Decline Masked: The Imperial Wizard Comes to Spokane

Following the election of 1924, the Klan began its gradual decline in the State of Washington. While this marked the beginning of the organization’s decline, especially in the Spokane region, the Klan had some enduring influence and membership. Immediately following the election, the Northwest Domain of the Ku Klux Klan was toured by Imperial Wizard Dr. Hiram Wesley Evans. As Imperial Wizard, Evans had usurped power during the preceding years from founder and former Imperial Emperor Simmons who had revived the Klan in 1915. As was reported on throughout the state, Evans’ visit it Washington stirred up some discontent with the sate leadership of the Klan. After being refused an audience with Evans during his visit to Seattle, a number of high officials in the State Klan resigned citing struggles over top down control. This sort of infighting was largely typical of the Klan during the 1920s and many times the reason for Klan decline had little to do with public resistance to bigotry and much more to do with ineffective Klan power structures resulting in fights over control.

Following his visit to Seattle, Evans continued his tour of the state speaking in Spokane and other Eastern Washington towns. Speaking in Spokane on November 15^th, 1924, Evans was met with a crowd of around 1000 listeners. The Imperial Wizard delivered a speech on the principles of the Klan and assuring the listeners that it was a peaceful organization. While he did not mention the recently failed school bill, Evans did take broad credit for all political victories across the country. While Evans’ taking credit for political victories was misleading, the fact of the matter remains that the conservative politics that dominated the United States during the 1920s were already very much in line with the goals of the Klan. The rhetoric of Evans’ speech predicted an enduring Klan in Spokane and the rest of the nation. The reality of the situation was that the Klan was at its peak in the region with only down to go. After 1924, the membership of the Klan reportedly began to rapidly drop. Klan strength was determined by not only active membership but even more so through new recruitment as every new Klansman paid a one-time membership fee of $10—not including the robes and other regalia that could only be purchased through the official organization. Kleagles in the region were paid on commission for new members recruited. This being the case, the business model of the Klan in the 1920s required constant membership growth in order to stay profitable.