The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1901-02-20
PISTOLS MUST GO.
Al Least That is What fhe lseis
ia:uTe Says.
sENAEEAoREEs WirAAovse
The Sill Fo'b;ds the Carrying Of
Fire Arms Less Than
Twenty riches in
Length

} '>
Leng'h.
Dir. Coope,'s bill to regulate The
carrying, manufacturing aDd sale Of
firearms usually used for the iafetion
Of personal Injury, and to make v:o
lstion Of the ssme n;sdemeanor, was
taken up in the Senate on Tuesday of
last week. The bill is very drastic in
its provisions, and the Committee re-
port on it was unfa7or.ble.
Senator Graydon offered an amend
ment making the bill apply only to
pistols, and advocated the bill with lis
amendment at some length.
Senator Aldrich thought it the best
bill that hiss been Introduced ct this
session. Public opinion has crystal
issd on two POINTS, he said, that Ehis
key and pistols are responsible for
most Of the crime. The penalty for
carrying concealed weapons is entirely
too low. He knew OF no evil IN the
State more to be deplored than the al
most universal custom Of carrying con,
cealed vespons. It is a most De
moIalizing and degrading thing, The
penalty cannot be made too severe.
The habit Of carrying concesled wea-
pon will make a coward Of any man
All the courage he ever had will be
sunk in the barrel Of his pistol, and if
he ever gets into row without his
pistol he will run as sure as he lives
a pistol is q disgraceful thing, and no
man ought to be allowed to carry one
whether concealed or not. If man
need hse~sFm at all he needs a gun
see not . pistol.
Senator Henderson said he was as
much opposed to carrying concealed
weapons as anybody, but he thought
this PROPOSED lsw would be unconsti
sutional, as it forbids the right given
By The constitution Of carrying aims,
and this bill will prol ibit Us from car
rying pistols, concealed or rot. The
bill, he thought would be unconstitu-
sional, and for that reason he could not
vote it.
Mr.. lderton suggested an amend.
ment that man could not carry
weapons without just cause or ex
cuse." He thought the Wisest thing to
DO would be to stop the importation
and sale Of pistols. He thought the
bill under discussion should pass.
Senator MoEer analysed the bill. In
the first place it absolutely forbids 8
citizen carrying pistol, whether con,
cealed or rot, snd provision Of that
kind is entirely unconstitutional. It
also provides that there shall not be
sold II this State FIRE arm Of less than
. certain sise ard weight. Hs seriously
doubted if the passage of laws on this
subject will accomplish much good.
We will have to have something be-
sides l.Es.
Senator Henderson s sid he cid not be
lis7e the law would DO any good, that
it would be violated just as the present
law against concealed weapons IS
violated.
Senator Msy6eld offered Al amend.
nent that person desiring to carry a
concealed weapon might ob!sin an al
aual license from the clerk of court at
an annual cost Of $50, and spoke in
favor Of his amendment. IF q man
thinks he ought to go armed he ought
70 be allowed to do so, and the people
ought to know it. So let him take out
3 license, and let everybody knoR that
he has taken out such . license.
Senator Henderson said this amend
mens would still not make the lsw con-
stitutional. The taking out Of IL
sense would not protect any body. He
moved to strike cut the enscting
words Of the bill.
Senator Graydon ccntended that this
bill would be constitutional as the lau-
guage Of the constitution as to the
right Of the people to bear arms re-
Serreo only to the militia.
Senator Sssnlsnd thought this most
important measure, and that some Jaw
Of this kind should be passed. He
spoke Of the conditions in the lower
eounties, and said protection Of some
kind vas sorely needed.
The vote to strike cut the enacting
words resulted as follows:
Ayes-Baravell, Bowen, Brantley,
Brown, Dennis, Glenn, Gruber, Hender-
pon, Bydriok, Moore, Mower, Sharpe,
Tslbird and Walkec-16.
Nces-Adrich, Appel, Blakeney,
Brice, Caughman, Dean, Douglas,
Games, Graydon, Reugb, Nde1ton,
Livingston, Manning, Marshall, May
neld, McDernott, Sarrstt, Stack ouse,
scanland, Sullivan and Williams-2l.
The senate refused to strike out the
s1acting words.
Senator Appel offered 81 amend
nent that man might be allowed to
carry concealed weapon upon payin
an annual fee Of $50 8 license to be is
sued by CLERK Of the court.
Senator Rough opposed this l:canse
feature. II We are going to prohibit
the carrying Of concsaled weapons let
Us prohibit outright. II man wants
to carry weapon for defense let him
carry it open aad aboveboa-d.
Senator nderton also opposed it and
shorght it would discriminate against
the poor man, who might be unable to
pay the license, Whatever it might be.
He thought his anendnent as to lust
ssuse OF excuse" would cover the
ground.
Senator Mayfeld withdrew his
amendment. :.
Senator G1aydon offered SD amend
nent to simply make it unlawful for q
man TO carry = FIRE arm less than 20
inches in length or less than three
pounds in weight. This, he said, will
live . man the right to bear sny arms
except pistols.
Senator Brown moved to indefinitely
postpone the whole matter.
On this the yote was Is to u, and the