The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1906-05-10
The Root of the Evil.
Wllmingto ton Messenger

Wilmington Messenger.
The death at the hands OF Il negro
oi W. \. Wiggi1s. the Salisbury
street car conductor. is another illus
tration written in blood OF the evils
OF the habit OF pistol carrying This
man, while in the discharge of his
duty as conductor on Il street car of
that city was shot to death by q
negro passenger because the cOnduc-
tor compelled him to get off the car
for improper conduct. There was
no prOyOcatiOn-no excuse for the
shOoting The insOlent negro had
the pistol i'll his pocket and when
forced to leave the car because Of his
improper conduct his first thought
was draw his pistol and use it, which
he did with fatal effect Here, in the
discharge of his duty Il man is shot
down by Il worthless negro who goes
secretly armed for the purpose of re
senting in an unlawful manner the
performance Of duty by any man
with whom he may come in contact.
This negro exercises the privilege
which the leniencv Of the law has al
lowed him and carries his concealed
! weapon and when supposed occasion
arises uses it with fatal effect Be
cause of the leniencv of the magiS-
trates ana the Judges OF our superior
courts another life is snuffed out. an
other good man has paid the penalty
OF doing his duty.
| How long lis this thing to last?
When Will our judicial officers learn
| that they are responsible for the de-
| plorable condition existing and that
| their hands are stained with the
! blood OF the men who lose their lives
through the leniencv shown to the
men who habitually carry a pistol in
| the hip pocket? We do not hesitate
to say that the men who habituallv
violate this law are no more to
blame than are those judicial officers
/ OF the Stale who cOndOne the habit
j OF that class OF our citizens constant
/ ~ gong secretly armed. We never
hear OF death OF the kind OF that
/ Salisbury street car conductor that
We do not think that some magis-
/ trate or superior court Judge OF our
state Is more or less responsible for
/ the death OF the man We firmly be-
! lleVe the greatest menace to life in
/ North Carolina today is the lax man
her in which the law against carry
+ ing concealed deadly weapons is en-
! forced by those men whose sworn
duty Is to see that the criminal law
OF the State Is observed. The bully.
| I HOY nuIt- ln
isnot supposed to be particular in the
observance OF the law or To he care
ful III complying with its commands:
out the men who ere selected by the
State to see that Ter laws are obayed
are supposed to enforce those laws
When such men are derelict in their
duty what Is to be expected Of the
others Tie magistrates and the
Judges OF the superior court bench
should not inveig against the com
mon criminal for disobeyinr the law
Ill this respect, but should turn his
judicial searchlight upon himself and
make the honest inquiry: Am | not
to blame for this state Of affairso
And III IL ma Iority OF cases ii such
Official will put the question to him
self honestly and answer it truthfullv
he will convict himself
Then let the correction OF this evil
begin where is the root OF the evil
cold dust, it is claimed. has been
found under Broadway. New York.
1t Is probably only the waste from
some OF the gold bricks that are
made and sold there