Although no actual attendance count was given, a news report praised the Ku Klux Klan demonstration that was held in Millersburg, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, in late June 1927. The anti-immigrant stance of the Klan was evident in the speech by a representative from the National Headquarters who decried the large number of immigrants who were living in the New York City area as he called for more strict immigration laws and stopping the “gates” from being “thrown open” to foreigners from “other worlds.” Providence intervened to cut his remarks short. Nevertheless, the positive reporting on this event was typical of the way in which Klan activities were normalized in the local press.
This post is a continuation of the reporting on hate groups that were active in the Lykens Valley area. It was a widely known fact that the Ku Klux Klan had a significant presence in the Lykens Valley and adjacent valleys during the early years of the 20th Century. This iteration of the Klan was strongly white supremacist and was opposed to equal rights for African Americans, Catholics, Jews, and immigrants.
From the Lykens Standard, 1 July 1927:
K. K. K. STAGES DEMONSTRATION AT MILLERSBURG
Beginning at noon Saturday, the Ku Klux Klan of Millersburg staged an open air meeting and Field Day which attracted members from all sections of this and adjoining counties. A band concert was played intermittently from noon until one o’clock, when Children’s Hour was observed until 2:00 P.M.
The Baby Parade under auspices of the Health Associations of Milersburg was held at that hour, and the activities of the Klan ceased until 2:30 when Klavallers and Kouriers gave exhibition drills.
At 4:30. Mrs. Corda Brubaker, representative of the Women of the Ku Klux Klan spoke on “Americanism” and held her hearers spell-bound with her startling remarks. Dr. T. J. McKay was another interesting speaker and he, too, proved himself an able orator.
The parade in the evening at 6:30 was a feature of the field day program and was one of the best of the robed organization ever held in this section. Headed by the Millersburg Band the organizations from Williamstown, Lykens, Millersburg, Dalmatia, Selinsgrove, Sunbury, Harrisburg, etc., paraded the streets in firmness and quietness. Outstanding among the features were several drill teams composed of young ladies who received much applause along the line of march.
C. R. Butler, representative of the National Headquarters office was the speaker of the evening, and his remarks were forcible and pertained to “Americanism.” Immigration was a strong point of his argument in which he cited that 1,750,000 foreigners were now living in the New York metropolis with more than one million of those yet un-naturalized, His address brought out the need of stringent immigration laws and foretold the horrors and disadvantages of having the gates to other worlds thrown open to the foreigners.
Because of a terrible thunderstorm Mr. Butler’s remarks were made brief and many of the Klanfolk left the grounds before the Naturalization and Fireworks. However, the program was carried out as scheduled, although hampered to a great extent by the intermittent showers.
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News clipping from Newspapers.com.
This post was first published on The Civil War Blog on 17 January 2018.