Ideals of the Florida Ku Klux Klan, ca. 1950s

Ku Klux Klan of Florida

Race relations

White supremacy movements

Ku Klux Klan (1915- )

Handbook describing the character of the KKK and their ideals about race, Christianity, citizenship and patriotism.

Ku Klux Klan (1915- )

State Archives of Florida, Series S1486

1950 (circa)

handbooks

eng-US

Text

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Postwar Florida (1945-1968)

Florida

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ca. 1950s

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Slavery And Race Relations

IDEALS OF THE FLORIDA KU KLUX KLAN We have been passing through the formative period of the organization, and now we have come to the period of constructive planning and activity. We must know what we are, and the things for which we stand in order that our activity may rightly contribute to the upbuilding of character and a high-grade citizenship. The time has now come when the world will know the Ku Klux Klan in its true character. Before we can correctly interpret this Order and the things for which it stands we ourselves must know ourselves, and the principles and ideals of this Order.

IDEALS OF THE FLORIDA KU KLUX KLAN I. THE CHARACTER OF THE ORGANIZATION And here it is necessary to repeat briefly some things with which you are already familiar. 1. THIS IS A WHITE MAN'S ORGANIZATION, exalting the Caucasian Race and teaching the doctrine of White Supremacy. This does not mean that we are enemies of the colored and mongrel races. But it does mean that we are organized to established the solidarity and to realize the mission of the White Race. All of Christian Civilization depends upon the preservation and upbuilding of the White Race, and it is the mission of the Ku Klux Klan to proclaim this doctrine until the White Race shall come into its own. 2. THIS IS A GENTILE ORGANIZATION, and as such has as its mission the interpretation of the highest ideals of the White, Gentile peoples. We sing no hymns of hate against the Jew. He is interested in his own things and we are exercising the same privilege of banding our own kind together in order that we may realize the highest and best possible for ourselves. 3. IT IS AN AMERICAN ORGANIZATION, and we do restrict membership to native-born American citizens. The records show that recently, at least, the aliens who have been flooding our land have come into this country, not because of any love for America, but, because of intolerable or unfavorable conditions in the land they left behind. They come to this country, not that they may contribute in any way to its growth and development, but that they may find opportunity to advance themselves and to serve their own interests. They are here to serve the interests of the land from which they came, regardless of the interests of this land in which they make their homes and seek their fortunes. They come to obey the mandates of governments of which they are still the subjects, even to the extent of endeavoring 3

to break down the government under which they find protection while seeking their nefarious ends. In their hearts there is the tie that still binds them to the [homeland]; to them it is still the Fatherland. Their sympathies are still there; their thoughts have been shaped by the currents in the old country. They do not easily readjust themselves. Thus we find the groups: Irish-Americans, German-Americans, and all kinds of hyphenated Americans. What pleasure would they find or what service could they render in this organization which is distinctively an American-American organization? We have organized to engender a real spirit of true Americanism--that Americanism which is a system based on a principle of utter antagonism to monarchism, whether represented by emperor, king, potentate, or pope. 4. IT IS A PROTESTANT ORGANIZATION. Membership is restricted to those who accept the tenets of true Christianity, which is essentially Protestant. We maintain and contend that is the inalienable right of Protestants to have their own distinctive organization. We can say to the world without apology, and say truly, that our forefathers founded this as a Protestant country and that it is our purpose to re-establish and maintain it as such. While we will energetically maintain and proclaim the principles of Protestantism, we will also maintain the principles of religious liberty as essential to the life and progress of this nation, and we will vigorously oppose all efforts to rob the American people of this right. II. RACIAL IDEALS 1. WE STAND FOR WHITE SUPREMACY. Distinction among the races is not accidental but designed. This is clearly brought out in the one book that tells authoritatively of the origin of races. This distinction is not incidental, but is of the vastest import and indicates the wisdom of the divine mind. It is not temporary but is as abiding as the ages that have not yet ceased to roll. The supremacy of the White Race must be maintained, or be overwhelmed by the rising tide of color. 2. WE MUST KEEP THIS A WHITE MAN'S COUNTRY. Only by doing this can we be 4 faithful to the foundations laid by our forefathers. a. This Republic was established by the White Men. b. It was established for White Men. c. Our forefathers never intended that it should fall into the hands of an inferior race. d. Every effort to wrest from White Men the management of its affairs in order to transfer it to the control of blacks or any other color, or to permit them to share in its control, is an invasion of our sacred constitutional prerogatives and a violation of divinely established laws. Every effort to wrest from the White Man the control of this country must be resisted. No person of the White Race can submit to such efforts without shame. One of the sad facts in American political life is the readiness of so many politicians to sell their noble white birthright for a mess of black pottage. They would betray their race in order to win a few black votes. e. We would not rob the colored population of their rights, but we demand that they respect the rights of the White Race in whose country they are permitted to reside. When it comes to the point that they cannot and will not recognize and respect those rights, they must be reminded that this is a White Man's country, so that they will seek for themselves a country more agreeable to their tastes and aspirations. f. Purity of the white blood must be maintained. One of the crying evils of the times is the mixture of white blood with that of Negro. This evil has gone on since Colonial days until perhaps more than half of the Negroes in the United States have some degree of white blood flowing in their veins. This condition is not only biologically disastrous but is giving rise to grave social problems. Mulatto leaders who, under present social conditions, are forced to remain members of the negro group and who aspire to white association because of their white blood are boldly preaching racial equality in all of its phases. The guilt for this state of affairs rests upon those members of the White Race who for a moment of sexual pleasure have betrayed their own kind and bartered 5

their own blood. It has become necessary to devise some means for the preservation of the white blood in its purity, because, despite prohibitive laws, racial intermixture is continuing and the problem of mixed blood is becoming more and more acute. III. CITIZENSHIP IDEALS 1. Development of the highest standard of citizenship. We ourselves must come to know what it means to be citizens of the foremost nation in all the earth. We need to have knowledge of the privileges and responsibilities and glories of our citizenship intelligently. We must learn and practice these things in order that we may teach them to others. 2. Rightful use of the ballot. Thank God, the day of partisan politics is past,. Time was when parties stood for great principles. But today the difference between them is that of "tweedledum and tweedledee." One of the parties must be induced to champion great fundamental American principles that will hasten the development of our country, or else a new party must come into being. As the matter now stands we must cast our ballots for the right as it is more nearly represented and championed by men regardless of party. 3. We stand for the enforcement of law by the regularly constituted authorities. This order does not take the law into its own hands and will not tolerate acts of lawlessness on the part of its members. Any man of any color or creed who charges the Ku Klux Klan with being an organization which fosters and perpetrates acts of lawlessness and deeds of violence is either willfully blind or is malicious, slandering, lying fool, who because of some inborn prejudice, seeks to destroy an organization that is [law-abiding], and that demands the enforcement of laws by those who have been duly elected to office. We are within our rights as American citizens when we demand of men who are put in office of trust that they shall faithfully perform the duties of their offices. It is quite evident that those who oppose us on this principle do not want the laws of our country enforced, and are seeking to cover their 6 anarchistic spirit by impugning our motives and imputing criminality to us. IV. PATRIOTIC IDEALS The men of this Order stand for the purest and most practical type of patriotism toward our great and glorious country. 1. We take our stand upon the Declaration of Indepence as the basis of popular government. This document denis the dogma of despots, that kings rule my divine right. It asserts that governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governe. It solemnly affirms the right of the American people to govern themselves as a free and indepdent nation--indepdent of all outside sovereignty and control. 2. We believe in upholding the Constituition of the United States. This document reduces to practice the precepts of the Declaration and must be recognized as the supreme law of the land. It guarantees that liberty which must be cherished as the precious heritage of the American people. It establishes the freedom of institutions dear to the American heart. It guarantees religious liberty, freedom from speech and of press, and all the righs that pertain to the people who constitute this nation. It depicts ideals and defines institutions that must be made real and kept secure. The members of the Florida Ku Klux Klan are sworn by a solemn oath to uphold and defend this immortal Constituition. 3. Allegiance. We teach that the citizen's first and highest alegiance is to the Government of the United States. No other government, potentate, or person of any kind shall share in this allegiance. We maintain that a divided allegiance means no allegiance. There can be no half American, and any sort of hyphen absolut4ely makes impossible any kind of loyalty to the American government, its ideals and institutions. 4. We stand for the American flag against enemies without and within. We emphasize devotion to the flag of our country as the ensign of our American nationality and the emblem of our national honor. A man stands wholly for the Stars and Stripes or else to him his country's flag is only a dirty rag. We in 7

sist that no flag shall fly aboove our flag, and that no flag shall float by its side. 5. Neither domestic traitors nor foreign foes of any kind shall be permitted to destroy this nation. 6. None shall be allowed to circumscribe the influence and hinder the progress of American institutions on this continent. And this involves the welfare and development of the public school system. To those who seek to undermine or destroy this American institution we say, "hands off," and we will defend this institution against every enemy, whether it be political or ecclesiastical. V. CHRISTIAN IDEALS 1. We magnify the Bible--as the basis of our Constituition, the foundation of our government, the source of our laws, the sheet-anchor of our liberties, the most practical guide of right living, and the source of all true wisdom. 2. We teach the worship of God. For we have in mind the divine command, "Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God." 3. We honor the Christ, as the Klansman's only criterion of character. And we seek at His hands that cleansing from sin and impurity, which only He can give. 4. We believe that the highest expression of life is in service and in sacrifice for that which is right; that selfishness can have no place in a true Klansman's life and character; but that he must be moved by unselfish motives, such as characterized our Lord the Christ and moved him to the highest service and the supreme sacrifice for that which was right. I have but suggested here a few of the many ideals of the Ku Klux Klan., Let us seek to make these real in our life and practice so that we may become bright, true Klansmen, and be ready for other ideals and principles as they shall be presented from time to time. 8