While the Klan is normally
thought of as being an anti-Negro institution,the other major themes
on which it built in the 1920s were opposition to Catholicism, dope,
bootlegging, gambling, roadhouses and loose sexual behavior.
For the Klan, the end justified the means. Defending the values
of American society was to them so important as to condone the
use of violence and murder. By 1921, Klan membership had soared
to 100,000 but its real growth had only just begun, As it came
under public attack, its popularity increased. Newspapers and
Congressmen charged that the Klan had violated the First,
Fourth, Fifth, Sixth and Thirteenth Amendments to the
Constitution. The House Rules Committee held hearings on the
Klan. However, the committee chairman found that he lost the next
election. Newspapers attacked the Klan in lurid headlines which,
although they helped to sell copy, only succeeded in making the
Klan more attractive to potential members. By 1923 Klan
membership was estimated between two and three million.
When it was at its zenith, the Klan used violence, intimidation,
and parades to make its presence known in the community.
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