St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1895-12-07
LET THE CARRYING OF
WEAPONS BE MADE
GENERAL.

LET THE CARRYING OF
WEAPONS BE MADE
GENERAL.
Inc following letter on the sub.
ject Of carrying concealed weapons
has been received:
jackson, Miss, Nov. %, 1895.
Editor Of The Times Democrat;
Reading your editorial on carrying |
weapons leads me to
write that, after an experience Of
nearly 5 half century, in active con-
nection with the enforcement OF
laws, my judgment is that. all laws
against carrying weapons are wrong
and should be repealed. They can.
not be enforced, and for that rea-
son should not exist. They ope.-
ate uuequally and harmfullv, BY
being . restraint on those in whose
hands the weapons would be HARM
less and often useful, aud imp0s
ing no restraint on those in whose
hands they are dangerous and OF.
ten destructive.
my view is that all should lie
free to carry arms. IS they please,
aud that every girl especially should
be taught TO use them expertly.
We would then hear less OF rapes,
and burglaEies, and such crimes IS
50 often occur, and there would not
he . crime more by reason Of the
unrcstained right 70 carry arms.
1T would prevent rather than
promote crime. The man disposed
10 commit crime il never restrained
by the law against carrying con.
cealed weapons, willie the good
citizen olted is, and Is thus PLACED
1t . disadvantage, being At the
mercy Of the villain who a>ssils him
| and Is emb0ldened to do it by the
confidence that his victim is unarm.
ed.
81. A. +. CAMPBELL
It will lie observed that Judge
Campbell, who is one Of the ablest
and most distinguished Jurists in
tho South, not only adds the weight
of his great authority 10 tue view
OF this question enunciated recently
by The rimes-DemoOrat. but takes
. wider aud broader view Of the
question still.
And, when We think over the
matter We believe that Judge Camp.
bell is right: aud that. while moth
ing is gained BY the lOp-sided re.
restraint 1t preeent placid against
The carrying of weapons. much
would be gained BY making the
carrying OF them ~ wide aud gen.
eral as possible. The hoodlum and
criminally-disposed person who
habitually goes armed Is alaust
certainly . coward to boot; aud the
knowledge that Ills would.be victim
10 likely to he ~ we'll armed As he
and liable to give - good an &C.
count IT himself with his weapon,
would make his dastardly hoollum-
ship hesitate in gratuitously assum-
Ing the offensive. He would rec0g.
n,ze that the persons he runs up
against and pick. quarrels with are
apt to be - expert It the gaMe of
handling firearms . h'mseli; that
the odds between himself and his
would.be victim have been evened
up: aud, On the whole, that it
viii be safer for him not to take the
chances implied in drawing . weap-
on.
The general carrying ef weapons
would almost to . certainty pro-
duce this deeirabe result among the
l,ood.um class who hab'tually carry
them; and the lswless use Of the
weapons that wonld he otherwise
BY > general wearing Of them would
probably not amount to much
would not counteract one 1.-THE Of
good produced among Tie murder:
Gus ho0tllum class.
As to the other half "f Judge
Campbell. proposition that girls
should be trained in the use Of the
revolver with . view Ut self-protec-
ton, the chances are that it will be
received with divided sentiment,
some Of the population holding it TO
be right and proper and almost
necessary, under the circumstances
Of everyday assaults upon females,
that women be ready and able to
teach the as>ailsnt sslutary les.
son, and th. other mOiety Of the
people holding that The practice Of
using aud carrying pistols is unlady-
like, aud dangerous aud demorsl'z-
IN: to the wcarers,
The chances are, however, that
il female folks were accustomed in
their youth to handle weapons Of
sclf-defensc and were to become
fairly expert j" their use, tue dau-
ger and demoraliz,ng tendency
would disappear and il might Le-
-, sCl. =.