The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1881-10-18
SLANDERING MISSOURI.
A New England Chowder-Eater
Who Tries TO be Funny. g."
Neu York Time. Edirorial.

/ The recent exploits Of Missouri bril-
gand> have naturally attracted attention
abroad - well a. ut honie In England
they have Strengthened the prevalent i'm
preston that america Is II country " here
law and order are practically unknown,
ami III Italy, where there has not been q
case of brigandage ON the main land Tor
two wears, there i general feeling that
the prevalence of br gandage i'm the Cuitcd
States l. deep blot on the Nation and an
evidence a. the moralizing influence Vi
ppuhicanism and Professionalism.
IL must be c"ncee,ir,i that the Missouri
hrigand have III late been attractive and
-Uccts>iul. Twice they have stopped 4
railway train AMI robbed the express ear
and the passengers each brisand robbing
an average number q! ,hirty-onc pa>,cn-
gers Of all ages and both sexes. They
nave also captured and CLEANED out"
! Bales City without meeting with any re-
>istaace. Bates City l. not very well known
outside the state. hence Its size can only I've
c"nj,clurcd. We Know. however. that un-
der the constitution ri the STATE II Mis-
souri,. no town can receive municipal
charter unless il consists Of AZ lea>, TWO
saloons" aud gambling house. The
.
aScmcnt III even the smallest Missouri
city must number iully eight men-ior i,
l. hardly necessary that the two saloons
and the gambling house are expected 70
keep open day and night Granting tina;
Bate City i No larger tL&n the constitu.
tion requires il 10 be, il i. nevertheless.
an evidence Of the skill and iearlc>,nes>
with which brigandagc l. practiccd in Mis-
I'll. l.
and sack the city in bread daylight.
Without mentioning at the lesser exploits
"i the Jane boys ant their protest. nal
brethren, II may he unhe>itatin"lv asserted
that bri.anda.c has never been more bol,.
and SUCCESSFUL, even in Sicily, than il has
been duri;. tn la>t six months in Mis-
souri,. Instead, however. Oi initiating
our foreign critics and nourniullv a>>unl-
ing that the people of Missouri are par /
barOu> aid lawle>s rufiians, the true phi /
lu>opher will proceed tO draw from the |!
exploit al the train robbers and tie cap /
tors Uf Bates City the cheerful conclusion |
that the success of the Missouri brigand, |
i simply an evidence oi the high civiliz- |
alton and strict morality Of the inhabi- /
tant> oi that maligned state.
There WAS Il time-and now that IL j. |
gone never To return We can speak of IL 4
ireely-when the Mi>sourian was Us fierce
anj bloodthirsty a. the Apache. The |
leading citizens of the state always carried !
Two navy revolvers and large bowie
knife each, and even the most modest Mis-
>ourian carried at least double barreled |
pistol In his pocket. In those DAYS hight
ing was the chief occupation Of the Mis-
>nurian. He would cross over the kan-
SaS border AMI kill iew free state men.
Just To get an appetite Tor breakfast, and
IN every hotel there was shooting gal
lery, where guests were accustomed To
shoot at one another III all hours OF the
day and night. IL was more difficult for
an eastern man 10 cross the state OF Mis-
souri, than il was for IN explorer To- cross
the continent of Africa The Missourian
was high-splritcd, and resented the slight
est liberty with a pistol shot or a blow
with the knife, and it was held BY the best
that the average number of
men killed annually by healthy Mis-
>ourian was not less than sixteen.
The complete change which has passed
upon the people of Missouri would seem
Incredible were it not that the recent feats
vi brigandage In that state render il i'm
possible to doubt thar the people are emf ,
nentiy meek and peaceful. When six
brisands capture railway train containing
LOO able-bOdied Missouri men, they do no,
lind passenger who has any desire To
commit an act Of violence. Without 4
any exception the passengers prefer
la be robbed rather than To engage in
iisgraceiul brawl. They produce their
watches and purses, and offer them To
the robbers with soft words designed TO
turn away wrath. The old custom ,
If carrying arms has vanished, and not
pistol or knife. is ever found ON Mis-
souri, railroad passenger. When the rob-
Ders have finished their work the train
goes ON its way, and the peaceful passed.
gers sing grateful hymns OF praise and 7
eel thankful that they have resisted the ?
TO fight.
~ IL Is also with the people of Bates
-'itv. In old times had two robbers VEN :
urtd to attack tina, city they would have :
,een 81 quickly riddlcd with bullets tina |,
hey would not have had time TO draw l
heir pistols, but the Bates citizens ri to-
lay have learned self-restraiut. When the
'obbers attacked them they retired to their !
houses. and. remarking To one another that
l was inexpressibly sad 10 see men en- 4
jagged In lawl.ss acts Of violence, they coll
ected their valuables and had them i'm
readiness for the spoilers No one 4
lrcamed Of shooting the robbers. or Of adj
lrc>>ing impolite remarks To them; bat on
he contrary, every citizen conducted him. =,
eli with a meekness and courtesy that I
Noses himself might have envied :
There Is only one VA. in which To con-
true these facts. The Missourians have
'ecome 80 highly civilized that they have
otally abandoned the practice of owning
II CARRYING arms, and they have SO
thoroughly accepted the teaching of the
,ospels that they prefer to suffer any
wrong rather than to- resent il. Instead OF =
fondering at the alleged barbarism of
Missouri we ought tn look on her people
Nth admiration. Certainly in no other