The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-07-10
PISTOL TOTER AND LYNCHES.
A Southern Judge ON Two DANGEROUS
Social Pests.

SOOi0l PoSte.
.yudoo Henry C. Hammond to the Aiken Cou"'p'
8. c., Law and order League. Ja!v ..
NV fellow oountryman, looki Who Is 70
right and to left Of you? Your IriehoS. unu
your neighbors. your mother. sister, WIZ WIZ
sweetheart, the men old and young WIZ
whom, shoulder to shoulder. you must worh
out the destiny of this fair land whion inc
Lord your God has given you. Would you
murder them, would you shoot them to their
death with that slx-chambered, hammeriess,
four-inch barrel, self-cocking. 80 calipei
Smith & wesson pistol that you at TINS piesseu
moment have in your right-hand mp poeke.!
Then. In Heavens name. why did you orihs
1t here?
against whom? highwaynan? Nom
sense! There has not been 'hold-up IN
Aiken county In twenty years. The politicai
and social conditions do not warrant, or sug-
gest, your turning yourself into WALKING
arsenal. Be a pistol toter' II you please
but don't be an Ananias. too. Say TO your
self what you know to BIO the truth: pfousno
this pistol here to shoot and to Kill my reno"
human beings when, In my judgment. II Dc
comes proper to do so. 1t Is true that when
Iuse it my jud gment will not be cool; 1t VIII DC
lnnamed. Though the wrong done me may De
overlooked entirely without oompromislns
nv honor though it may be righted by worus'
or by a blow with the hand, VIII mol reiy
upon or be content with any OF these mia
measures: for my pistol will cry TO me from
my irresistibly convenient hip pocket
am here, take me in your right mana. ora"
me- aim me, pull the trigger. Will 90 the
rest"
| have no word OF comfort for the pistoi
toter" or the pistol shooter; but II we wahV
the truth that the facts afford we must often
look beyond the actual facts themselves. MY
study and observation Of ten years compel
the belief that in this country nine out OF ten
killings Of men by men are pistol kliiihes'
and that at least nine out of ten piston Kniihss
are done IN hot blood and are manslaughoer'
and not murder. If not technically 30. they
are in the eyes of the average jury.
Often. very often. a mans passion woulo
be appeased by fist battery. but the ever
present ship pocket pistol" makes MIN
manslayer. But the moment We look De-
You'd the actual encounter we shall inquire
vainly for a good reason on the part OF the
man slayer for taking from the mant eipiece
or top bureau drawer the pistol which, IN
violation Of law he slipped, concealed. into
his hip pocket when starting to town or 70
church or to a social gathering like this. Here
was the deliberate unlawful act which leads
TO mapslaying to social disorder and to
national disgrace.
The concealed pistol is strictly an Ameri-
canism. While perhaps in no State more
than in South Carolina is this vicious prac-
tise INDUCED, still, be it said to her credit
that of late she has gone further than any
other State in the enactment of laws to re-
strain II. The constitutional right to bear
arms was right given TO carry flint and
steel musket to resist despotio ruler: 1t has
come to signify sanction OF the practise OF
carrying a Colts pistol with which to Shoot
your neshbor What does the situation situation
o eon the shs manafaetHre and sale Of pistols
any other step that Ca can DRIVE them ef s rGm ON
we should cultivate healthy public senti-
ment on the subject. The pistol Is not IN IN.
se man. Who fa Would 60 for any game
but man with pistol-who would choose
it for target sase a We
gard this vile thanksgiving weapon with any
other feeling than that, Of horror and dis
Visited upon the man who carries onef
i.ynchins is peculiarly an American crime
It Is St tSst
on. the part, of negro men CONSTITUTES the
chief cause for iynehiinig then 10 and true 1t
lynching on this ground condemn 1T on all
Let us see what the facts are; Out Of every
100 negroes lynched the following crimes
are credited with. murder. So; criminal as
sanlt. q; minor onenses l9j arson, $; theft,
4. il must be admitted that for every negro
iynched for criminal assault. two are lynched
for Hhe enS Of hef Of
the ground that they were done in punish
ment Of criminal assault.
teristic Of the lyncher. SO deeply is he moved
by feelings Of ana or f orer ne
Ga stSe to Do take it's sy course the night time
armed to. the teeth, he and his numerous fel-
lows e, forth to shoot. hang or burn. The
minute He is not only intent upon the main
question. the killing Of the offender. but he
himself wants to lay hands on aimrthe true
j jydse sher erin. hangaan Though there are
scores Of others to do the bloody work, it must
1 1er h pssed hne and pis h s
His hand must be on the rope when the wretch
i kia e that tn hds his vi to hse e
fseots. and sets Of the pile. He emptes the
the the BODY Of the diving. or dead, wretch, He
is content to return to his peaceful home
only when he has in in hi, his trousers pocket an
II this man would do so much without the law
viii iii sleefuliy dip his own hands into the blood
and filth OF an inhumsn execution IT yin not
accused prisoner in the dock" My friend.
you are wrong.
as a Juror he is a iellyfsh. And 30 it hap
pens that bloody lynchings and u9conscion-
want miscarriage of Justice. give me jury
Of weaklinss men who fail at everything,
men without substance or standing. men who
boy, but who would still make hrst-class
lynchers. 1t is dead easy thing to be a
one; but to get an honest CONFLICTING Juror
You must pick a man, of nerve and character.
Don't let's turn the administration of law
over to the lyncher-ths more rope we give
him the more he will want to Use in his bust
ness. The man who asssils the law or those
selected 70 administer it, assails you. Modify
your law, select other officers. if YOU will,
but do not permit your law and your repre-
sentatves to be trampled under foot. def1ed.
outraged by mobl