The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-10-02
IN TWO CITIES.

In another column we print an ar- ticle from The Memphis Commercial-Ap- peal, with the comments of The Mobile Re gister thereon, both of which are wor- thy of note. The admission of the Mem- phis paper would show an unfortunate condition of affairs if it was confined to that section. which it Is not. and the questions the paper asks of mankind in general are pertinent, but who will an- swer them? The Mobile Register, it will be noted. very positively asserts that fin Mobile the law is enforced" meaning the law against carrying concealed weapons. We do not care to dispute the statement of The Register, and we may admit that is enforced, but does that stop the habit? In the Mobile papers of last Sunday there were accounts of a fatal shooting affair in that city on the night before, and we've no doubt that the pistol was con- cealed until the time came to use it. It may be true that it costs $250 to carry a concealed weapon and be detected in the act, but we do not for a moment believe that The Register will claim that the cost mas stopped the prdCtlce.
 Of the evils of this habit there can be no question. To that, more than to any other, except intemperance. may be traced the crimes which continually dark en our records and cast reproach. on us as people. It is useless to charge that none but the depraved and thoroughly lawless members of the community carry pistols, for such a charge would not be true. Men of good standing. and who are | looked on as orderly and law-abiding citi- l zens, are frequently guilty. as is proven when they get into a difficulty. Nor would 1t be true to charge that only cow ards carry pistols for this, too, would not be a correct statement. Men get into diff ficuIties and use their guns" who cannot be truthfully called towards.
 To suppress the evil is a problem that has vexed the lawmakers and the execu- tors of the law for years, and it is no nearer solution now than heretofore. Of one thing, however, we feel certain, and that is that the habit will never be sup pressed as long as the law provides an alternative penalty. There are men, not only in Mobile but in other cities, who cannot be deterred by the prospect or certainty of $25O fine. They will pay 1t and carry their piece with more careful concealment afterwards. It may be an expensive luxury, but one which will be indulged in while the laws remain as they are.
 The laws must be changed if pistol carrying is to cease. and the language of The Register suggests what is needed
 when it speaks of the difference between the punishment where the offender Is "a negro or other person of no special stand ing" and another case where the con- cealed weapon is carried by a gentleman or man of means and influence. In one case the man, if convicted goes to the mines, while in the other he pays his fine and costs and goes free. In other words,
 although conviction may be sure in both | cases, one of the convicted parties is made a degraded criminal by being sent
 to the penitentiary. while the other loses
 neither liberty nor standing in the com- munity, because he has money to back him. Or, to put it another way, the pos
 session or lack of money makes the diff
 ference between the gentleman and the
 jail bird. so far as the effects of the law
 and the conviction of the parties can do it.
 What do We suggest? Well. we do not
 suggest, but assert, that the only way tc
 put down the evil is to make the carry. ling of concealed weapons a penitentiary