Babe Ruth and the NY Yankees finally beat their nemesis, the NY Giants to win their first World Series in their new stadium in the Bronx.
The Klu Klux Klan suddenly appeared to be all over the Shore. The membership, which had faded away for 30 years with the Jim Crow South, suddenly had a resurgence after the 1915 depiction in the film “Birth of a Nation”.
Following World War I, the movement grew beyond its roots of African racism and was fueled by a fear of the non-assimilating immigrant, antisemitism, and anticatholic rhetoric. After prohibition passed, the organization railed against bootleggers, progress, and opportunity afforded the children of immigrant families.
Joining the group cost $10 and recruiters took a cut of the money from the dues and uniforms. Suddenly there were millions all over the nation.
Joe Bilby, the most knowledgeable historian on the Sea Girt Camp chronicled this era well in this book with Harry Ziegler
In July 1923 dozens of KKK members showed up at Protestant churches in the area, dressed in their sheets and hoods for speeches and sermons. At Neptune and Red Bank a speaker got up and unmasked, in Como they stayed covered up. Usually, the local Reverend made a patriotic sermon. Then a leader got up, asked for donations to the church, and spoke about membership. Their speeches argued for decency and temperance. They recited the ‘American Creed’.
I believe in the United States of America, as a government of the people, by the people, for the people; whose just powers are derived from the consent of the governed; a democracy in a republic; a sovereign Nation of many sovereign States; a perfect union, one and inseparable; established upon those principles of freedom, equality, justice, and humanity for which American patriots sacrificed their lives and fortunes. I therefore believe it is my duty to my country to love it, to support its Constitution, to obey its laws, to respect its flag, and to defend it against all enemies.
They usually left their hateful rhetoric for private meetings, and their intimidation tactics for after dark.
Quiet sales of alcohol was common practice. Federal raids of bars and clubs at the Shore found stashes of liquor. While they officially only sold soft drinks, known patrons could get more. Members of the Klan were credited with tipoffs. Eggiman’s, and Biggett’s Sea Girt Inn were both raided.
John Davis could not overcome Calvin Coolidge’s roaring 1920s, but he was brave to name the Klan.
By 1924, the tide began to turn when John W. Davis, the Democrat’s candidate for President called out the group by name at the Sea Girt Camp in front of an estimated 75,000 Democrats, many from North Jersey. Frank Hague, mayor of Jersey City controlled the Hudson County Democratic machine. With his voting block, his hand-picked candidates dominated state politics until the 1940s. He picked governors and was on the national democratic committee. He used the Sea Girt Guard Camp as his personal rally location and special trains brought residents from Hudson County to mob the camp for Governor’s Day speechmaking and for Presidential candidates like Davis. The Stockton was a modern hotel that had the class to host these important guests.
Davis showed bravery when he said the KKK "does violence to the spirit of American institutions and must be condemned."
As quickly as the membership grew, this speech helped deflate it. People grew tired of the violence and intimidation, embarrassing garb, and leadership which was exposed for drinking and carousing.
Joseph Bilby, the author of Sea Girt, NJ A Brief History, covered this topic very well in his book, the Rise and Fall of the KKK in New Jersey.
Fifty “taxpayers” of the Sea Girt community gathered to form a Civic Association, to beautify the town, attract the right kind of people from big cities to purchase homes and improve the parks and the beach. The group, which included JB Samuel as a counselor, and a mix of full-time residents and summer cottage owners wanted to make sure everyone had representation when only the full-time residents could vote.
They elected president William A.B. Fox from Pennsylvania who was a leader in the Lion’s Club Movement and was elected president of Lion’s Club International in 1931. Their mission was intentionally apolitical, and the Lions worked together to improve their communities, the environment, and the lives of others.
The civic association assigned members to multiple committees to beautify, give social structure and welcome new residents to town.
William Fox was a leader in the Lion’s club movement in PA and he brought some of that spirit to Sea Girt