The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1905-02-23
CONCEALED WEAPONS.
Herein Follow a Few Remarks Con-
corning "Pistoi Toting" and the rlan
With the Ready "Weepin" and
Tank Full Of Likker or 4 Heart Full
OF Sin.
Fairbrothers Everything.

FairbrOthers Everything.
Pistol 'toting" has long been Il
question with which the conservative
OF the earth have grappled, but for
some reason have made but little
Roadway. We observe that the North
Carolina Legislature is now graphing
with the question and some new
legislation is proposed. 1t is well.
The habit is entirely too general
and il pistol carrying were stopped
there would be fewer lots purchased
in the cemeteries. 1t is not out OF
bounds OF reason to say that forty
men in every hundred carry concealed
weapons, either habitually or spas
medically. And it is not out Of
bounds Of reason to say that ii IL
man is caught carrying gun he
should be sent to the roads for II
months. When Il young man puts Il
pistol in his pocket he is either q
smart Aleck or q moral coward. And
if he carries a gun he is liable also to
carry Jag. And gun and jag
won't do. We know men who boast
that they carry two guns. They
think it sma"t-and they tell what
great things they would do, while the
chances are that were they assailed
they would not lave the presence OF
mind to draw II gun or the moral
courage to disch lrge it if they did
drawit. The man who does the shoot
ing is generally and most always the
fellow who has q gun and knows
that his adversary hasn't IL gun. We
have been out in the wild and woody
West out beyond the pale of civil
izatiOn and in mining camps have
seen men who carried guns and it
was entirely proper-because the
whole camp was composed OF people
who were ''quick on the trigger and
who thought nothing about taking
life or losing one. But in commun-
tiles where there is supposed to be
law, where law abiding citizens have
the ajority there should be no need
OF carrying Il concealed weapon. ii
q man means business and intends
to shoot somebody, let him do like
they do in the West where they do
business-carry the gun in belt and
expose it to view. It's no uncommon
thing to see boys and young bucks
half drunk pulling out their pistols
and tfOurlshing them and threaten
ing to do all kinds OF murder 1t is
matter Of record that business men
and professional men carry guns and
pull them and occasionally shoot
III a, L. Gs.ln
or some such small amount forcarry-
ing concealed weapons. That is all
child's play. Let a man who con
siders that he needs a gun put it on
his belt and carry it in the open.
That is necessary sometimes. But
make a law which will give any citi-
Zen the right the see if another party
has a gun on his person and if he has
pull him-and send him to the roads
for twelve months. Let this be the
law for white or black-blue or yellow
rich or rOor-high or low-and
then you VIII have something that
will come pretty near prohibiting.
There is no reason in the world why
a man should carry q concealed
weapon. There is every reason in
the world why he should not carry
one. Ii a man is going to assail YOU
and sees that you have a gun-if it
is in full view, the chances are that
he will not bother or modest you. If
you have a gun the chances are that
you could not use it if assailed, but if
you got about hall drunk you would
be liable to shoot some friend, or
yourself (which would be q good
thing)-and therefore carrying a gun
is against all rules OF civilization.
But the Legislature of North Caro-
lima need not waste time passing any
law on this subject-because we have
good laws now against murder-and
yet in almost every county some red
handed murderer is walking the
streets-a social lion or q gentleman.
just the same.