The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-11-04

the details of the plan suggested by The Age-Herald, thing it is a good one, and should be carried out.
 While I realize that it would cut out some revenue, it would be better to make it mp in some other way than to leave the sale of guns so free as it is now
 Alderman Gregg said "The idea is ad- mirable. Anything that can be done to suppress the evil meets with my ap- proval." When asked whether such action should be taken by the city immedia tely, he stated that he did not know whether it could be done legally, but that he would investigate the law today
 Aldermen George Estes said: You can't make it too strong for me l am in favor of any law that will suppress the evil, and l want to see it done right now. We have entirely too much bloodshed in Bir- mingham that can be traced to the pawn shop sale of cheap pistols. Let the gun go out as prohibition comes in
 Smith on Legal Aspect.
 City Attorney E. D. Smith was ques- toned as to the legal phase of the prop osition. He said it seemed like good idea to him but he was not posted on the details, and would look the matter up. q went over the law once before relative to the sale of concealed weapons, any my recollection is that the state has the right to prohibit the sale except of those guils of military type. Under the new municipal code the council has the right to prohibit anything that is against the public safety, health and well fare, and if the state has the power, l should think it could be delegated to the city,"
 Alderman John Copeland said: 'Yes. prohibit the other evils There are only few left now, and if we keep it up for time Birmingham will be all right. In fact, she is already a regular goody goody town. I am against. the pistol think it is a nuisance, and would be glad to see it done away with
 Alderman Rivers Copeland said q am in favor of shipping all the whisky and all the pistols away from Birmingham on the first of next year. Whisky is the cause of the use of most pistols, and the next best thing after taking away tHC WHiShy It tTduiCdle lue gun. IL is a dangerous instrument in the hands of negroes or any people and should come to it's grave.
 Alderman Klotz: q am disgusted with the pistol toter. Nobody ought to car ry gun. I do not understand the work ings of your plan but I think something could be and ought to be donen
 Alderman Jones: 'I am always against the pistol as q weapon for the citizen" Aldermen Cooper, Forney, Fulghum and Heidt also express themselves in sym pathy with the movement.
 Father CoyIe in Sympathy.
 The Rev. Father James D. Coyle ex- pressed himself as follows:
 q am heartily in sympathy with the movement started by The Age-H Herald to- ward breaking up pistol-toting' Every law-abiding person cannot but wish the source of so much evil wiped out, and 1 will do all I can to assist in plotting it out. Of course, officers would be com pelled to carry pistols, but the carrying of them by civilians should be made a punishable crime. As long as this habit
 
 hope to have city free from crime We must regulate the sale of all small ire arms.'
 Rabbi NewfieId Wants Change.
 Rabbi Newfield, when asked as to what he thought about the movement, said:
 ' 'Pistol-toting is one of the worst things man can do. It might be a lit tie too radical to discontinue the sale Of all firearms, but the selling and carrying of pistols except by the officers of the law should certainly be stopped. It should be made a criminal offense with heavy punishment. This matter of 'pistol-toting has been winked at too long here, and # the police would devote as much time to detecting those persons who have con- cealed weapons as they do to catching ne- gro shooters, it would improve the situation wonderfully. The trouble is that too many of the so-called better class are guilty of carrying concealed weapons. Even when they are convicted, in nearly every case the sentence is re- voked. It was charged at a recent meet ing of the Board of Aldermen that num- Der of the aldermen were practically walking arsenals. This habit is therefore not confined to one class alone; it has followers all the way from the negro to the men in our highest positions. Let's abolish 1t and make of ourselves a decent people,"
 pr. Handley Praises Movement
 The Rev. pr. l.. s. Handley thinks it should be unlawful to carry pistol ana expressed his opinion as follows;
 Anything which so endangers life should be abolished. Of course, like all other rules, there must be exceptions to this one, the carrying of small firearms by officers of the law. But this should be the only exception. The social carrying should be stopped altogether. There can be but little doubt that every conscien- tlous citizen wants to have this most per- nicious habit broken up. It should be against the law to sell them to individ- uals also. The movement is a good one. and everyone should assist in carrying It on to success"
 Bishop Morrison Wants 1t Stopped. Bishop H. C. Morrison is full of ap- proval of The Age Heralds effort to put stop to this practice. and said
 No better movement could be made than that of breaking up the cowardly habit of pistol toting The sale and carrying of pistols should be abolished altogether, of course, with the exception of policemen. The carrying of gun by
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