claimed for Mr. Chatrham; but now that Winston-Salem has been given Southern trains Nos. 21 and 22, it is somewhat closer to the capital than Wilmington.

Officialdom likes to deal with chairmen and such like at close range.

Secretary of state Everett’s statement that he is committed to A.W. McLean for governor, did not dampen the ardor of the local Everett enthusiasts, nor did it perturb those who have been predicting that there was an effort on foot to withdraw Mr. McLean in favor of somebody the ‘people can warm up to.’

J.W. Bailey, who now admits that he is making every preparation to run, does not think Mr. Everett will run against him. It may have no direct bearing on the subject, but Mr. Bailey is still saying that he doesn’t have to be governor, but has been and will be contented without it. He continues to say that he is ready to retire in favor of a man for whom North Carolina indicates a clear-cut desire.

It is patent that he does not think Mr. McLean is this man.

From the front page of the Durham Morning Herald, Sunday, June 24, 1923

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