Thursday, July 02, 2020

The Ku Klux Klan arrives in Wayne County's Seymour


John P. Ream
I've written several times over the years about the rise and fall in Lucas County of the Ku Klux Klan, starting in 1923 and continuing through what seems to have been its banner year here, 1924. Two of those posts may be found here, "Iron them sheets, Ma ...." and "Lucas County and the Ku Klux Klan: Part 2."

Here's a bit of background that I wrote for one of those posts:  "To understand a little of what was going on here, you've got to go back to 1915 when D.W. Griffith's iconic but horrifying "The Birth of a Nation," was released, fictionalizing and glorifying the first Ku Klux Klan, a dreadful and deadly outfit organized during 1865 in Pulaski, Tennessee.

"That Klan. suppressed in the 1870s, was long dead when Griffith's film opened, but 'The Birth of a Nation' set off a nationwide revisionist Klan craze capitalized upon by William J. Simmons, who founded the new Klan that year in Stone Mountain, Georgia. Much of the new Klan's paraphernalia, from sheets to flaming crosses, was lifted straight from the movie. If it hadn't had such tragic consequences for blacks foremost but also for Jews and Roman Catholics and all those other "others," the whole business would have been hilarious.

"The new Klan puttered along until 1920, when its future was placed in the hands of professional publicists --- seriously. It then exploded across South and North --- a marketing success story based upon racism, anti-Semitism, anti-Catholicism, anti-Communism, opposition to immigration and --- prohibition. The Klan's target audience was exclusively white and exclusively protestant. And Lucas County was about as white and protestant as it got.

"Klan organizers spread across the land to recurit new members, collect dues and sell costumes, keeping half the money for themselves. Since nearly everyone belonged to one or more lodges in those days, the trappings of fraternal organizations were added, too. That gave rise to the line, 'but it's just another lodge.' "

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The seeds of the Klan in Lucas County may well have been planted by the Rev. Jesse D. Pontius, pastor of Chariton's First Christian Church, who arrived during 1922 and went on to become its most public face, known for his promotional oratory on the topic of "Americanism."

A well-financed core of believers had been formed by the spring of 1923 and during April of that year, a professional Klan organizer, Wayne Blankenship, was brought in from Indiana to do the leg work. A year later, the Klan was strong enough to purchase the former United Presbyterian Church at the intersection of North Main Street and Roland Avenue as headquarters during April of 1924.

During early August, 1924, a regional "konclave" in an area just southwest of town called Chandler Park attracted what was described as Chariton's largest public gathering ever and featured an evening parade around the square.

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A similar process was ongoing during those same years in Appanoose County and its county seat, Centerville, where the professional organizer was from Texas and an even larger, stronger and more enduring Klan was being organized. There, the Klan would have its own newspaper and remain a political force to be reckoned with through 1927.

But organization in Wayne County, kind of sandwiched between Appanoose and Lucas, seems not to have gotten fully underway until 1924 and some interesting reports of its progress in the small town of Seymour may be found in digital archives of The Seymour Herald.

Here's an interesting report of the first organizational meeting held in Seymour, during late May of 1924, published in The Herald of June 5. Note that the organizer of the meeting was identified as John P. Ream, a Lucas County farmer and brother to Durward B. Ream, a great-uncle of mine, also a known member of the Klan.

The story identified the principal speaker as "a minister from Corydon," but I'm wondering if, in fact, the speaker wasn't the Rev. Mr. Pontius, of Chariton. Whatever the case, here's the article --- containing interesting insights into the Klan's appeal --- published under the headline, "Klu (sic), Klux Klan Organizing Here."

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A meeting preliminary to organizing a klavern of the Klu Klux Klan (sic) was held at the Farmers Union Hall Wednesday evening of last week. Admission cards to a lecture on "Americanism" were handed out Wednesday and those attending this meeting were obliged to write their names on these tickets.

Between 50 and 60 men attended this meeting, Confidence, Promise City and other towns in the county being represented. J. P. Ream of Chariton, organizer for the Klan in this county, was here and a minister from Corydon delivered the lecture on "Americanism."

The meeting was called to order and the first verse of "America" was sung, followed by prayer. The speaker read the creed of the Klan, Proverbs 14th chapter, 31st verse. In his address, he stated that the Klan is composed of native-born Americans of the Caucasian race who must be supporters if not members of some Protestant church. the object of the Klan is the protection of the United States by aiding officers in the enforcement of the law, the restoration of the Bible to the public schools, the shutting off of undesirable immigration, resistance to any further gain in power by either Jews or Roman Catholics and awakening the native born Caucasians of the United states to the fact that this is their country.

To gain the purposes of the Klan it is necessary to have a complete organization just as any other movement must that wishes to accomplish its purposes, and for that reason it is planned to have an organization in every state in the union, in every county and every community. Organizations haave been completed in every state in the union. In speaking of the number of Klansmen in the United states the speaker said to take the number of Masons, Oddfellows, Knights of Pythias, Woodmen, Yoeman, then double that and then double it again, and there wouldn't be enough to equal the number of Klansmen.

It was made plain that only native-born Caucasians of Protestant faith and good moral character are accepted for membership; that bootleggers, gamblers, persons who have been convicted of felony and the like are not accepted. The speaker also stated that the Klan did not approve of mob violence.

At the close of the lecture all who did not feel that they might see fit to join the organization at some future time were asked to retire. There were a number who left that did not care to affiliate with the Klan, but whohad no ill will toward the organization. A large number signified their desire to become members of the Klan and when the process of investigation of the applicants is completed we believe there will be an organization here.

The Klan is doing good work in this state in the way of stopping disregard for the law, and it is probable that it can be of benefit here. There is no fault to be found with the principles of the Klan.

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