The Nevada journal., 1855-03-30
Prevention of DueIling.

Prevention of Duelling.
The following sensible remarks upo
duelling and its prevention we find in th
Chronicle, being from a communicated
Some more operative law against duellin,
is needed, and were one drafted upon tn
above idea, with the addition that ever,
man elected to any Office in this State be
fore taking his Office shall be required tt
make affidavit that he has never fought ,
duel in the State since the adoption of the
constitution the practice would cease. Thi,
State of law would prevent duelling, but
unfortunately there is broad provision
in the constitution that no oath or test
shall be made qualifcati on for Office
Until the constitution is amended in this
particular so far as regards duelling, we
fear the practice cannot be stopped The
following is the article referred to:
EDITORS CHRONICLE :-Duelling ought
to be suppressed; and the first step to-
wards its suppression is to prevent street
fighting. 1t is far better that two persons
disposed and determined to shoot each
other, should meet in private, where they
may crafty that inclination, than that
they should fire on the public street, there
by soaring and wounding women and chill
dren, and so frightening horses with carts
and wagons and carriages, that destruc-
ton of life may naturally be expected to
result. Street fighting ought to be punished
capitaly, for the damage to the innocent
seems no check on the passions which urge
the crime.
A duel in this State is generally sho,c.
1t is often fought more from vanity than
from spirit of enmity in the antagonists
Now, how can we best reach the motives
influencing the principals, and how reach
the reflected vanity of the seconds and the
surgeons How can we best check the
desire that induces hundreds to go in coach
es and on horseback to witness the exhibi-
ton : would submit the following as q
plan which may be tried
Make the penalty, if single shot be
only exchanged between the parties, i'm
prisonment for six months and a fine of
five hundred dollars. If two shots are ex-
changed, double the imprisonment and fine.
Let this punishment be imposed upon both
principals and seconds
AS regards the surgeons; let the i'm
prisonment be three months and FIVE hun
dred dollars fine imprisonment and fine
to be doubled if these parties remain on
the ground to witness the second shot.
Besides this, let the law provide that
the parties are ineligible to office, and
that all-principals, seconds and physi-
cians-are responsible to the creditors of
the disabled party
Few ducls have been fatal on the first
fire. If there had been a severer punish
ment for second exchange of shots than
for the first, the increased danger to the
principals and their friends would tend to
effect settlement
The next difficulty is to insure punish
mcnt. With this object in view, give the
District Attorney a large fee-say $500
for every conviction of principal, sec
ond or physician. We will then find that
duelling will diminish 1t may be said
that this is slight punishment; and so it
may be. But, such being the case, there
is a possibility of its infiction. In this
State, there has as yet been no duel in
which slight wound would not have sat-
isfed wounded honor. And it may BE-
reasonable to suppose that even slight
imprisonment will overcome the tendency
exhibited to duelling, when trifing mo-
tive is its origin.