The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-08-27

of Birmingham is a strong advocate or
 the severe punishment of this evil. His
 position has enabled him to see more of the harm wrought by the oowardly prac-
 tce in the city of Birmingham than any other man.
 Hardly day passes that one or more men are not brought before him charged
 with carrying concealed weapons and
 he never fails to assess the severest pen
 alty allowed by law.
 In discussing the evil practice few
 days ago Judge Feagin said
 "The human soul pays homage to what soever seems to possess power Even the
 cultured Greeks worshlpped the thunder, tue winds si the sea. Man likewise holds in coatc mpt more or less that Which
 is wanting ip power. When and where
 the law fs powerless men have contempt
 for it. When and where it is speedily en-
 forced in a manner which teach that It's
 mandates must be observed, then and
 there men r, spect and obey It. This Is
 the universal ule with the normal man.
 The abntiI nal man, the incorrigible crim-
 inal, is anne [ cable to no law.
 Tn England Germany, France and
 other well governed countries, the law
 possesses power because the judges and
 the juries enforce the laws speedily. The
 pardonng power is not abused. There
 the law has no respect for persons. No
 favoritism is shown. No political pulls
 or graft enter into its enforcement. The
 same penalty is pronounced against the law-breaker, be he ricu or poor, high or
 low in the social scale.
 Here if such conditions existed the
 carrying of pistols in the hip pocket
 would be rare indeed The practice would be confined to hardened criminals.
 Tt is a mistake to think that the pis-
 tol in a mans hip pocket protects him
 from the highwayman who never at-
 tempts to rob until he has the intended
 victim in his absolute power. The history of the police court shows that men are
 often robbed with their pistols in their pockets
 Sensible men-men with pride of char
 acter-seldom deliberately commit an act which they known might place them in prison. Men with money or political pulls
 in America know they can either beg
 out or pay out if caught hence they are emboldened to take chances. "Let the judges, the juries and the pardoning powers see to it that the pen altles of the law are enforced-that the law possesses power-that 1t Is no longer a dead letter and no respecter of per sons; then the evil will largely disap- pear. Only those hardened to crime will be found with a pistol in the hip pocket. 7 deadly weapon has been inherited or hand ed down to Americans from the first set tiers of the country who carried their guns and their bowie knives even to the fields when at work to protect themselves from the Indians, their enemies. Their weapons were their best friends in the dangers that were ever present. Necessity caused them to acquire fondness for the deadly weapon. We, their children, have inherited the now useless sentiment. "We somewhat more refined in some things and less brave, carry the pistol and the dirk concealed to protect our re- fined ears and good names from the hot words or insulting words of our enemies l. e.: our neighbors and chance acquaint- ances or strangers casually met The highwayrnan Is generally the pretense, but he never fears the weapon in the pocket of his victim.
 "In the economy of evolution every thing comes and goes at the proper time. As the people are educated to respect the law. the Judges and the juries. they will become better. When the people , earnestly desire that the law be respected, when they inwardly feel that bully 8 bullet should not kill an innocent man and the murderer go free, that the man addicted to drink should not be allowed to kill at will without check or hindrance, then the carrying of concealed weapons
 will be so punished as to prevent 1t. s'The practice of carrying concealed
 weapons inherited from our forefathers
 who lived in a savage country is passing
 in America Education and effort. time
 and patience will eliminate the evil, but
 these remedies are too slow. While they
 operate on the human mind and con-
 sciences thousands are falling by the
 wayside and our boasted country of free
 dom and good will Is being disgraced
 by the record of tragedies enacted by lne
 cowardly practice.
 Public sentiment must become aroused and when 1t i6 fhe hoped-for condition