The leader., 1904-10-05
innocent white Caps Proof Wanted.

lduetion and progress Of white
Ecapism ii Lincoln county, you di-
wide the members Of that organi-
zation into three classes, as fol
lows:
!. Those who went into the or
ganization with right motives and
/ q good purpose, who never favor
led laWlessness, and withdrew or
lceased to affiliate as soon as it
took this turn and do not now
sympathize with such acts.
2. Those who have counseled or
committed various lawless acts.
3. Those who, while they have
mot committed any overt criminal
lact, or been active members of
the white cap organization, have
Iall along sympathized with and
approved what has been done by
the lawless and are at this time in
lsecret sympathy with them and
ready to aid and abet them in any
way they can to escape the penal
ty Of the law.
Then you adj:
s'The Leader does not believe
the first class mentioned should
be prosecuted or have any serious
penalty visited upon them, and
we believe this policy will be
adopted by the representatives Of
lthe State; especially where they
come forward and make a frank
statement about the matter and
lgive the State what aid they can
in convicting the real criminals.
The last two classes The actual
criminals and those who are aid
ing and abetting them, are en-
titled to no favor.
Most people will agree with you
on this last proposition, as quail
fed, but where is the evidence
that the men who went into the
farmers league or white cap clubs
with good motives and honest in
Itentions, and then quit when they
found its members had gone to
committing crimes, have done
any thing, or propose to do any
thing to check the evil that has
grown out Of it, or to bring the
criminals to the bar of iusticeg
1t seems to me If these men see
| that. they made a mistake and
helped TO get a bad organization
established in the county, they
Ought to feel under stronger obIi-
cations than those citizens who
never belonged TO it at all, to-
break it up and stop its evil
lefects, because they gave their
moral support and influence to get
Fit started, and are therefore, to
that extent, responsible for the
crimes and bad results that have
grown out Of it. So far as known
| to date, about the only members
or ex-members of the farmers lea
que or white cap clubs who are
trying to make amends for the
devilment they have helped in
fiict on this county are JEFF Wills
and Henry Lotion, and the latter
| had to be arrested for murder and
brought back from another State
before be made a start in the right.
direction. According to common.
report, there were several hum
dred men in the county who we're
members Of tie farmers league or
white cap clubs, some of them
pretty tall timber, it is said, but
with the exceptions named, / have
| yet to hear of one Of them who
did any thing to stop the white
cap crimes when they we're going
on, except to quit going to the
meetings, or who is doing any
thing now to bring the guilty to
fthe bar of justice.
The good Book tells US that
when Zaccheus, the publican, was
called down out Of the sycamore
! tree and converted from the error
lof his way, he offered to repay,
fourfold, all the harm be bad
done to any man. If the so-caIled
good citizens who helped white
capism to get a foot hold in Lin
coln county have really and truly
repented Of the error of their
way, they should initiate Zaccheus
lby doing all in their power now
Ito break it tup.
/ wish to add, however, Mr..
Editor chat / do not take much
lstock in this farmers league talk
land the idea that good citizens of
1.-THE county have innocently and
unsuspectingly figured in the or
ganization during the last two
years. ] remember that in De-
lcember, 1902, the organization
had already assumed d lawless
character, SO much 81, that Gov.
| lLongino, the latter part of that
month, issued his proclamation,
Iotfering i reward for the arrest
and conviction Of members guilty
iof criminal acts, and commanding
jail such lawless organizations TO
Fat once disband. Pursuant to this
proclamation, The so-calIed far
liners league of franklin county /,
with DR.. Newman at its head, and
lorganized ayowedIy for q lawful
purpose, did meet ID MeadvilIe
land formally disband, and public
lly repudiate all lawless acts and
Intentions.
Not so the farmers league or
white cappers Of Lincoln. On
1.-THE contrary long after Gov.
L0ngino had issued bis proclama-