Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1883-08-28
8ailg 3errnebtt JnrrnaL
Augusta. Tuesday Morning, August 20.
shooting at Sight"

the South. and the practice of carrying
deadly weapons and using them frequent
ly and lawlessly. According to Mr.. Jack
son dueling is not regarded with so much
favor in the South as formerly. Many Of
the foremost men OF that section have re-
fused to recognize the "code" as proper
method for the adjustment of disputes and
quarrels, the number of such men is in
creasing, and one State at least. Georgia,
has passed stringent laws against dueling
and carrying concealed weapons.
In that State any person who partici-
pates as principal or second in duel is
disqualified for holding office; ifdeath en-
sue. it is murder chargeable on all who
participate il one sends or accepts a
challenge, it is a misdemeanor punished
by fine. imprisonment, or hard labor in
the penitentiary; if any one consents to
be second while in the State. no matter
where the duel is to be fought. the crime
and penalty are the same if duel be
fought and it does not result fatally, the
principals and seconds are all guilty of a
high misdemeanor, and are punishable by
imprisonment and hard labor in the pen-
Tertiary if any one publishes another as a
coward. or uses other opprobrious epithet
toward him. for declining to fight duel,
he shall be held guilty of amisdemeanor,
and punished by fine or imprisonment or
the chain-gang, or all of these combined /;
if the printer of such publication fails to
give the name of the author. he stands in
his shoes and is punished in the same way !;
and if any peace officer negects to put a
stop to any contemplated duel of which
he knows or has notice, he is dismissed
from office.
So the act of carrying. openly or con-
cealed. any deadly weapon to church. re-
igious meeting. court-ground, election
precinct, or any other public gathering.
is a misdemeanor. and punishable with fine
and imprisonment; and carrying such
weapon concealed anywhere. indoors or
Out-of doors. on street, highway, or private
path, is Il misdemeanor and is punishable
in the same manner. Grand juries are
sworn to present all such offenders. and
the Circuit judges are required to give
these laws in special charge to grand
juries at every term of the court
1t is encouraging to have this report
from Georgia, and to learn as Judge Jack
son says, that 1.-THE judiciary of Georgia
strive to enforce these laws. and day by
day, the evil lessons and crime diminish
es." The passage of such laws is an evil
dence of progress in the right direction :;
their enforcement is better. The produc-
ton of such an article as that to which we
have called attention, by leading citizen
of Southern State, is also sign that
at the South in regard to dueling and
shooting at sight. In that article he says
The day of the grog shop and of that
which it produces-the inhamed passion
and the deadly Weapons rapidly pass
ing away. The local-Option retail law
generally pervades the State of Georgia :;
county after county prohibits the traffic,
reduces the expenses. and diminishes
crime. The prosecuting officers of the
State are paid according to the number of
criminals tried; and they inform the
writer that in those counties where this
traffic is prohibited the Office of Solicitor
General is worthless"
But while Georgia is thus advancing to-
wards better condition of society we are
reminded that within few years the
carrying of pistols has increaaed largely
in the North, so that it has become an al
most universal practice. and the cause of
an appalling increase of the number of
murders in this section of the country
Unless this evil is met with determined
resistance on the part of our Northern
communities. it will grow so that all per-
sons will be compelled to carry pistols in
selfdefense. and murder and violence
will rule these Northern States as they
have and do now to large extent
most of the Southern States. This
voice from Georgia. is timely. If the land
long accustomed to the barbarism of slav-
cry. to dueling and shooting at sight, is
setting its face resolutely against the
"code' and the carrying of concealed
weapons. the northern States where duel
ing and assassination were always abhorred
ought to be as resolute and prompt to
stamp out these things, and will be when
once public sentiment is aroused to the
danger that menaces our communities,
and has already filled jails and prisons to
overflowing with persons guilty of homi-
cides and other crimes of violent nature
One of the ISLANDERS against the martyred
Garfield most industriouSly circulated by
the democratic press. is that a bargain was
made between Gen. Garfield and jay Gould
that, in consideration of a large contribu-
ton to the republican campaign fund on the