Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1888-05-18

ain other states the animoSities created
by the war and the rapid development of
the country, which has driven the poor
and ignorant classes back into The hills
and ravines. The state may be divided,
geographically, into three sections The
northern third is for tho most part mo-
enormously level, the middle section is
high and gently rolling table land. of
wonderful fertility, settled originally by
ehe best people of the middle and border
states, and now occupied 10y class un-
surpassed in The world for general inteli
gence and moral vigor. Farther south
The table land breaks down rapidly to the
deep depression in which the Ohio fows
and as the southern border Of the glacial
drift is nearly along the parallel Of Vim
cennes, the southern counties present
sudden change of formation. IN
polished rocks project sharply from
rugged hills and wild hollows
wind tortuously between knobs" or
cut the high level into narrow strips of
table land. For these rcssons that sec
tion presents the two extremes of Ameri-
can society A largo section of good
country, occupied by first class popula-
zion, is often in the same township with
S. "fat creek" OF dry run" neighborhood
Of log cabins and illicit stills. rocks. fist
fights and ignorance.
The wonderful progress OF the state
after 1850 sharpened this contrast and
created a natural antagonism between
these classes. The divisions of the war
period heightened it, and for few years
after the war there was q great deal Of
crime. The wild hollows were from tho
drst settlement naturally infested by reck-
less and blood stained men. At length,
in 1861 the better class Of citizens. de-
spairing of the law, organized in a spirit
Of wild Justice, and hanged. whipped and
oanished till the moral atmosphere was
greatly purified In ono town and near
vicinity eleven men were hanged in q few
weeks. 1t has since been a model town.
Then happened that which elWeys does
happen when the law is set aside One
class wanted to go farther and the other
wanted to stop. So tho secret organiza-
lion degenerated into nero mob. aud
vas made the instrument Of private ven
,yeance The whole history of popular
movements toward violence 0bounds in
such lessons. The men who organize the
revolution are nearly always hurled from
power before it runs its course.
IN 1879, 80 and 81 the 'vigianteS'
were rcorganized for special emergency,
as the new railroads were bringing in a
new class of criminals Two or three men
more warned out" There was lull for
few years and then tho white Caps
took up the work of purifying society.
With outright criminals they have little
concern, as the law is now sufficient fof
that; their mission is to attend to morals
and industry. Men who neglect or abuse
their families young fellows who insult
women, "loafers" who live on their fam
lies" us the phrase is, VIGOROUSLY loose
women and their male friends-thcse are
Jhe objects of the "Whits Caps atten
4ion. The town Of English. IN Crawford
county, was the storm center" of one OF
the latest moral hurricanes About mid
night Il large force appeared In the streets
the men with blackened faces and tai
white caps, like the old "duncc cap" hui
no other uniform. Each carried revol
yer and little tough switch of hickory
Of water beech, or other good timber fol
1he purpose. And this force. acting unde
The orders of captain. in two visit
whipped five men and one woman.
Mrs. Sarah Wilson, widow with fou
children, occupant of a poor little cabin
got twenty five lashes for the unpardon
able lin woman sin. James Sellers.
widower with four children. received ~
lashes for notorious association" will
yhe widow and neglecting his children
Robert Bloomfield got l9O lasles, laid OF
hard, for notorious association" an,
then the guardians of virtue rested 70
The night. On another evening they Wis
ted the cabin of widow Jones and tool
her three boys, John, Steve and Buck, t.
the woods, where they gavo them iift
ashes each and warned them to go t
work land stop sponging on their poo
I'D mother" Tho medicine operated lik
a charm. The three boys are reported {
De working like good follows and treat
ing their mother with n politcncss tina
gladdens her old heart.