The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1900-04-11

Powerful Arrangement Of Concealed \Vcap-
Practice.


rIinss known a. the negroes hot sap
rci-, i there ever ahot supper with
ont cold corpse? The nero will
initiate the white man and initiate
him more successfully in his vices and
his crimes than in his virtues.
Mr. Foreman and gentlemen, it
you'd be an interesting experiment if
the court were at thi, moment to or
der the sheriff and his bailinS to search
the pockets Of all in this court house
now and see how many pistols will be
found carried on the person concealed
even in the temple Of Justice. Gen
tlcmcn, as surely as this lamcntable
habit continues SO surely will two or
three hundred Of our fellow citizens
annually fill untimcly graves, the VIC
tins of the pistol habit. 1t is fear
full price to pay for the privilege of
carrying arms. 1t is not only unlaw-
full to carry arms concealed upon
the person, but it is unchristian, un-
civilized and still more should the
appeal be made to the youth of the
country who carry pistols that it is
unmanly and cowardly, and altogether
unnecessary in q civilized communi-
ty. 1t causes our young men, no
doubt, to hold human life very cheap,
and it causes them also to have false
ideas Of bravery and true manlincss,
and it has infused in the public mind
wrong and vicious views Of the right
of aclf lfdcfcnsc.
'Gcntlcmcn Of the grand jury, how
many corpscs of men slain by the pis-
tolcarrying homicide have been
searched in vain for the pistol, and
yet the slayers have put up their plea
of self defense, and jurics have ac-
Quilted them on that plea, because
forsooth the defendant. the man -slay-
cr, testified that when he shot his
victim he had put his hand to his hip
pocket or was about to pace it there,
and he was induced to believe by that
act that he had pistol and was about
to draw it. lie presumed, in other
words, that he was in danger and act
ed, as he claimed, in sclf-defcnse. If
tina. pres umption is to be regarded by
petit jurors must We not create anoth-
er presumption in fact to meet it
that the man who carries pistol habi-
tually must be presumed to have mur-
der in his heart and is a dangerous
man to the peace cf any community.
When blood-guilty man is set free
by the verdict Of a jury, then the pub
lie, through the press, condemns the
jury, speaks of miscarriage of justice,
that the jury system is failure and
the like. not rejecting that the jury
IS only carrying into effect the public
own mistaken view and idea of self
defense. Water does not rise above
its level. \ petit jury is part of the
people, and it is not wiser or better
than the people from whom it is drawn
by lot. 1t is futile to lay the blame
at the door Of the jury or the system
of trial by jury. Let it lie also at the
door of all who are guilty Of carrying
pistols concealed upon their persons.
| would not bclittlc tho right of self
defense. 1t is a good right it is
God given right, as well as right
recognized by the law Of our land; but
it is woefully misunderstood and most
rasiily and recklessly exercised, until
the blood of hundreds of men cries
aloud from hundreds Of graves for
the vengeance which the courts have
denied them.
1.-TWO hundred and forty three men
in South Carolina last
year, and how many convicted? Nine
ty.nine. In other words, III men
with their fellows blood on their
hands so free, pronounced not guilty.
There may be few of these reported
cases that have not been tried, but
am speaking in round numbers. In
round numbers the fact starcs us in
the face that only one Of every three
men who were in the dock charg-
cd with murder has been convicted
either Of murder or man slaughter.
Gentlemen, if it is always, or near
ly always, the intending murderer who
is fortunately killed by the man who
is acting in self-defcnse, will not the
race Of murdcrcrs soon be cxtcrmina-
ted in this State at the rate Of 200. odd
a year? To put that question is to
show the reductio ad absurdum.
II have said that self.defense is
sacred right, but it is not more sacred
surely than human life and it is in be-