The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1881-10-23

strength are quite as likely to be on the
side of the iniuring party as of the injured,
and hence no result flowing from it settles
any question at issue. Whether it = the
child of the judicial custom which
determined the guilt or innocence
of persons in the middle ages under the
feudal system when it was believed the God
of battles in the wager Of battle sided with
the right; or whether it dates back its
parentage to tho combats between David
and Goliath, Hector and Achilles, the
lGoraii and Curstii makes no difference, tits
alike ridiculous, unjust and wrong, "a bar
barous custom which the courageous
man despises and the good man
abhorS." To the false sentiment many Of
our leading men in the past have become
homicides. To say nothing of other coun.
| tries or less noted cases we find with us, we
find a Hamilton killed by Burr; Decatur
killed by Barron; Dickinson killed
by General Jackson Mr.. Lucas killed by
Mr.. Benton; and Clay and Randolph within
an ace of Staying the one the other. Hap
PLY the day is past when the representa-
| tiyes Of the nation deem it essential to their
'honor' to draw triggers at one another to
determine question of veracity or to decide
by the result whether the one is the scoun-
drc the other has called him. The good
sense and improving moral notions of our
people are moving toward its consumma-
ton, Legislation has Of itself appeared to
produce but little good directly, and it is
only because it seems reflex of the general
feeling that il is at all available.
The Draconian code failed of intended
effect because Of the severity that made no
distinction between wilful murder and
death by the duel. Our own states lcgisla-
tive enaCtments, some Of which make the
killing punishable with death, some with
imprisonment for life, and some with poll.
ical disqualification, have failed to wholly
remove the evil. What is the true solution
to wipe out tho foul blot from the social
organism is difficult to say, unless it be
through improvements in legal remedies,
and the emphatic misunderstanding of
wrongful Treatment by any organization
or body Of any one Of its members
against another The social penalty
is perhaps the most effective.
The true gentleman is always careful Of the
feelings OF others, be these his equals in
rank or his inferior, and will be correspond
ingly guarded in his sayings and his
actions. The coarse, the rude the low
minded and tho yulgar-bred are more reck-
less they have never moved in higher, !
purcr atmosphere and comprehend nothing |
more of its influences than does the creep
ing reptile of tho eagles vision. In their
jealousy, their hate, Nheir suspicious or
their envy, they will denomnate their fell
low men and designate their efforts by all |
manner OF applications and terms. Happily
the general public understand tho inspiring
motives and assess the weskling at his full
value, wherefore it ia that q true man,
in the correctness u his own
intelligent, upright course, can afford the
bayugs of those he is leaving behind him
in liies race, while his equals will sink to
be his interiors when they descend below
the plane that marks the measure. A re-
course to the duel settles no mans mind as
to the right or the wrong Of the parties, the
result of it is ofequal impotence, Let those
then high in popular regard not only dis
countenance the silly, absurd, homicidal |
practice, but lend their strength to drive it |
from the land entirely by reproval of
Mr., Malone, Mr.. Riddlcbarger; Mr.. Hill,
Mr.. Wise or any one else who INDUCES in
the farce, the folly and the wrong