The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-12-29
LETTERS TO EDITOR
The Pistol TotIna Habit.

> hS ' iStAi ! cAtiS ti~Siea
Editor of the Age-Herald.
The excellent article Of Judge Samuel
Green In Sundays paper, your common
dation of the same ana your invitation to
further discussion of the subject of ''pis-
toll toting" and laws to regulate the prac-
tice afford me coveted opportunity to
give my views upon the matter. But as
Judge Green has so well expressed my
opinions on the subject. l shall have but
very little to add.
I believe the right to bear arms by all
sober law-abiding citizens, Tor self-pro-
lection and for the protection and defense
of others Is an inherent Godgiven right.
Every creature made by God has been
provided by the Maker with some means
of offense and defense. for self-preserva-
ton, except man. To the eagle, swifness
of wing; to the deer, feetness of foot; to
the lion, strength; to the skunk, his odor;
to the poreupiTe, his quilts; to the ter
rapin, his shell. etc But man, the high
est type of animal creation is sent into
the world helpless except for the superb
ority of mind to invent and devise shields
and arms for self-preservation, and to
deny to him the right to use the produc-
lions of his inventive genius for the le-
Ultimate ends of defense of self, family
and society is to deprive him of the rights
ordained by his creator, and to render him
lmpotent FOR the protection of society and
The aid to justice by ability to arrest the
breakers of law and to bring them to
4rt e.,
criminal intents.
What unarmed man will attempt to ar
rest fleeing robber. murderer or burg
lar? OF what avail would it be to any
one for an unarmed man to respond to the
cry of help from an assaulted woman or
of man being held up by thugs?
Hasn't 1t been demonstrated that the
advertised fact that Birmingham law
abiding citizens have been disarmed has
proven an inducement and an invitation
to the thugs of every quarter from hades
to Mexico to come here and apply them
selves to their nefarious undertakings?
Must we be taxed to support an army of
police to protect our persons and prop
erty2 VIII the occasional detection and
imposition of heavy fines serve to deter
thieves, thugs, incendiaries ana rape
fiends from going about armed when In
pursuit Of their hellish work?
l ask these questions for the serious
consideration of men of common sense.
And l would also ask: Would it not be
better for our courts to exercise all in
telligent discrimination permitted by the
law when dealing out their Judgments on
pistol toters," rather than by purblind
prejudice and in strenuous contempt OF
justice mete out the laws penalty to its
uttermost severity alike to the turbulent
criminal and the unoffending citizen who
are caught with concealed pistol?s
do not myself believe that such slren-
uous impositions of the courts orders
Will result In any practical good but do
believe that such extreme rulings as have
been customary of late in passing upon
some cases must have a tendency to make
some good men despise the law and TO
hold the court In contempt
And now to state my position plainly
l would recommend that our courts
should In future and until our legislature
shall amend the law against pistol carry
ing, interpret and exercise their powers
with such discretion as shall continue to
send to the chain gang those men of bad
Nhdl dcleI VINO are caught with their guns,
but will at least in some measure of rea-
son and Justice, modify sentence when
melting OUT the penalties of the law TO
men OF sobriety and good character who
deem 1t proper to carry gun
And in this connection I would suggest
that our next Legislature make ana
amend the law so as to permit all sober
men of good moral character to obtain a
license to carry arms, but would exempt
from its provisions all persons addicted
TO habits of intoxication and gambling.
ana all eX-convicts, persons or unsound
mind or bad reputation, And to make
such laws effective l would make the vio-
lation of the license clause a felony and
would also provide for the revocation of
any license if the person holding same
should be proven to have been drunk or
enetged In any game of chance, of guilty.
OF any other misconduct warranting its
revocation, and the imposing of a legal
penalty. In fine, take the pistol from
loafers, barroom buns, gamblers and mid
night marauders. and put such characters
In the penitentiary as a protection to
society, but do not disarm the better
classes of our people and put them at the
despotic pleasure of rape fends, robbers
and mereiless tramps.
o. n. DOZIEN
m n r1asafaa ~, 4. 30