Primary Source: Klan Voter Information Sheet
Note: This resource was selected for educators to use to teach about the relationship between the Ku Klux Klan’s white supremacist ideas on immigration and the Immigration Act of 1924 (Johnson-Reed Act). To use these resources responsibly, please view our teaching ideas, some of which are included in our Reflection Questions and Teaching Suggestions below.
This primary source was culled from the collection of the Indiana State Library by historian Jill Weiss Simins.
Learning Goal:
The resources on this website can be used to:
- Build an understanding of public messages about migration through U.S. history.
- Inquire about the way public messages about migration influence how people think and act.
- Identify patterns of prejudice and prepares students to assess whether available public stories about migration are reliable and representative.
Introduction
The Klan’s championing of white supremacist principles had real-world consequences. To many Indiana politicians, the people had spoken. Most politicians were complicit in their failure to denounce the Klan for fear of losing votes, as opposed to any direct participation in the organization. But the Klan did influence Indiana elections. Klan leader D.C. Stephenson openly revealed that the Klan would distribute sample ballots to members with candidates who were favorable to the organization clearly marked. And the Klan created “information sheets” that listed each candidate’s race, religion, and immigrant status. The sheet clearly denoted whether a candidate or even a member of his family was “Roman Catholic,” “Negro,” or “Foreign Born.” Several candidates won seats directly because the Klan proclaimed their support. Others sympathetic to the Klan won offices perhaps because the Klan had disseminated so much propaganda that voters did not know what to believe. As the Klan accused opposing candidates of various indiscretions, voters may have become confused and apathetic. Regardless of how it was gained, directly or indirectly, their influence prevailed for some time. In fact, Stephenson released the names of several politicians who were Klansmen themselves, including John L. Duvall, the Mayor of Indianapolis, and Ed Jackson, the Governor of the State of Indiana.
Indiana’s congressmen who neither joined nor denounced the Klan still furthered the organization’s “America First” agenda. For example, as governor (1913-1917), Samuel Ralston proved to be a fairly progressive-minded democrat, advocating for women’s suffrage, child labor laws, and workman’s compensation. When he was elected to the U. S. Senate in 1922, he tried to avoid talking about the Klan altogether. Like most moderate Hoosier politicians Ralston was not a Klan member, but he also he never publicly denounced the organization. However, when the Senate voted on the Immigration Act of 1924, Ralston voted in favor of restriction as did his counterpart James Watson. All of Indiana’s representatives had also voted in favor of the bill. President Calvin Coolidge signed the bill into law May 24, 1924. The President told Congress, “America must be kept American.”
Primary Source
Transcription:
KU-KLUX-KLAN
INFORMATION SHEET
| REPUBLICAN TICKET | DEMOCRATIC TICKET | ||
| 1A | For United States Senator
ALBERT J. BEVERIDGE (PROTESTANT) |
1B | For United States Senator
SAMUEL M. RALSTON (PROTESTANT) |
| 2A | For Secretary of State
ED JACKSON (PROTESTANT) |
2B | For Secretary of State
DANIEL M. LINK (PROTESTANT) |
| 3A | For Auditor of State
WILLIAM G. OLIVER (PROTESTANT) |
3B | For Auditor of State
ROBERT BRACKEN (PROTESTANT) |
| 4A | For Treasurer of State
ORA J. DAVIES (PROTESTANT) |
4B | For Treasurer of State
GEORGE H. DEHORITY (PROTESTANT) |
| 5A | For Clerk of the Supreme Court
PATRICK J. LYNCH (ROMAN CATHOLIC) [Candidate crossed out] |
5B | For Clerk of the Supreme Court
ZACHARIAH T. DUNGAN (PROTESTANT) |
| 6A | For Supt. Of Public Instruction
BENJAMIN J. BURRIS (PROTESTANT) |
6B | For Supt. Of Public Instruction
DANIEL C. McINTOSH (PROTESTANT) |
| 7A | For Judge of Supreme Court,
Second District DAVID A. MYERS (PROTESTANT) |
7B | For Judge of Supreme Court,
Second District JOSEPH H. SHEA (ROMAN CATHOLIC) |
| 8A | For Judge Appellate Court,
First Division SOLON A. ENLOE (NO INFORMATION) [Candidate crossed out] |
8B | For Judge Appellate Court,
First Division WILLIAM H. BRIDWELL (NO INFORMATION) [Candidate crossed out] |
| 9A | For Judge Appellate Court,
First Division CHARLES F. REMY (PROTESTANT) |
9B | For Judge Appellate Court,
First Division JOSEPH COLLIER (CANDIDATE REFUSED TO GIVE INFORMATION) [Candidate crossed out] |
| 10A | For Judge Appellate Court,
Second Division WILLIS McMAHAN (NO INFORMATION) [Candidate crossed out] |
10B | For Judge Appellate Court,
Second Division VALENTINE E. LIVENGOOD (NO INFORMATION) [Candidate crossed out] |
| 11A | For Judge Appellate Court,
Second Division ALONZO L. NICHOLS (NO INFORMATION) [Candidate crossed out) |
11B | For Judge Appellate Court,
Second Division EDWIN F. McCABE (NO INFORMATION) [Candidate crossed out] |
| 12A | For Representative in Congress
(7th Congressional District) MERRILL MOORES (PROTESTANT) |
12B | For Representative in Congress
(7th Congressional District) JOSEPH P. TURK (ROMAN CATHOLIC) [Candidate crossed out] |
| 13A | For Judge Probate Court
MAHLON E. BASH (PROTESTANT) |
13B | For Judge Probate Court
HAROLD K. BACHELDER (PROTESTANT) |
| 14A | For Prosecuting Attorney
(19th Judicial Circuit) WILLIAM P. EVANS (PROTESTANT) |
14B | For Prosecuting Attorney
(19th Judicial Circuit) RICHARD M. CO [illegible] (PROTESTANT) |
| 15A | For Judge Superior Court
(Room One) JAMES M. LEATHERS (PROTESTANT) |
15B | For Judge Superior Court
(Room One) SALEM D. CLARK (PROTESTANT) |
| 16A | For Judge Superior Court
(Room Two) LINN D. HAY (PROTESTANT) |
16B | For Judge Superior Court
(Room Two) SMILEY N. CHAMBERS (PROTESTANT) |
| 17A | For Judge Superior Court
(Room Three) SIDNEY S. MILLER (PROTESTANT) |
17B | For Judge Superior Court
(Room Three) EDWARD W. LITTLE (PROTESTANT) |
| 18A | For Judge Superior Court
(Room Four) CLINTON H. GIVAN (PROTESTANT) |
For Judge Superior Court
(Room Four) CLARENCE ELLSWORTH WEIR (PROTESTANT) |
|
| 19A | For Judge Superior Court
(Room Five) THEOPHILUS J. MOLL (PROTESTANT) |
19B | For Judge Superior Court
(Room Five) GIDEON W. BLAIN (PROTESTANT) |
| 20A | For Judge Criminal Court
JAMES A. COLLINS (PROTESTANT) |
20B | For Judge Criminal Court
JAMES D. ERMSTON (PROTESTANT) |
| 21A | For Judge Juvenile Court
FRANK J. LAHR (PROTESTANT) |
21B | For Judge Juvenile Court
JACOB L. STEINMETZ (PROTESTANT) |
| 22A | For Senator, Marion County
THOMAS A. DAILY (PROTESTANT) |
22B | For Senator, Marion County
ALBERTA A. HENRY (MOTHER AND WIFE ROMAN CATHOLIC) [Candidate crossed out] |
| 23A | For State Representative
THOMAS M. DEXTER (NEGRO) [Candidate crossed out] |
23B | For State Representative
PETER A. BOLAND (ROMAN CATHOLIC) (FOREIGN BORN) [Candidate crossed out] |
| 24A | For State Representative
LUKE W. DUFFEY (PROTESTANT) |
24B | For State Representative
JOHN M. MAXWELL (CANDIDATE REFUSED TO GIVE INFORMATION) [Candidate crossed out] |
| 25A | For State Representative
RUSSELL B. HARRISON (PROTESTANT) |
25B | For State Representative
JERRY O’CONNOR (ROMAN CATHOLIC) [Candidate crossed out] |
| 26A | For State Representative
J. N. HURTY (PROTESTANT) |
26B | For State Representative
EDGAR A. PERKINS (PROTESTANT) |
| 27A | For State Representative
WA—HER [illegible] LIEBER (CANDIDATE REFUSED TO GIVE INFORMATION) [Candidate crossed out] |
27B | For State Representative
LOUIS C. SCHWARTZ (PROTESTANT) |
| 28A | For State Representative
FRANK J. NOLL, JR. (ROMAN CATHOLIC) |
28B | For State Representative
LEO X. SMITH (ROMAN CATHOLIC) |
| 29A | For State Representative
ELIZABETH RAINEY (PROTESTANT) |
29B | For State Representative
GEORGE C. STELHORN (PROTESTANT) |
| 30A | For State Representative
ASA J. SMITH (PROTESTANT) |
30B | For State Representative
WILLIAM A. TAYLOR (NO INFORMATION) [Candidate crossed out] |
| 31A | For State Representative
HOMER L. TRAUB (PROTESTANT) |
31B | For State Representative
J. OLIAS VANIER (ROMAN CATHOLIC) [Candidate crossed out] |
| 32A | For State Representative
RALPH E. UPDIKE [Klan description not legible] |
32B | For State Representative
JOHN [illegible] WAGNER [Klan description not visible; candidate crossed out] |
| 33A | For State Representative
CLARENCE C. WYSONG (PROTESTANT) |
33B | For State Representative
MARTIN H. WALPOLE (ROMAN CATHOLIC) [Candidate crossed out] |
| 34A | For Joint Representative,
Marion and Johnson Counties FRANK E. CLINE (PROTESTANT) |
34B | For Joint Representative,
Marion and Johnson Counties HARRY W. BASSETT (CANDIDATE REFUSED TO GIVE INFORMATION) [Candidate crossed out] |
| 35A | For Clerk Circuit Court
LEONARD M. QUILL (ROMAN CATHOLIC) [Candidate crossed out] |
35B | For Clerk Circuit Court
ALBERT H. LOSCHE (PROTESTANT) |
| 36A | For County Auditor
HARRY DUNN (PROTESTANT) |
36B | For County Auditor
CHARLES A. GROSSART (ROMAN CATHOLIC WIFE, ONE CHILD IN ROMAN CATHOLIC SCHOOL) [Candidate crossed out] |
| 37A | For County Treasurer
JOHN L. DUVALL (PROTESTANT) |
37B | For County Treasurer
JACKSON K. LANDERS (PROTESTANT) |
| 38A | For County Recorder
JOHN W. CASTOR (PROTESTANT) |
38B | For County Recorder
MARK R. GRAY (PROTESTANT) |
| 39A | For County Sheriff
GEORGE SNIDER (PROTESTANT) |
39B | For County Sheriff
WILLIAM P. SINDLINGER (PROTESTANT) |
| 40A | For County Coroner
PAUL F. ROBINSON (PROTESTANT) |
40B | For County Coroner
LUTHER SHIRLEY (PROTESTANT) |
| 41A | For County Surveyor
JOHN J. GRIFFITH (PROTESTANT) |
41B | For County Surveyor
GEORGE M. CHENEY (PROTESTANT) |
| 42A | For County Assessor
JAMES C. DOUGLASS (PROTESTANT) |
42B | For County Assessor
ERSKIN E. HUNTER (PROTESTANT) |
| 43A | For Commissioner 1st District
CARLIN H. SHANK (PROTESTANT) |
43B | For Commissioner 1st District
JOHN KITLEY (PROTESTANT |
| 44A | For Commissioner 2d District
HARRY D. TUTEWILER (PROTESTANT) |
44B | For Commissioner 2d District
JOHN C. McCLOSKEY (ROMAN CATHOLIC) [Candidate crossed out] |
| 45A | For Councilman-at-Large
FRANK E. BROWN (PROTESTANT) |
45B | For Councilman-at-Large
EDWARD H. DAVIS (PROTESTANT) |
| 46A | For Councilman-at-Large
GEORGE N. MONTEGOMERY (PROTESTANT) |
46B | For Councilman-at-Large
DONN HERR (PROTESTANT) |
| 47A | For Councilman-at-Large
JOHN E. SHEARER (PROTESTANT) |
47B | For Councilman-at-Large
CHARLES J. STEWART (PROTESTANT) |
The above information has been obtained as fas [sic] as possible from the candidate, or from a member of the candidate’s immediate family. STUDY CAREFULLY, then scratch off those you do not care to vote for and take the information with you to the voting booth, in order that you may vote intelligently.
Transcription of note on back:
The hereunto attached “Ballot” was mailed at the Indianapolis Post Office on Nov. 1, 1922. When received, it contained all of the lead pencil marks appearing on the face thereof. It contains a list of the candidates, both state and local, to be voted for by the electors of Marion county, at the general election held on Nov. 7, 1922. An examination of the election returns will disclose the successes probably attributed to this organization
Reflection Questions and Teaching Suggestions
The questions and activities below are intended to build an understanding of the role the Klan played in the 1920s in shaping attitudes about immigration, encourage reflection on the way that Klan sought to promote their ideas as well as consider why so many people found their racist ideas appealing.
Consider using the following thinking routines to frame a close read of the document itself:
- See-Feel-Think-Wonder: A thinking routine for nurturing close observation, curiosity, and self-awareness
- By Whom, About Whom, For Whom?: A thinking routine to make power and positions visible
Consider using the following thinking routines to encourage reflection and communication about the resource including the perspectives and insights that students bring to the document and take away from their close read. Recognizing that not all of us bring the same perspective and experiences to a study of anti-immigrant racism and its influence on policy, it is extremely important to encourage thoughtful communication across differences. You might begin by either reinforcing any contract you have set up for communication or creating one now. The following routines might be helpful for creating respectful dialogue and reflection:
