Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1891-04-08
4 SIGN OF THE MILLENNIUM

The average young Kentuckian,
since the war, has hardly felt himself
entirely dressed without an improved
Smith & Wesson revolver, or some
other good gun in his pocket. He
would feel very much as if he had left
something particularly needful
liz he had gone from home
in the morning without that
utensil. lie might have gotten
along all right without his hat but
without his gun he would have felt
| bereft indeed. The new constitution
Of that state, however, now being con
sdered, gives evidence that the Smith
| & WeSson as a pocket companion is.
going TO grow less fashionable, TO say
the least, and yet the blow comes in
an Indirect way. 1t may be that the
/ Kentuckian will be allowed TO go on in
an informal way, shooting his friends,
but the constitution proposes to put
stop to the cheerful bark Of the gun
at dueling picnics. The provision Of
the constitution which has been pro-
posed and is likely to be adopted is as
follows:
ANY person being a citizen OF this state
/ who shall, after the adoption Of the CON
stitutiOn, either directly or indirectly,
give, accept, or knowingly carry chal-
lcnge to any person To fight in single COM
bat with any dead y weapon with citizen
Of this state. either in or out Of the state,
shall be deprived of the right to hold any
Office of honor or profit in this common
wealth. and shall be punished otherwise
ia such manner az the general assembly
may prescribe by law
The provision was not offered with
out vigorous opposition, one jealous
defender Of 1.-THE code" describing that
custom, as "the cornerstone Of our
civilization, without which we could
not have emerged from the dark
ages"
Mr. Watterson, Of the Courier
journal, has been the most powerful
and ceaselcsS advocate of the law
against duclng, and TO him and his
newspaper is largely owing the scnti-
ment that has been cultivated in
Kentucky against the code duello.
Something stoonger, however, than
a constitutional provision will be re-
quired to eradicate the disposition of
the average Kentuckian to settle his
disputes and his wrongs, real and
imaginary, by personal and dangerous
rencontre. Long ago it became neces-
Sary TO place on the statute books Of
Kentucky, law making it a breach of
the peace, and the first blow, to call
a Kentuckan liar, for "giying
the lie meant fight, une-
quivocally. Before tie war, there
was only one otherepithet more deadly
, than liar" and that was abolition
ist." To accept either without re
, senting it physically and with the "best
+ there was in the shop" was a disgrace
! that could not be outlived in that
, state.
! In this connection the following
o truthful incident gives some illustra.
!. tion appropOs TO what is suggested
above. The writer visiting Kentucky
n "A few years ago, asked a former school
q mate and cOmrade in arms what haC
+ become of his brother, who had beer
also a sChOol-mate and Comradc. Iii.
o reply was, poor Jim, he is all but
+ broken-heartcd, and is now i'm Texas
r Teller here called him liar, couple o.
o years ago and Jim went to shoot tn,
= Teller, but accidentally somehow
+ missed him and killed his best friend
: 1t nearly broke Jim up. Inever saw
= man take on so about a little thin.
q like that"