One of the ways that mayors of cities in the coal regions where the Ku Klux Klan wanted to demonstrate or parade controlled the situations was to insist that anyone parading must not be masked. Such was the case in Scranton, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, in 1926 where the mayor refused to allow any masked Klansman to parade – and he also refused the use of city park property. A similar situation occurred in Hazleton, Luzerne County, but the authorities there believed few would show up because they would be “ashamed” to be identified.
From the Mount Carmel Item, May 26, 1926:
KLAN PLANS DEMONSTRATION
(By United Press)
SCRANTON, Pennsylvania, May 26 [1926] — Despite the action of Mayor Jermyn in forbidding the use of masks and denying them the use of city parks for their meeting the Ku Klux Klansmen of this part of the state today were preparing to hold their parade and cross burning service on Saturday. The parade will be held without masks being worn, the leaders say. The imperial staff from Klan headquarters in Washington, D. C., will come to Scranton for the demonstration.
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From the Mount Carmel Item, May 28, 1926:
KLANSMEN NOT TO MASK AT SCRANTON
(By United Press)
SCRANTON, Pennsylvania, May 28 [1926] — When Klansmen march in their parade here tomorrow they will wear their robes but the masks will not be in use. The mayor has refused permission for the wearing of masks and has directed police to stop the parade if any attempt is made to disregard his order. Leaders in the Klan say at least 20,000 members will march. After the parade the Klansmen are to meet in West Scranton on the ground loaned them by the school board. The latter granted permission to the Klansmen for the use of this property after Mayor Jermyn declined to let members meet at Nay Aug Park or on any other city owned ground.
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From the Mount Carmel Daily News, June 12, 1926:
KU KLUX AT HAZLETON IS ANXIOUS TO HOLD PARADE
The Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, of Hazleton, have addressed a communication to Mayor Harvey, seeking permission to stage a big parade some time during the summer.
The writer failed to attach his name to the latter, but the mayor is out with a statement that he will at all times permit parades, but makes the proviso that all paraders must go unmasked.
As a consequence, it is not expected that the Hazleton Ku Kluxers will attempt the parade as it is evident to the authorities that the members are “ashamed to show their faces of reveal their identities.”
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.
_____________________________________________News article from Newspapers.com.Corrections and additional information should be added as comments to this post.