The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1881-09-15
8 ESTABLISHED I'M
I MARCH, 1S47.
IN. Y. Tribune.1
Abolish the TOy Pistol.

Surely it is time to abolish the toy
pistol. This despicable little play
thing embodies more peril to users
and bystanders than does a full
fiedged tirearm. There are, very
likely, several styles; one in common
use is made in breech-loading form,
the barrel being between two and
three inches long, and the stock about
of equal length. In it are fired little
detonating cartridges; and when these
have no ball it is naturally supposed
that the explosion involves little or
no danger. But to load the little
thing the child grasps the barrel in
the left hand, the stock in the right,
and bends the two apart at the Joints
IN order to insert the petty cartridge.
In this position the shortness of the
barrel almost inevitably brings the
muzzle against the palm of the left
hand. Grasp your right fore-fnger
firmly in your left hand to bend it at
the third joint, as if the finger were a
pistol barrel to be loaded at the knuckle,
and notice where the fnger-nail
nestles in the palm of the left hand.
That will be about the spot which is
reached by the muzzle of the toy pis-
tol. Ii the child while holding his
little pistol in this way makes the
least slip with the trigger after the
cartride has been thrust in, the charge
explodes, and the palm of the left
hand is sure to be excoriated. The
wound is trivial in appearance; the
child perhaps scarcely complains; it
does not seem among ignorant per-
sons to need much attention. But
the palm of the hand, like the sole of
the foot, is seat Of nerves where an
injury of the kind may easily give
rise to fatal lockjaw. Dozens of
deaths among the small boy popula-
ton have been recorded this summer,
from this cause.
Additional is the danger to by
ISLANDERS when a ball cartridge is used.
The dealers excuse themselves for fur
nishing these by saying that the ball
is a mere pellet. Pellet or not, it is
large enough to kill; as was shown
by the death of Stella Crane in New
ark. Seven children set upon stoop
a child's game-What do you
give an old bachelor to keep house
with?-in which, when either Of the
company laughs, he or she must give
a forfeit. Stella Crane was holding
these forfeits. When it came Theo-
dore Graf's turn to give one, he offered
a toy pistol which he took from his
pocket. The girl asked, is it loaded?"
The boy answered, mo; I will show
you it is not" He snapped the trig-
ger to prove his words; but the weap-
on was loaded; the bullet entered her
right eye and passed through the
brain; and the girl fell back uncon-
scious, and died in half an hour.
The act for the protection of chill
dren, passed last winter, might well
have embraced a provision prohibiting
the sale of these pistols, or indeed of
any pistols to children. Such an act
should be passed at the next session.
Let no one suppose that the constitu-
tional right of the people "to keep
and bear arms" which has so much
general legislation regu-
lating the use of firearms, prevents
such a law. The avowed purpose of
that provision is to secure properly
equipped, well-trained militia against
all interference by Government. 1t
assures grown persons in the right to
earn the use of weapons Of war. 1t
loes not relate to contrivances for ex-
ploding powder which are not adapted
20 be useful in the defence of the peo-
pie. Nor does it exempt children
from restrictions rendered necessary
by their immaturity. An ''act to
abolish the manufacture and use of
;he toy pistol" would be as constitu-
;ional as it would be salutary.