Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1875-10-29

d. You think you would not dare to shoota
: q wicked man entering your premises To-
plunder or other mischief Perhaps not
{ but the man would not dare to come if b.
knew you could handle pistol; and if one
indeed, should be so bold, the sight OF youl
weapon and the click of the lock would moi
be welcomed Some gentle woman may say
: this is preposterous advice. A woman could
not be so hard hearted and so cruel, or over
come her natural timidity and learn to use
firearms. Some man may shudder at the
thought of his wife or daughter using re-
volyer or scof at the courage of the sex. But
is it hard-hearted to prevent crime and allay
terror? Does it require more courage to fire
of gun or pistol than to live in daily and
hourly expectation Of an unwelcome visitor
A woman's hands are skilful-not nearly so
clumsy as a mans. Why should not she
learn to use pistol with safety and dexter
ity? And as for courage, that does not de-
pend on sex, but on temperament and educa-
ton. Some men are as timid as fawn and
some women as bold as lion. If the law Is
inadequate to the protection of our homes
and to the securing Of comfort in our fami-
lies, each house must be a castle and the
jewellers therein its defenders.
lady correspondent of the Springfield
Republican writes in much the same strain.
She says
The time is at hand when woman has
right To demand that man, who claims the
title Of defender, shall prove his right to
that honorable title by something more CO.
gent than words While it is undeniably
| irne that honest men suffer from a lack of
employment and are forced to beg for the
yery bread OF life at our doors, it is Just
rs true that there is great and steadily in
! cceasing class Of amateur tramps TO whom
/ iail lie is no disgrace, and whose estimate
I Of human life is on level with their gen.
| eral deprayity. These are they who infest
/ lonely streets. who haunt woods, and lurk
/ in the dark places of thrOnged thorough
I iaree, ready for any deed of darkness, and
utterly contemptuous Of consequences. No
mother can he at rest if her little daughters
are out Of her sight, unless father or
brother has them in charge. The once suf-
tic:ent protection of an elder sister is not to
be thought OF in the disgracefully evil days
upon which We are fallen.
Even the way to the school goes down into
the shadow of death Where on all this
as to man, are our little children safe, except
within the barred and bolted doors of home
And even here the deadly fear pursues them.
If then man, the defender, be pOwerless TO
protect the delenceless, let woman assume
MS hollow title, and prove her yalor by
deed. Let her hold every man accessory
after the TACT, who lives and moves neryeless
in this crisis. Since we must accept the
fact that our country Is cursed by satanic |
brood, and that man either cannot prevent |
it, or IS slow 10 arrest and imprison or set TO |
work every man who cannot give a satisfac- |
tory account Of himself, let every woman |
arm herself, and, despite her natural dread |
of firearms, practice with manly weapons |
Of defense, until she is absolutely sure Of
her ability 10 kill the man who assaults her |
in her own home, or bv the way-side
We see NJ good reason why a woman Of
fair nerve, without male protector Gus
tomarily at hand, should not familiarize her
self with the use OF revolver, and keep one
in the house, where she can put her hand on
it readily if need be. 1t might at least save
her some tremors. Bat this measure Of pro-
lection does not reach the case OF the hor-
rihle 3utrag., and murders Of women and
by the way-side, which the last
writer quoted above, has in mind Shall we
then arm all the women. require even the
schoolgirls to carry pistols and instruct them
to shoot At sight every unknown man that
approaches them? Certainly it is not every
nan that can be trusted to carry pistol.
That is shown by the case which occurred in
scranton, Pa, the other evening, when a
uiet and orderly father Of family, on his
way To his home, was shot and killed by a
Dung man, without a word said, because
he timid shooter fancied the other might he
4 desperate" Should this sort of thing I
ecome general, the highways would be
ONE more dangerous for reputable citizens
f the male sex, than for unprotected wo-
ien- More summary and stringent laws
gainst tramps may be needed, in some
bat no such legislation could
ave prevented the Ball murder, or the
angnaid murder There Is no reason to
oppose that either was the work of a tramp. \
We do not think that man, in general, has n
st his title Of defender of the weak but O
ow these horrible outrages, committed by IL
eyils-it Is an insult to the brute creation Il
call them beasts-in human form, are to p
2 prevented, Is not so clear. The problem o.
not one of easy solution. Certainly moth Oh
= should be left undone to secure prompt et
'ribution in every such case. But punish p
ent, a. the history of man shows, though II
may lessen, does not prevent crime. There
c moral epidemic5-of suicide ami of forms co
erime-as Of bodily diseases. We can see 10
adequate preventive of this one of com be
ned outrage and murder of women and
idren, which seems to be sweeping over a.
country, except greater precautions on NJ
e part Of those exposed to such assaults. u,
omen must not frequent woods and lonely -,
't-paths, without trusty male protector,
children must he kept more closely in
bit and hearing of their guardians Po