The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-09-07
sr1rrIr. rHrx.D1r SER. ,.
AnprrHArros Er THE PISTOL.

young man lies st the point Of death
IN the hospital who resisted arrest. fired
Ut the officer, took 10 fight and was iustiy
shot down. II that young man had not
nniawfniiy carried gun" he would not
have been tempted 70 break bis arrest and
would not be dying a stretched death in
his prime today. A young bsrkceper 10
under arrest I'm Everett for shooting 70
death negro bootbiaek with whom he
had an alteration. II thai young bar
keeper had not carried . gun" he would
not have been tempted 10 commits murder.
DIR. Herrlck. of Port Angeles. lies dead.
killed by pistol shot ss the hands OF
Police Judge carasi. whom he had as
saulted. II Judge Carusi had not carried
q gun" he would not have killed his former
friend he shot mis- assaiIant IN his passion
when his assaiians was already under re-
stralnt.
The practice Of carrying gun" breeds
murder. ard ought 10 be severely pun
ished. No man should be allowed TO carry
concealed weapons without legal permit.
and every man who II found with sucn
weapons should be held 10 strict legal ae-
count. II is most murderous. unmanly
and cowardly habit and should be left TO
ruffians and outlaws whose society no
Iaw-tespecting citizen seeks. OF course,
there may be times when good citizen
feels that IL Is necessary for him to 80
armed: the nature Of hns business may re-
qnlre IL, bat such cases are rare and on
proper application . decent citizen can
secure legal permit TO carry weapons,
but niasty-nins out Of every 100 men who
s'carry a gun" have no excuse for doing
%. They are eithtr foolish men. who are
Gauss they know If worst comes to worst
they can shoot, or tho murderous. cow
ardly men who mean to force quarrel by
gross Insult and then 70 kill the man they
gosded into violence. 1t il a wrong prac-
fics and IL IL responsible for 90 per cent. of
the criminal homicides in this state. Ii
was bat C few months ago that two young
fellows. mere buys, we're tried in snoho-
mish county for socoting two men who
had given some ofiense TO their parents In
the way OF trespass.
The habit Of carrying . gun" and re-
sorting to IL in case OF every trivial quarrel
that manly man would either avoid or
settle man fashion. as Englishmen do.
with his fists. Is making our American
people IN certain districts OF the country q
race OF hloodthirssy towards: 10 10 making
respect for tho saaetity of human life ex-
eectingiy cheap. The decent public opin-
Ion Of every community ought 10 be or
ganixed against this practice of carrying \
gun.
Officers OF the Lag must 90 armed, but
no other man. without a legal permit,
should carry weapons. unless he wishes 10
be I'D and carefully avoided as "a out
Law. la the most degraded parts Of Lon
don the toughest of the rabblo settle their
qnarrsls with their fists. and the crowd
stands by 10 enforce fair play. allowing
q man who is knocked down q chance TO
gct on hls feet. bat In America, TO our
shame be il said, = fight With natures
wespons too often ends with resort 10 a
knife or pistol. aud for street fights we
substitute street murders.
Furthermore. a man who knocks his ad.
versary down here may jump on him and
light In aeowaEdiy manner that Is despised
in England. All this grows out of the
pistol habit, which is a taoit announce.
ment that the man who carries gun does
not expect 10 fight fair; expects TO get the
best Of his assatians by fair means or foul
he will beat him If he esn, eut be is pre-
n 4
wise set tho hes: of him.
All this is . characteristic Of crude and
savage aud eowardiy civilization. They
Who take the sword shall perish by the
sword, and the fellows who persist in
carrying a gun generally die ~ the fool
dteth In the ditch of street murder. or
they reeklessiy stain their hands with
bleed, escaping the law perhaps. but only
10 be Stunned ey decent mankind, and to
be goaded BY VAN regrets the rest OF their
liveA No man at for better things ever
yet neealessly killed his fellow mAn and
was happy afterwards,
A police judge in For. Angeles sets an
evil example by carrying a gun. for tn
part OF bis duty 10 punish persons y no
carry concealed weapons and reeklessiv
use them. This police Judge has nov shot
20 death an old.sime friend when bis as
sailant vas pcweYiess 10 farther s.ssnlt
him. Very likely the las may not punish
him. bat as viii not escape punishment at
his osn hands. His conscience. bis req.
soa viii and htaa ont sooner or later ard
BE viil doubtless 70 the day Of his death
lament tie hour when be xas foolish
sao9gh SO carry gun.
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