The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1870-01-22
The Pistol and the Knife.

The Pistol and the KNIFE.
The system of settling difficult
ties with the knife and revolver is
growing to such alarming proper
tons all over the country as to
loudly call for some sweeping leg
iSlation as a corrective. 1t may
be that the slow and deliberate
machinery of the courts OF justice
has not kept pace with the neces-
sites OF the days in which we live.
Now that the events OF a medieval
lifetime are crowded into the his
tory of an ordinary business day,
we cannot afford to bequeath our
qurrels, as a vendetta, to succeed
ing generations for settlement, but
must have them over and avenged
on the spur of the moment, while
the wrong is still fresh and the
passions still flaming. Like other
evils, it seems of late to have
grown with its own indulgence,
!, and created by its frequency
laxity Of judment in the public
mind, which has, in turn, reflect
: ed upon the criminal tribunals to
such an extent as to render them,
practically, almost Imperative
, We would be ashamed for the
J credit and humanity of our city to
J publish list of the murders and
/ outrages perpetrated in the pur-
suit OF private vengeance during
: the last half dozen years out
, RACES which have gone unscathed
of punishment.
? AS an offset to this black record,
S we have nothing compensatory to
point to, in the way of examples
made of offenders. The gallOws
+, has been practically abolished,
and the prison doors move on oily
hinges. In short, it is perfectly
plain that the present court ma
chinery is unable to maintain the
I laws supremacy, and protect the
integrity of society. Something
Q must he done. Either the time
Z of retribution for murderouS Of
> fences must be compressed with
= in the limits OF a week, or, what
I would probably act as a counter
! preventive, the practice Of wear
e ing revolvers openly must be in
!; troduced as new custom, and
Il generally adopted, the same as
u swords were worn by all gentle
L men in past centuries. The i'll
D convenience of the shooting-iror
/ may be objected to. 1t may
y moreover, be considered an un
a. necessary intruder into meetings
&c of bank directors, boards of un
80 derwriters. courts of justice, anC
churches, but it will carry with i
healthy exmample and stigma
- TIE all who carry concealed weap
=, :, ons as the towards and enemies
~ to society they are. Nothing i
~ so mean, brutal and despicable a
- this practice. From it has result
= ed the many deeds of blood whicl
80 have disgraced our city, and by
: the respectable and innocent il
~ variably suffer at the hands G
~ the guilty and ruffianly. If a
=. our citizens would walk the street
w ~ openly armed, it might act nc
.g only as IL great preventive of PHI
f. toll law, but also occasional
~ serve as an instrument of iuStic'
,r We cannot strip the miscreant
- on the streets of their instrument
tv of death, but we can force ther
re to bring their true characters int
public sight by making such
custom general. One thing
raj certain: the law against carryin
all concealed weapons is useles
prs farce and entirely impractical
.ct Some other remedy must be di
ire covered, if we would secure Il
fall well-being of society and save Il
Int reputation of our community fro
,al the infamy to which it is so rapi
ali " tendening.-[N. o. Times.
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