New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-12-27
THE WHITE CAP EPIDEMIC.

There are few States in the Union from
which reports have not lately come of outrages
of one sort and another perpetrated by men who
are described as White Caps. Even New
York shares the humiliation of having bred
gang of scoundrels who assumed that name or
had it thrust upon them. In Ohio, crimes OF
violence attributed to the same agency have
been so frequent and fragrant during the last
few weeks that Governor Foraker has been
Obliged to give official consideration to the
ability of the militia to cope with the secret
organization. An amazing tale, somewhat
highly vanished perhaps, was recently tele-
graphed over the country from Chicago at
the instance of man who had succeeded In
escaping thither from the land Of the Buck
eyes after confronting perls the recollection
Of which made his teeth chatter. And TINS
picturesQuely grucsome narrative seemed to
create the taste and set the standard for the
White Cap literature which is now flooding the
country. If this outburst of activity could be
accounted for only by the sudden and swift de-
velopment of secret order having branches
in nearly every State and Territory, and tens
of thousands Of Jealous members sworn to obey
orders, ask no questions, hesitate at nothing
and maintain the silence of the grave, there
would be ample excuse for a general feeling
Of insecurity and many local alarms. But we
have not the least idea that this is what the
existing situation really means.
That there is an active organization OF mis-
creants pledged to secrecy and loosely united
by lawless spirit and more or less flexible
code Of regulations nobody pretends to doubt
Originally it was akin in character and pur-
pose to the Vigilance Committees of our old
frontiers. 1t bore some resemblance to the
Ku Klux Khan, and may have been formed
from the more respectable relics Of that in
fernal order Many of its early operations
were inspired by honest motives, and had as
good grounds for justification as lynch law
ever has. But it is the inevitable fate OF such
organizations to degenerate into pure wanton-
ness, and that is now the characteristic badge
Of the White Caps wheresoever they are found
But it is a mistake TO suppose that they nave
any necessary connection with most OF the out
RACES which have recently been committed, or
reported in their name.
In the first place, It is not proved that any
such development of predatory and murderous
instincts has actually occurred, as an unrefect-
ing perlsal of the newspapers would lead the
of some particular variety Of crme-murder
arson, theft, infidelity, suicide, breach OF trust
is often merely or chiefly an epidemic OF
energy among ws-gathererS and we say TINS
not in condemnation or even In criticism OF the
news thus collected or the men who collect it,
When an offence Of peculiar character or mag
nitude has fixed tho attention Of the country,
that fact gives an interest and Importance to
other kindred offences which are inherently
less significant, and which otherwise might
have gone unreported except by the local press
The special correspondent, like the rest OF his
countrymen, has had his thoughts drawn in
certain direction, and in describing an occur
renee in his own field of observation similar in
motive or incident to that which everybo IS
talking about, he supplies popular demand at
the same time that he obeys his own instincts
In a word, he knows what constitutes news"
at that particular moment and acts accordingly.
In the second place, a coterie Of scamps
whether their potentially was murder or
merely a rude joke, would be very apt, under
existing conditions, to borrow suggestion
from the midnight activities prevailing in other
parts Of the country, and, having laid out their
own piece Of work, would naturally take pains
to have it attributed to the same mysterious
agency Indeed, it would be surprising, just
at present, If evil-minded persons anywhere
should conspire to perform an act OF deviltry
without assuming the familiar name and guise.
And this combination Of everyday l1naves, con
forming their operations to a common concep-
ton and mould, and reporters alert to record
their doings under.th prevalent classification,
is enough in our opinion, to account for great
part Of the notoriety which the White Cap
brotherhood now enjoys.