Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-02-17

| an effort to put down the practice of carry
| ing concealed weapons. Immediately after
| the war spirit of lawlessness pervaded the
whole country. The people had read SO
much about the killed in battle and had be-
come so familiar with the manned and
wounded that no value was placed upon hu-
man life. The soldiers of both armies had
become reckless, and placing no estimate on
life, were ready at any time to kill upon the
slightest pretext. Nearly every man was
armed, and this spirit of lawlessness, this
mania for carrying concealed weapons, in
creased the sale of firearms to such an extent
that the demand for the pocket-pistol was
greater than the supply. Colts repeaters
were large and unwieldy. They could not
be easily secreted, and there was a de-
mand for a weapon of a smaller cali
Der, but equally as dangerous in
close engagement. About this time Smith
& NELSON'S new patent appeared, and the
sale has been enormous. This weapon has
slain its thousands. A few years ago muir
der was SO frequent that good citizens be-
came alarmed and commenced devising
means for the suppression of an evil prolific
of murder, suffering, and which entailed upon
the taxpayer a heavy expense Tor the cost in
CURED in the trial of murderers. Memphis
is published in the heart of an intensely
Southern people, who are charged with muir
der and general lawlessness. But BE- it said
to the credit of our city that the first war
upon the practice of carrying concealed
weapons originated here in Memphis nearly
ten years ago. P. NJ. Winters, who was then
recorder OF the city, rigidly enforced the
law. He punished every offender. The files
OF the APPEAL will show how zealously
this paper sustained him. The pub
lie is familiar with the career of
Judge Horrigan. His rigid enforcement
of the law has nearly eradicated an evil
Even the States further North and East are
not prepared to indorse the extreme meas
ures which Judge Horrigan has adopted.
They want the practice exterminated. But
they cannot do it by tampering with the
evil. The grand jury at Wilmington, Della
ware, in its recent report show that twenty
two murders have lately been committed by
the continued practice of carrying deadly
weapons, and urge a rigid enforcement of
the law. With this report the papers of
Wilmington disagree. They insist that men
who carry deadly weapons for self-protection
ought to be exempted, and that only those
who carry weapons with the settled purpose
OF using them upon the slightest provoca-
ton ought to be punished. In discussing
- iisaIasses no charge of IN
due severity can be made against the law,
the chief object of which is, we believe, to
deprive such persons of the ready means to
crafty their rash and unlawful passions. But
against those who geek only personal safety in
the possession of weapon, the law operates
harshly. A desirable modification
would be, we think, an amendment permit |
ting those who desire to go armed to make !
application for that purpose to the chief of |
police and secure, for a nominal charge a
license therefor. A record open to the in
spection of the public could be kept of the |
persons thus licensed and probably it would |
not be bad idea to lodge in the chief or |
mayor, or both, discretionary power with ref
srence to the granting or Withholding of |
licenses, providing, of course that refusal |
hould be based upon some Just and valid
'eason with reference to the public good.
The extended knowledge possessed by these
officials of the lawless characters OF the city
would make such provision exceedingly APP
,ropriate." The practice of carrying con-
called deadly weapons can never be put down
y such a policy. The power here
proposed would be 90 abused that
very man could manufacture
retext for becoming a walking arsenal
The naked drunken blackguard who either
'ublicly or privately insults gentlemen,
moving that he deserves chastisement for
lis fragrant and unprovoked insults, would
e the first to apply for license to carry
oncealed weapons. If a man be allowed to
AIRY them because OF the insecurity he feels
n travelling through certain localities or
lburbs of the city at night, every man can
laim exemption upon the same pretext.
he law makes no discrimination, and the
vii cannot be remedied by compromise.
food citizens never violate the law, and if
ad men be made to observe it there will be
o fear of travelling at night through any
art of the city, and no license will be needed
D carry concealed weapons.