Fear: Sycamore, local push back to Klan rhetoric

Despite the numerous articles about Klan activity throughout DeKalb County, there is evidence that people did push back and argued against the Klan’s rhetoric. The local newspapers includes a few articles that document Reverend E. F. Bishop’s popular talks denouncing the Klan at Congregational Church.

Bishop’s first presentation was on November 23, 1923. The headline reads: “Many Hear Talk on Klan; Rev. F. J. Bishop Denounces KKK as Being Banded by Gospel of Hate.” Reverend described the Klan not as spreading the gospel, but of spreading hate “banded together against the negro, Catholic, and the Jew.”

In the second program was reported to be the largest church gathering in Sycamore, with 1,000 in attendance and many turned away at the door. Here Rev. Bishop  addressed why the Klan was using false rhetoric against Catholics.  The article covering the story was titled, “Pope Defended by Protestant: Congregational Pastor is Against the Klan.”