The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1907-10-25
THE REGULATORS
IN 0LDEN TINES.
The Actors Are Disappearing. Leav.
Ing Little Record.

AAB AAStAs NSSOh9s
Mr.. George w. Hendry writes The
following interesting article for the
Barlow Record:
The first organization of Regulations
was in 1867, with headquarters at Tamta.
There are a fewmen now living in Tam
pa who took part in many of the mot
interesting scenes that occurred then
Soon, however, the adjoining counki,
Polk among them, had well organid
companies, and for q fact they regulet
ed. Such organisations In other com
tries would have been called ''Vigilance
committees Most Of the men who
figured most prominently In the various
organizations in both hillsbor0uRh a1d
Polk counties are now dead, and with
them were buried some Of the most
thrilling episodes and exciting scenes
associated with any wild and woody
frontier, ever TO occur on the pages az
our history, often feel regret that
soon the trials, pFivations and expp
riences of the earlier settlers Of Polk
county and South Florida must be buried
in oblivion, with no man living 60 relate
them, yet 30 interesting. But TAMPA
was headquarters, and It was there ard
adjoining where interesting scenes oc-
CURED and throughout Hillsborough
county and even Polk county.
Those regulators did regulate and
turned out more work IN 3 given tine
than ever was ACCOMPLISHED in a1y
country. They hinged, they shot, they
thrcshed, 80 that IN three months TINA
every rascal had gone, and stood not 81
the mode or manner of their flight
Many men against whom there were 10
charges fed, as they had, at some tiple,
somewhere, done something mean, and
believed the Regulators had way 81
finding out anything they wanted 70
know, and sought more favorable clim4.
Many spicy events occurred IN Eoik
county, and az enc time affairs becnsne
serious. There we're q few honeat gn1
sincere citizens who opposed the Ro
lators, and organized what was kncn
az "MOderatOrB, and 3 serious clo1I
with probable bloOdahed, wa serioNF
feared, and not without foundatia
However, cooler heads on both idee lid
all they could 70 avert q bloody eleahs
For quite q while after matters quited
down there existed 4 bitterness and %
feeling among some Of our best ciklze11
that ranked IN their breasts until the
excitement Of secession began, when
that and the civil war wiped out the last
vestige Of any bitterness that he'd hifh-
erto existed by reason Of the Regulat.
Ors.
The Ku Klux Khan was an organi2a-
ton similar In operations, but It's purr
poses were different and was never II
force In South Florida, that we know 81
but the Northern part Of Florida W69
said TO be under its influence, and many
an unscrupulOus carpet Dagger was puf
in condition for footease FOR the feet
and cosmetics for the faces, In fact,
we saw one man in Thomasville, Ga.
who had both eyes knocked into one
with a brickbat from the hands Of an
unknown party who rang his door bell
at night, and as he opened the door some
man let drive with brick and took him
square between the eyes. This had Oc-
Cured at Madison, Fla, and he was on
his way North, seeking more congo
NAL cline, and he was q carpet-baggeF.
This was no isolated case, as all manner
Of advantages were sought to even up
matters that no carpet-bag court would
40 just with equity, and many a time
the complainant substituted revenge
where he failed TO get justice through
legal process.
Whatever good or evil that may be
alleged against the X X. KS, the truth
remains that they accomplished more
for truth, justice, honor, liberty and Tor
everything else that made life worth
living, than any organization that ever
assumed authority over the destinies Of
a brave and honorable people, which we
claimed IN be.