The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1894-08-24
Concealed Weapons.

The primary object of the law is MT the
protection OF the strong but the weak. So
laws arc not male to restrain the well dis
posed aud worthy citizen but the evil dis
posed anl vicious. \ law which favors the
strong or the vicious against the weak or
;he wei disposed Is more suited TO the bar
barous boronies Of the middle ages than to
the enlightened l0;h century democracy OF
the new world. Further, law which is
not executed aud was not intended TO be
executed when enacted is disgrace to a
statute book.
There is we believe, Oh the statute books
of South Carolina a law against carrying
concealed weapons. The concca'c weapons
are enumerated and Il penalty is attached TO
the violation of the law. The law reads
like it would be wholesome Surely il
would not be q good thing 10 allow every
person who might be able, to carry pistols,
loaded canes and bowie knives to &c used
on every occasion of provccatiou, to take
human life. For some men that would be
almost leading them into temptation to
she'd blood. The penalty also seems to have
been wisely selected. y person is not sent
to the State prison Tor violating the law, but
most people would prefer tc t0rcgo the lux
ury of a pistol rather than pay the hnc or
go TO Jail for short time. That all looks
very fair, but yet this very statute operates
for the benefit OF the vicious against the
wei disposed. There arc Il great many men
who try to obey the law not because Of the
penalty attached but because it is law. The
world has rcpudiatcl Justice B'ackstoues
doctrine that penal statute may be broken
with impunity, provided we are willing to
run the risk of being found out and made
to pay the penalty. Those mcu who respect
the law because it i law will not violate it
until compelled to do So in self defense, un-
til they find that the law is not capable of
sustaining itsc,f. On the other haud there
are II great many good men who never think
Of the 'aw but only consult their own desires,
if these lead them to break The law, they of
course try to make the best they can out of
the matter by not being caught. Then there
are those who defy aud disregard the law.
Practically these two last stand in the same
shoes in the eye of the law. They are law
breakers Now it is not hard to see that the
statute operates in favor of the well disposed
provided it is enforced. But suppose it is
not enforced" Then it is Just as easy to see
that it operates in favor Of the Law breakers.
The time has not yet come when nations
settle their difficulties by arbitration. The
time has not come nor vii il ever come
when iniiviiullS will always settle their
differences ny arbitration. As long aS there
arc human loves AMI passions 50 long will
the old fashioned fight last unless we degen
crate into rrcc Of EDWARDS. In all such
contests under our present law the way it
operates, the man who ignores the law has
the Use of his weapon while the other stands
before him unnrmcd and helpless 10 be
hewn down with II knife or bored through
with Il bullet. The respectors Of The law
have takcn in The situation however it see rs
and now there is no telling who has one or
two rcvnlvcrs about his person. We see two
of the most pcaccab,c aud law-abiding ciri
zcnS, perhaps the very ones who hep to
make the law, get into Il difficulty and the
very fret thing each ones doe; is to whip
out great lorg gun and 60 to shooting. And
nobody is surprised. !; is so common that
it does not even elicit a>toniShmont. We
may and generally DO have the parties up
for fighting but nobody ever thinks of hav-
-, ,.i, no nl,,l