Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-02-12


LEGISLATURE Of his state bill making '"'
nroof that man has been called lar
,us,laable defence in cases Of assault anu
hotterv In explaining the measure the
Scion declared that he based 1t on Ken
,.olv law which makes the use OF the
offensive word a misdemeanor, punisha-
tlo nv 500 fine. some months ago po-
lice Judge OF Louisville declared from the
bench that the lie in Kentucky meant d
blow. and honorably discharged the man
Win resented the epithet with his hs's'
Texas wishes TO keep pace with her
Hlue-Grass sister.
4 New York paper, whose attention
had been attracted by the bill now pend
ms. in the Texas Legislature. has gather
cd much information along this line ana
cites the laws Of several Southern states
Aside from the civil remedies incident
70 an insult Of the character mentioned,
many Of the States allow the aggrleNeu
person prompt redress in the criminal
courts. ,oo. ZOE
our LEGISLATURE. at its session Of 1SS'- 10
nossed the following law;
"If any person shall, IN tne ahuse
cnce of another curse OF ,,oIert-
.,,o,, nereon. or use any NolOne
~ ,t,,si,,o language TO such person con-
min, himself or any Of his female reId-
60 ,,rder circumstances reasonably car
.',,+.d ., nrovoke a breach of the peaCe'
ri,oii Le deemed guilty Of a misdei hed-
,',r and an conviction shall be iheu h"'
i',. tban 81 nor more than so.
7, addition 10 this there is another s'a-
,,tl (which provides that all words when
fro,o their usual construction and com
mon acceptation. are construed as insults
and tend TO violence and breach OF the
noace. shall be actionable.
The law. except in very rare instances
does not allow the injured indiIiduaI 10
+ol,o the matter Of redress in his own
hands and however leniently a virginia
Judge or jury might deal with such an Oh
fender we do not think strict interpre-
tation Of the statutes cited would JUSTIFY
a man in using his fists
Whatever the penalties the courts might
imnose for such an act Of violence we
feel sure the moral sentiment would be
with the person who resented the indIg-
nitv 10 which he was subjected.
# appears. from some of the laws
quoted bv our New York contemporary
that Virginia is. seemingly little pru-
dish i'm tins matter, and rather inclined 10
,a mortified at hsicuff. The Missouri
etatnte saws that If the victim of the as
sault used language calculated 10 provoke
o. breach of the peace. and the assailant
os, nrove If. there is no offence. The law
does not specially alude to passing the
lie but probably includes the use OF TINS
epithet.
| In Georgia the criminal courts hold that
/ the lie constitutes the first blow, and JUS
ti6es a vigorous response. And further
nore 10 call a man liar in that state
is Islander. for which a heavy ine aho
/ long Imprisonment may be imposed upoi
! the offender.
Many of the Southern states have laws
which both i'm their civil and crmina
bearing. are very similar TO ours. But al
fer AN. public sentiment is entirely VIII
tbo law-breaker who defends his honor
and We rather imagine that he will neVe
be too poor to pay the small line "hlci
is usually imposed for resenting a gratul
tous insult by assault.
But we are quite sure that the dlcta
several eminent Virginia judges counte
nance assault when man Is given u
lie. Indeed we know Of one distinguish
cd member Of the judiciary who said tina
me- would always construe the wor
"liar." especially when coupled with al
offensive adjective, as equivalent to tn
first blow.
The average Virginian who hears an OF
fensive term applied to himself frs
knocks down the man who insults MN
and then looks up the law to justify hi
pugnacity. "