Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1889-07-30
A WORD OF WARNING.
LAwLEss WHITE CAPS
A Step In the Direction of Anarchy and n
Law Of Judge Lynch.


Law Of Judge Lynch.
Within a short time a new social
force has appeared in various parts OF
the country which is known by the
name of white Caps" Whether
there is one secret organization TO
which all the local associations are
allied. or whether they are many and
Independent, no one seems to know.
but, wherever they appear, the method
Of operation Is the same.
These White Caps have taken upon
themselves the task OF regulating the
minor morals OF the community.
Simeon Jones is lazy. and lets his
family suffer for the necessaries OF life.
Sarah Jenkins has too sharp u tongue.
and spreads scandal about her neigh
bors. Sam Jowler drinks too much.
Over such offenses as these, which arc
not known to the law OF the State as
offenses at all, and for other greater
offenses OF which persons are suspect
ed, but which can not be proved
against them, the White Caps assume
jurisdiction.
The method Of punishment is sum-
mary. Threatening anonymous letters
are sent, warning the offending person
that he must reform. Either before or
without such warning the White Caps
make midnight call upon their vic
tim, and sometimes maltreat him or
her shockingly. In some cases the
punishment inflicted by the White Caps
have been not merely criminal in the
eye OF the law. but violative OF person.
nj decency.
The efforts to bring the perpetrators
OF these outrages TO justice have not
been very successful. Indeed, in some
communities there seems to be a dis
position to look upon the White Cap
performances as rather a good joke
and with something like popular ap-
proval.
AS we nave said' little Is known Oh
this secret movement except by those
who have part in it; but something
ought to be known about it From any
possible point OF view the object and
methods OF the White Caps are thor
oughly bad, and deserve much severer
punishment than the ofienses which
they attempt to regulate.
This principle is SO plain that II Is
difficult to argue It Who has given to
private, secret, irresponsible persons
permission to make punishable offenses
of minor faults which society as a
whole has never undertaken to correctP
Who has put the execution OF any law
in their handsp Yet these men first
make laws which society does not ap-
prove. and then execute them with
rough brutality and personal violence
We fancy that these words may fall
under the eye OF some persons who
have taken part in White Cap exploits.
No doubt the motive OF many OF the
volunteer regulators is a good one;
but they can not have reflected upon
the consequences OF what they do.
How easily 1t may be the case that
the regulators themselves may be
guilty Of doing some things which seem
to others In the community as bad as
the offenses which they punish. For
example, to send an anonymous letter
is surely as mean and sneaking an act
as being lazy and failing TO support
ones family
suppose an organization should DO
made with the purpose OF hunting
down ana whipping every man VINO
belonged 10 the white caps IL
would be as lawful an association ana
with an object quite as laudable, as
that OF the WHITE Caps
But what would become oil the reign
OF law. and OF the principal OF individ-
ual liberty, and OF the right oil private
conscience, II society were to split it
self up into little factions each Of
which undertook to correct the minor
faults OF people-fauits which the