The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1885-02-04
PUT AWAY THE PISTOL.


Another Voice Demands 1.-THE KIM
brough Bill Regarded as No Improve
ment on the Present Law and Not the
Proper Remedy for the Evil.
GRAND PRAIRIE, Feb. 2.-[Editor
HERALD. The pistol bill recently in
troduced in the lower house of our legis-
lature, by Representative Kimbrough,
is eliciting a great deal of comment
throughout the state, not only by the
press, but by individuals for whose ben
eft it is presumed the measure is of
fered. l assume the position, that all
salutary laws must be in harmony with
public sentiment, and so moulded as to
cure existing evils. When such is not
the case, our observation aud eXperi-
ence teaches us, that they are but blots
upon our statutes. Public sentiment is
"the siX-shooter must CO." but hero a
material question arises: viii the pro-
posed bill accomplish the desired end7
The present existing law, it seems, has
proven Intellectual, or there would have
been no necessity for the introduction
OF the bill now before the legislature. |
fail TO see any material difference in the
existing law, and the proposed bill, ex-
sept the penalty in the latter is greater
Than in the former, and this is in
my humble opinion one very
grave objection, for the penalty should
always De in proportion TO the ofiensc.
IL is not the severity Of Tho penalty
which intimidates, but the surety Of
its infliction which prevents. Do not
men commit murder In the very shade
of the gallOWs, or i'm the face of dismal
prisonsY / would not be understood TO
convey the idea that the penalty for
murder should he abolished, because
believe IL To be commensurate with the
crime.
Now for whose benefit Is this bill pro-
posedY For the general public of
course, or for tho protection of those
who, under tho existing law, do not
carry concealed weapons. Win it dis
arm those who now carry them In def
ance OF lawf If il will, l say pass the
bill. If it will not, then let 1t die in the
committee room, for if IL will not ao-
complish the purpose above-named, IL
mercy of those who have no regard for
law and order.
In the next place, let us see TO whom
this bill will apply. 1t applies to those
who a. unusual hours visit saloons,
gaming-houses, and other places Of
bad repute. | make this assertion
from the fact that see from the news
papers that three-fourths of the fatal
tragedies in our state occur Mt such
places. As long as such places exist,
such characters will visit them, and a
reliable six-shoOter will invariably be
their companion, law or no law. Upon
such characters the proposed law will
nave the effect to make them more Wig
liant In order tn escape detection, with
out accomplishing the desired end
Evils in the body polite, like those in
the human structure, might be often
remedied by removing the causes In
which the evil has its origin, AZ well az
from which IL il sustained. What those
evils are, shall not assume the prov
;nce of determining. 1t is always we'll
so reason from cause to effect, and IL is
so be hoped that our saloons will take
= the hint, and not act like the schoolboy
who undertook TO solve the problems oil
Euclid before he had learned the fifth
column of the multiplication table.