The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-05-29
THE RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS,
THE CHANGE SINCE 1870.
(The Coming Nationl

CThe Coming Nation)
necessary to the security Of free state
the right of the people to keep and bear
arms shall not be infringed.
The militia of 1890. when the above was
adopted was very different from that of
today Every man, or most of them, owned
with his fellows to repel foe ' It t Was was
only because of this individual, house-kept
armament that America gained her free
fringing the bearing Of arms. in view or
out of view, would have been tolerated
until the monopoly created by the late war
that it was considered unsafe \to trust
them with arms. The people were first
sss 1. into Ws, and then e.
them from having anything to defend
themselves against foe meaner and
on. the statute books of the states against
men keePing and bearing arms Is viola
ton Of the. fundamental law. Of the land,
when he proposed that safeguard. Tyrants
always founC. some excuse or means of
disarming theif subjects before they pro-
error in King George III that he did not
put tax on people Owning, guns and the
been heard of. All tyrants hesitate before
safety of the Swiss republic today is that
the best guns in their homes They are
furnished by the state and each man is
given the custody of his equipment. Every
man is therefore on an equal footing to
defend himself-and let a majority rule
There is nothing like the crime there as
here in the United States, and no danger
of bad use of the gun is feared But so
| careful are the tyrants of this monopoly
ridden nation of the people that they do
| guns home! Read the amendment. look at
the conditions around you. and the great
armament that will serve-who?-and make
your own representations.
Nothing could more clearly mark
the change that has taken place in
| 1904 years, in our beloved country, than
that provision of the constitution of
the United States. Then it was not
only considered safe for the people to
bear arms, but it was regarded as
something fundamentally necessary to
the security of the nation, that they
should do so; and SO it was put in the
constitution that their rights to be
armed with guns or pistols, or swords
or cannon never should be infringed
or questioned. Now the common the
DRY is that the peace and safety of the
commonwealth ought to be preserved
not by an armed and intelligent yeo-
many, but by lot of fancy troops,
young chaps, half grown kids, proud
Of their brass and buttons, and stripes
and feathers, ready to kill men, women
and children at the command of their
superior.
The theory of the founders of this
government was that the common PEG
pie should be happy and prosperous,
each man a land-holder, a hometown
er; and each man armed and as ready
to fight for the. country as for his
home. The theory Of today is that
the multitude shall be poor and un
happy and disconnected, and without
homes or weapons; and that stand
ing army shall be ready to sweep them
down, before the blaze of gatling.
guns, whenever they become desper.
ate or troublesome.
Would 1t not be better to turn back
to the conditions out of which the ma
tion was born?
Every freeman in this country
should own one Of the best, improved
repeating rifles, with plenty OF ammu
milton, and should practice to shoot
straight-at the bulls eye-or at the
hearts of tyrants, il necessary.
The constitution Of the United
States gives you this right. See that
YOU stand by the constitution.