Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-07-07
DUELINGIN BAD REPUTE
REFORM AGAINST THE PRACTICE
STARTED IN EUROPE.
Man Manning Disapproved Of by In
telligent Germans, Frenchmen
and Austrians.
From the Pail Mai Gazette.

There are few customs with regard TO
which theory and practice are more at
variance than that of dueling in continentaf
countries. The average intelligent Ger
man. Frenchman. Austrian or Italian
strongly disapproves OF tho duel and re-
CARDS 1t as an Anticipated and undesirable
institution. and yet this same man would.
il challenged, undoubtedly fight. and In
certain circumstances would himself chal-
lenge a person who had insulted him 1t Is
not fair to accuse him OF moral cowardice
or even of inconsistency Public opinion
on this subject in continental countries is
such that a man who refuses a challenge
or fails to challenge when the code Of
honor would render such course neces-
sary will be socially ostracised and In
many cases will have to give up any gov
eminent position which he may hold The
state of affairs Is not 80 bad today as II
was fifty or even twenty-five years ago. but
a number of duels are fought every year all
over the continent, sometimes with fatal
results. 1t is curious fact that prac-
tice which is so closely bound up with
feudal traditions and medieval supersti-
lions should have survived at all in demo-
cratic and largely free-thinking states like
France or Italy. On the contrary. the In
situations created by modern democracy
actually fostered the growth of dueling by
adding to the causes for which duels are
fought and. by breaking down social dis
tinctions, enabled larger number OF peo-
pie to indulge in them than under the old
regime.
Snob Duelists.
Members Of the bourgeoise like to fight
duels out snobbery to prove themselves the
equals of the nobility. Another reason
which prevents the disappearance Of duel
ing is the inadequate protection afforded to
he 10 Of cnntf
mental countries The most atrociOus in
suits to mans honor, which in England
would be punished with heavy fines and
even Imprisonment, may be committed al
most with immunity on the other side OF
the channel In these circumstances 1t Is
not surprising that private individuals
should on occasion take resort to the duel
as the only means. however clumsy and In
sufficient of obtaining redress and that
the anti-dueling laws should remain almost
a dead letter.
However, the movement against dueling
is now proceeding actually all over the con-
tinent and an international association has
been formed with q view to aboiishing this
medieval survival. The event from which
the crusade occurred was the sSe of the
Marquis Tacoli, an Austrian officer, who
was expelled from the army some years
ago for refusing on religious grounds to
challenge a brother officer by whom. &C
cording to military opinion. he had been
insulted. He also had to relnquish his
pOS1tlOn as court CndIuDeTldlN anu Was
boycotted by Viennese society. Another
officer. Count Ledochowski. was similarly
punished for having given advice which
was deemed contrary to the laws of chival-
ry. But the two unfortunate officers found
an unexpected champion in Don Alfonso
d Bourbon. who wrote an open letter to
the Marquis Tacol expressing his detesta-
ton of dueling and proposing to form an
association to do away with 1t.
Noble Enemy of the Code.
No more suitable leader for the crusade
than Don Alfonso could be found. He is
himself an officer of distinction, having
fought on many a stricken field in Spain
and elsewhere: he is a descendant of one
of the oldest families in Europe, one of
his ancestors being st. Louis of France,
who was the first monarch to suppress the
system of ordeals. Moreover. his actual
proposals are practical and sensible. He
suggests no: heroic remedies and does not
even exact from the adherents of the as
ISOLATION a pledge of total abstinence from
duedng: had he done so many people who
are sincerely opposed to the pratice would
have been unable to join 1t. Moreover, he
aims not only at abohshing the duel, but
wishes to promote adequate legislation for
Furnishing offenses against personal honor.
Private courts of honor have been institut-
ed by the association to arbitrate in cases
where honor is concerned and to protect
persons who refuse to fight duels from
the odium of society.
Branch societies have been formed in
France Germany and Italy, and among the
members of the league are to be found
some of the noblest names in Europe. as
we'll as representatives of all classes. In
Austria alone their numbers have risen
from few hundreds in 1900 to 5000 in Jan
uary, 1898. 1t is there. however. that il is
likely to encounter the fercest resistance.
Gen.. Won Pitreich.- Austro Hungarian war
minister. has issued a circular list forbid
ding officers. whether on the active list or
the reserve. from joining it; the association
has taken up the challenge and refuted the
minister's statements A tug-of-war be-
tween the opponents of dueling and it's ad-
herents Is now on foot and interesting de-
velopments may be expected. II the cru
SADIE wins the battle in Austria dueling is
doomed throughout the continent.