The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1901-01-25

That it is strictly prcp-r bill in every re-
sle;t, and that the committee SO regarded
u. hut rrnMted it unfavorably on the
ground alonb hat it was of no use 10
',c"nn:euh its ado: tiu,, as it would
he at no fleet if IL were adopted.
Tie conmittee would have been fully
warranted, at any rate, in taking that
view ;uul acting on it. Demands, il aud
out of The Legislature, for the enforce
melt of the same law. have been heard
AT every session for many years, aud
many bills have been offered to require
lis enforce ment, and possibly soma OF
them may be found on the statue book.
II they an there. however, they arc as
dead rs the law they sought to enforce
and every man and boy in the State who
So desires habitually carries his concealed
weapons without fear of the slighte,t
penalty, or interference from any quar-
ter, even when his habit is known to
every officer Of the law in his com
munity.
AT the same time, also, the sale of such
weaTOns mostly pistols, aud of ammuui-
tiOn for them, is as free throughout Tie
State as the sale Of dry goods or gr,-
ciers. There is no prohibltlve suparviS-
ion, tax or other check on Such sales in
any case or plac,. Any person whJ
wants such weapon, or its ammunition,
eau buy it ut any city, t)wn or c,unly
store WI ich deals in such goods, at
prices that put it within reach of the
poorest on youngest Customer. Thee
are hundred, If thousands OF The we p,:
in private hands, and pockets, through DuL
The State, and thousands moie are S,ld
Every year. And they are carried always
and every wlele and used at the pleasure
of their owners, with impunity to their
owners.
In these conditions, which are The re-
suit OF Il very general indifference 10 the
concealed weapon law, AMI Il very gen-
cral sentiment in approval OF tn" rra"tce
at which iC is aimed it Is plainly useless
to pass any bill or any nunbrr of bills.
to enforce the law. 1t Will luS he en-
forced. There is no intent lrn vt crfrcng
i in the Legislature or out u. it,. l. the
eS stature were III earliest III desiring
its enforcem.n ut it would lo something
toward restricting the freedom o! sale Ut
the weapons in the first s'ance, us il
has done with so much labor and pains
to restrict the sale of liIlrr. X is far
easier for a man, or boy, b acE or white
to buy a revolver in the State than for him
to buy a drink of wiSkey. Th2 liQu)r dis
pensarits are limited To from one 10 hat
ii dozen to county. The pistol dis pei
sanes are numbered by The SuJ.e or hun
dIrd in The SANE coun'ieS. tn" Judiciary
conmitise was right III not lecummrlid-
ing the rnSSaSruf Il pei fectly useless meas
ur-, aud one which IL knows and every
member OF the Legislature knows. to lie
not worth tie cost Of printing it.
The simple fact is THAT the pr;tc;i ;e il
q reSii ~ IL !,loid cMItri III ,hs FREE
c,du.lr .i',Al~,i'y Z hciI OBS, :nl II j.
vaim ~ Try tn.o"IiuI IT.. Ii tn. sale ui
ths NtapJuS WI nO!I!h.tsd, CT Sougl 80
be r~gu'aI"h, Til; rruh b ton AMI r.guld-
tionS would b. iT'nmei Ur ev:t d. Ii lhry
were taxed heavily they wOuri un5 iH ie-
turnt Il tJr taXat ion and IN ~ y,Vrnt, the
plohihitoly o. ngulative law would b-
regarded only By men at Whom j was nrl
aimed, and diS:egarded utterly 10y the
class at whom it was aimed.
Under the circumstances, it may be SIg-
gested, Legislative ventures regaLins the
evils growing out of the prattice might
we'll take new dir, ctiOn, and perhaps
might take one which would accomplish
the main aud all important ED without
fail while leaving impossible aud cDnl-
parativcly unimpOltant ends unatttmp-
ted. In short, il is now the carrying of
concealed weapons, but the using of them
which constitutes the great evil that is
the Object of al this vain legislation, aud
what appears to be really and most
needed after all, is a law that will insure
the severe punishment of any and every
man who uses Il deadly weapon on an
other, or threatens him with il, except in
selt-defence.
Such offences are usually and nearly
always too notorious to depend for their
prosecution on the zeal of an Official or
other infOrmer. The offender is there
fore, usually brought to account. Let him
he held always to a special heavy penalty
for the use OF a deadly weapon, independ-
emily of other grounds OF offence, and il
may be safely presumed that, after few
impressive examples OF the unavoidable
operation of that kind OF a law the ne
of such weapons would lose very large
degree of It's present popularity. Aud
when their use il thus made surely costly
and otherwise ineXpedient it may be BE-
lieved that the practice of carrying them
will also be greatly restricted.
Such IL measure as is here contemplated
was proposed at Il recent session Of the
Legislature, but we do not remember
what was its fate. If it was killed it
should he revived and passed, If il was
passed. 1t is evidently in as much need
ol tuiher enactment to Insure its cnfulcc-
melt as the concealed weapon law itself,
and shGu!d be made OF eiative in all Gas. :
OF assault to which IT applies, Withuu!
being subject to the discretion Of the
officers. Charleston News
aud Courier.