The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1888-09-15
THE GREAT LIBEL RIFLE,
The Most Effective Weapon Yet Put
into the Hands of Men.


If all is true which is reported in re-
spcct to the villainous virtues OF the new
French, or "Lebel rifle others beside the
members OF the Peace Society viii hope
that the war between France and Ger
many may be long delayed or forever post
ponei. The London Telegraph gives in
teresting accounts of experiments made
upon the dead bodies of paupers, obtained
for the purpose, with this new weapon,
by members of the French Academy of
Medicine, who wished to ascertain the
character Of the wounds it was likely to
infict. The bodies were set up as tar
gets at distances varying from 900 yards
to mile or more, aud the bullets went
clear through the bones without making
fractures. The wounds were described
as being very dangerous and difficult to
heal, for the reason that the passages
made by the bullets were exceedingly
small and almost impossible to trace.
The opinion of the medical experiment
talsts was that injuries inflicted by the
rifle at short range were SO great as to he
practically incurable. Possibly this new
weapon for the destruction of human life,
which, it is said, emits M smoke and but
little noise when discharged, may ulti
mately become help to peace. The
improvement of arms, both for land and
water fighting, goes on at such rapid
pace as to render it impossible that wars
may he decided after while in single
contest in which the major part of the
army and navy of either side will be en-
gagged. Soldiers or sailors may not have
the chance, of which Fallstaff avaiied
himself, to run away i'll order that they
may live to fight another day. The
weapons of war may be so destructive as
to'make battle fields instantaneous grave
wards for entire armies. When that time
comes either the barbarism of war will
cease, or wars that begin with the rising
of the sun will end with its going down.
It will be curious to learn what effect
these terribly destructive weapons are
likely to have on THE courage OF men.
Few who go into battle do so in belief
that they will fall: it is the habit OF men
to think all mortal but themselves. 1t
is that which induces them SO readily to
90 into the hottest fight. The chances of
escaping death are always uppermost in
the soldiers mind, but the improvement
of weapons is not only reducing, but act
ually destroying, all chance OF safety
After awhile when war shall become an
exact science, the order to engage in
battle will be equivalent to each man re
ceiving his instantaneous death warrant.
with the possibilities of escape either
lessened or wholly eliminated. There
will be no heroic taking of risks; there
will be merely the destruction Of life. 1t
that time should come, the services of
the enlisting officer will be required only
to enlist the would be suicides, and his
place will be almost universally taken
by the con ,cription officer, who will not
look for volunteers. The +" Lebel rifle
which the London Telegraph describes as
wondrous weapon and certain to do
terrible work in the hands of the French
soldiers, seems to suggest that the time
is rapidly advancing when all soldiers
will be unwilling ones, pressed by force
at the point of bayonets into the service.
War, with its clumsiest weapons, was suf-
GENTLY murderous and nhuman, but with
its perfected weapons it will be but a
means to slaughter, and whoever shoots
first and oftenest will be sure to win.