St. Landry democrat., 1879-05-03
Carrying Concealed weapons.

BY singular coincidence there ap
peared alike in our columns, and in thu
columns of our neighbor the Courier o
Saturday last an editorial on the subjec
of "carrying concealed weapons" To
day we make the following extract from
the charge of Judge Hudspeth to thu
grand jury, impanneled here on Monday
the 2stl, April. This puts the CASE
clearly before the jury, and we await
the result. AS stated in our last, the
statute, Notwithstanding it has beer
called to the attention of every grand
jury impanncled here for ten years
past, has been almost a dead letter on
the statute book. 0
This may perhaps serve to infuse life
into it. If it does not, we think, here
after it will be useless for the judge to
give it in charge, unless there be some
enactment similar to that spoken of in
our last.
"Amongst other provisions of our
revised statutes, on which | am re-
uuired specially to charge you, is that,
relative to "cairying dangerous weapons
concealed on the person." 1t reads
thus: whoever shall carry a weapon
or weapons concealed on or about his
person, such as pistols, bowie knives,
dirks or any other dangerous weapons,
shall, on conviction, suffer fine or i'm
prisonment or both at the discretion of
the court, prorided in no case the fine
exceed five hundred dollars and im-
prisonment not more than three months
in the parish prison."
- This is one of the most important
sections of the revised statutes, and if
the penalties it prescribes were rigidly
enforced, would tend more than all
other remedies combined, to the entire
restoration of law and order in our
parish. 1t has long been on the statute
book, and its constitionality has been
affirmed in repeated decisions of the
supreme court Of the State.
Owing to the wide spread homicidal
mania" which now appears to prevail
throughout the country and which in
great part may be traced directly to
this barbarous and unchristian practice
of carrying concealed weapons, the
means of its immediate suppression has
become one of the all absorbing topics
of discussion in the public press of the
country. Many of the leading journals
Of the South, have teemed with articles
on this subject in the last three months;
aud in the last issue of our local papers
without previous premeditation or de-
sign there appeared simultaneously in
each, an interesting editorial on this
subject. This serves to indicate the
developments of healthy tone of public
sentiment throughout the country,
against the longer toleration Of this
pcrnicious practice, which has become a
stigma on our civilization, and which
must lead to its speedy suppression, if
1T lind only a responsive echo in the
breasts of grand and petit jurors in
our courts of justice. It is evident in
line from the tone of the press, that
the better elements of society are be-
ginning to rebel against a practice,
which may find an excuse in the rude
state OF society existing along the
frontiers, amid semi civilized people,
but which should not be endured In
any community, where courts of justice
are open and in full operation, alike for
the redress of public and private wrongs.
Whilst officers of justice should be
permitted to carry such arms on their
persons as they may see fit in order the
more effectually to enforce process Of
courts and preserve the peace, yet no
other class Of the community should be
allowed to claim such privileges as the
law now stands.
] have done my duty by calling this
statute, particularly to your attention.
leave it to you to do yours by indicting
and sending before the court, for trial,
such person rs You find have violated
its provisions.
EEI#s Y 81 zg4