Chapter 674: Klan Temple (Klemple)-ism or Klanism
Thanks to his massive success in the anti-war really in Washington, William Joseph Simmons believed he could not only reunite and revive the Ku Klux Klan, but that to do so he had to implement new changes too. While Hiram Wesley Evans had become the new Imperial Wizard in 1922, Simmons had become the elected Emperor for life. Ever since the 1930s fascist leaning splinter groups of the Klan had risen, like the Black Legion, the Knights of the White Camellia and others, that sought close relationship with other National Monarchist/ Fascist Royalist groups like the German-American Bund and the Silver Shirts (often shortened SS). William Simmons believed that one of the main factors that the KKK had failed to archive a so massive loyal fanaticism and mass movement unlike the National Monarchists and Fascist Royalists had done in Europe was because while it had it's believes and ideals, it lacked a core ideology, a unifying center, around which a own ideology and even political party could be build. Therefore William Simmons as the Klan's Emperor rewrote the Kloran (a portmanteau of "Klan" and "Koran"), the Klan's handbook into his personal ideological book to outline and cement his ideology and believes that should form the new, future Klan, detailed outlining the role of different Klan members as well as detailing Klan ceremonies and procedures. The letters Kl were often used at the beginning of words to delineate a Klan association. Examples include: Kloran, Klonversation (conversation), Klavern (cavern or tavern; local branch or meeting place), Klavaliers, and such. The original Kloran was written by William J. Simmons, for his revived "Knights of the Ku Klux Klan," around 1915. He drew heavily on his previous experiences as a "fraternalism;" he was a member of many different lodges and had sold memberships in the Woodmen of the World before deciding to revive the Klan. The Klan created the Kloran as a means to share their knowledge and to keep a set of values within the organization. Now however as William Simmons rewrote the Kloran and tried to establish a mass movement around himself at the center and top, many things changed. The Black Legion with it's around 135,000 members was a Klan organized along military lines, their Michigan Legion alone had 5 brigades, 16 regiments, 64 battalions, and 256 companies. It boasted of a membership of one million Legionnaires in Michigan, but observers estimated that it had between 20,000 and 30,000 members. When William Simmons incorporated them into the newly unified Klan, they formed a sort of paramilitary group (the Black Knights in their Black Robes and Black Hoods), who had to swear allegiance to him alone, similar to Hitler's SA and other movements of the time. They were officially the military branch of his so called Invisible Empire and their main enemies were the Washington Government, Republicans, Catholics and Jews.
William Simmons Second Klan started to organize white citizen's councils opposing the central government's growing authority in the Southern States and calling for a Invisible Empire in the whole world, as well as in a spiritual sense. The secrets, working order and ideology implemented by William Simmons were outlined in the Kloran and all outside of this hidden state and empire were designated the Alien World and non-members Aliens. Around William Simmons, as the commander in Chief, whose power was supreme "within the limits of this Constitution" and whose edicts, decisions and rulings were binding on all members of the order, the Klan became a very militarized organization. They even used own specific terms, referring to states and territories within the United States as Realms, given a number given by it's organization within the KKK hierarchy and it's capital the convention was named a Klorero, ruled by a Grand Dragon, while a ruling council of none Hydras ruled over the whole hidden Empire. Inside the Realm, the Klan established Provinces, counties or a number of counties (six at maximum), designated by the local Grand Dragon. Each Province was lead by a Great Titan. Underneath this was the basic unit, the Klan with a jurisdiction era known as a Klanton, led by a Exalted Cyclops. The officers at each level above the local Klan unit were designated by a unique prefix: Imperial at the Empire level; Grand at the Realm level; and Great at the Province level. Thus, for instance, an Imperial Kludd would be the chaplain for the whole organization, a Grand Kludd for the Realm, Great Kludd for a Province and simply Kludd for a local Klan.
Not all offices were reproduced at each level. The Kladd, Klarogo, Klexter, and Klokard were not present at the Province level, and the Kladd was not included on the Realm level. The Klazik, second vice-president, and Klonsul, attorney, positions only existed at the Imperial level. The Klazik's duties included being head of the department of Realms and organizing new Realms and Provinces. At the Province level there were three Klaliffs that served as an advisory board. A Klokann of three members, each one named a Klokan, filled this role at the local levels and a Klokann of four members at the Imperial level, in which they served as a "Supreme Board of Auditors and Special Advisers" and was led by a Chief Imperial Klokan. The Imperial Wizards Genii constituted his Imperial Kloncilium; this was the Imperial Wizards supreme advisory board, as well as the Klans highest administrative organ in between Klonvokations. It met regularly every July, but could also be called when the Imperial Wizard or five Geniis petitioned him to do so. The Kloncilium was also the Supreme Tribunal of Justice of the organization with appellate jurisdiction and the right to finally determine disputes between Realms, Provinces, Klans and members in unorganized states. Giant was adopted as an emeritus title: Imperial Giant for an ex-Imperial Wizard, Grand Giant for an ex-Grand Dragon, Great Giant for ex-Great Titan, and Klan Giant for an ex-Exalted Cyclops. A Kleagle was a recruiter and was responsible for organizing local Klans. Klankraft or Klanishness – the overall practice and state of being a Klan member. This could be defined as the employment and patronizing of fellow Klansmen, as well as sale of official Klan memorabilia, such as T-shirts, watches and belt buckles. The definition robes, cross lightings and parades, the mysticism, everything that made the Klan the Klan was soon found. Other definitions included maintaining the sanctity of one's home, maintenance of white supremacy and purity, and loyalty to the Klan itself.
Terms related to membership and non-membership: were Alien – a non-member, Naturalization – the Klan initiation ceremony, Citizen – a Klan member, Passport – membership card, Banished – expelled from the Klan. There were even special names for different Klan Groups, according to their activity; Wrecking Crew – an action squad commissioned to take physical action against enemies and wayward members of the Klan. Depending on time and organization, these groups consisted of 5 to 8 members and were authorized either by the klokann, the Exalted Cyclops and/or the Kludd. Sometimes led by the Nighthawk. An action taken by the crew is wrecked. Some names used by wrecking crews include "Secret Six", "Ass-tear Squad" and "Holy terrors". The Klan Bureau of Investigation – Pioneered by the Mississippi White Knights, these groups investigate the Klans enemies and check leaks, later they were formed by William Simmons Second Klan into it's very own secret service. Degree teams – a group which performs the task of initiation. In terms of finances the Klan knew the following worlds; Klectoken or Klecktokon – initiation fee. It stabilized around $10 before the 1960s, the Imperial tax – membership dues and the Provincial tax – secondary dues, paid per capita for the upkeep of a Realm. The overall Code words and phrases used by the KKK were; A.Y.A.K. or Ayak – "Are you a Klansman?" to be answered with; A.K.I.A. or Akia – "A Klansman I am"; these were code words for Klansmen meeting in strange surroundings. They would be inserted into common conversation, for instance "Does a Mr. Ayak live in this neighborhood?" to be responded by "No, but a Mr. Akia does." The password would then be accompanied by a secret handshake or other sign of recognition. Other words and phrases included K.I.G.Y or Kigy – "Klansman, I greet you", S.A.N.B.O.G. or Sanbog – "Strangers are near, be on guard", Itsub – "In the sacred unfailing bond", a correspondence sign-off, Sor – "Sign of recognition", K.L.A.S.P. – "Klannish loyalty a sacred principle", C.A.B.A.R.K. – "Constantly Applied By All Real Klansmen", O.R.I.O.N – Our Race Is Our Nation, or L.O.T.I.E or LOTIE – Lady Of The Invisible Empire. This was one of a number of names for Klan women's auxiliaries.
Two KKK codes for dates and times have been developed, the Ku Klux Register in the original prescripts and the Kalender developed by William Joseph Simmons too; The Klan months were 1st – Dismal, 2nd – Dark, 3rd – Furious, 4th – Portentous, 5th – Wonderful, 6th – Alarming, 7th – Dreadful, 8th – Terrible, 9th – Horrible, 10th – Melancholy, 11th – Mournful and 12th – Dying. Colors were used for the days of the week were; 1st Prescript; 1. White, 2. Green, 3. Blue, 4. Black, 5. Yellow, 6. Crimson and 7. Purple. Twelve designations were used for the hours of the day: 1. Fearful, 2. Startling, 3. Awful, 4. Woeful, 5. Horrid, 6. Bloody, 7. Doleful, 8. Sorrowful, 9. Hideous, 10. Frightful, 11. Appalling and 12. Last. The Kalender developed by W. J. Simmons even included codes for days of the week, weeks, months and years. For months: 1st – Bloody, 2nd – Gloomy, 3rd – Hideous, 4th – Fearful, 5th – Furious, 6th – Alarming, 7th – Terrible, 8th – Horrible, 9th – Mournful, 10th – Sorrowful, 11th – Frightful and 12th – Appalling. For weeks and days: Weeks; 1. Woeful, 2. Weeping, 3. Wailing, 4. Wonderful and 5. Weird. Days; 1. Dark, 2. Deadly, 3. Dismal, 4. Doleful, 5. Desolate, 6. Dreadful and 7. Desperate. Years were reckoned according to reigns and cycles. The Reign of Incarnation and Incantation was all time up to the American Revolutionary War. The First Reign of the Klan's Incarnation and Incantation was the period between the Revolution and the establishment of the original Klan, which was reckoned to May 6, 1866 in this scheme. The Reign of our Second Incarnation and Incantation was reckoned between 1866 and Grand Wizard Nathan Bedford Forrest's dissolution of the Klan, which is reckoned to 1872. The Reign of our Third Incarnation and Incantation began in 1915. The Klan year, Anno Klanslar, began in March of each year, and the cycle was reckoned from December of each calendar year.
After the rewriting of the Kloran, William Joseph Simmons reformed the newly unified and growing Klan into a ideology (Klanism), a southern political party (Southern Knights Party, Confederate Party or Dixieland Party). The ideology inside this party was inspired by Social Darwinism, racism, Nordicism, anti-Catholicism, white Nationalism, anti immigration, pro-segregation, white nationalism, Neo-Confederism, Anti-Communism, Prohibition, Antisemitism, but also Nazi Ideology and the idea of National Churches (mainly the German Protestant one). Therefore William Joseph Simmons structured the religious part of his new ideology and believes around the so called Klemple (Klan Temples, or Klaos, from the Greek word for temple naós), were so called Kliests (Klan Priests) preached his philosophy and ideology, the next step were the Grand Klemple, were a Klishop (Klan Bishop) would preach as the next member in this hierarchy. The headquarter was in the Major Klemple, the main Klemple at Stone Mountain, the Confederate memorial, were the Second Klan had been founded and were the annual Labor Day Cross-burning ceremony would be held each year. The burning cross ceremony soon became a stable in all Klemple's seen as a religious rite that symbolically represented the cleansing of the impure, something the Klan unknowingly shared with the Catholic Inquisition. There in the Major Klemple, William Joseph Simmons served as the Klophet (Klan Prophet, as the Klope, the Klan Pope while mostly more accurate as a term, was seen as too controversial by the anti-catholic KKK). The Klempleists and Klanedans as they called themself and their religion (Klanedanism or Klempleism) believed that god had created the white man above anything else and that all other races, especialy Blacks, Jews, Catholics and Asians were vastly inferior to them and destined to serve this white, blessed superior human beings. A ideology that spit in the face of real science and evolution theory, even if it clamed both as well as religion would support their weird pseudoscience. After the Second Great War, the Klan and his political and religious branches would attract millions again, especial during the Second Great Depression after Allied Nations like Britain and France could not, or outright refused to pay back the debt they had with the United States. As a political party, the party branch of the Klan would be a major (sometimes even the second strongest) political party of the newly independent Southern States (Dixieland or the American Confederate States). However thanks to the lessons learned by William Joseph Simmons before, during and after the Second Great War, many Klansmen and Klanist believers held offices in the Southern States even when their party was not elected as the majority itself, as they formed coalitions with the Dixiecrats, the Silver Shirts or even the smaller groups of America German Bund when necessary and influenced elections in the south enough to swing whole states.