The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-09-08

Sugg 7stlOn fro n charleston
The Charleston NeiCs and Courier thinks
that the Georgia legislature could not do
wiser thing than to enact law against
dueling similar to the one in Sou-h Carroll
ma. The South Carolina law may be more
stringent one than the one in force in this
state. II it is, let it be made a law in Geor-
Cia. The Georgia law is pretty sewers
o g. The punishment for fighting duel
or for acting as a second in one, is impris-
onment IN the penitent.ary, and the send
ing or carrying Of a challenge to fight
duel is al offense which may be punished
by imprisonment in the county jail or in
tue psnitentIary.
The trouble is that the weakened Off
cials do not enf0rcs the law. No duels Lave
been fought in Georgia recently, but there
are easJns for thinking that challenges, or
what were equivalent to challenges, lave
been sent quite recently within the juris-
dictiol Of tue Georgia courts.
No very serious attempt seems to have
been made by the Alabama au horities to
punish the parties who were part cipa is
the VIII amsou-CalhoIn duel, aAd If an in
q1iry was institu ed to liud out whether a
challenge passed between the principals
within tlls state the fIct has not been made
public.
Tne law against dueling ought to be SO
stringent that it would not permit of cor
respondence looking to a hostile meeting,
and it sh uld be made the duty of every
peace officer, who has II ~ information that
a duel has be II foug 1t, to appear before
the proper authority and prosecute the
offenders Amy peace officer VIII, fai ed to
comply with the law should l)se his office.
IL is generally understood that two mem
bers of the leg stature nave been trying to
get chance to sIoot at each other 70
several days. What a spectacle Is this !
Two men trying to violate the laws they
help to make! Can legislators expect the
people TO obey the laws if those who make
them do not4
DueiIg is against the civilization of the
present day. The best sentiment every
whore condemns it. QIarrels are settled as
sailst ctoruy when tAsre is no resort to
deadly weapons as when there is. 1t doesn't
necessarily follow that bee use a man en-
gage in duel he is the soul of honor.
Both paroles to a duel cannot be right,
and the one in the right is as likely to suffer
harm as the one in the wrong. But, how
ever duel may terminate, the question
Of which was in the wrong in the qua. ell
generally remains unsettled. In rhe case Of
the two l gislators, VINO we're supp sed to
have left Atlanta yesterday to figut a duel,
what would be proven if they shoulI ex-
clange shot OAe of them is reported to
have said that tie other had certain bills
locked i'll his desks. This sta emeat was
declared tJ be falsehood VIII duel
settle the question whether or not the
statement was falsehood?
The people of the whole state have a
direct interest in every challenge and every
duel witch originates in Georgia, because
due check the states prosperity by keep
ing away capital and immigrants. People
VINO are SEEKING homes want TO go where
there is law and order, and ey have a
idea that crimes of violence prevail were
public sentiment permits duels. They may
be mistaken, but they act upon that idea