The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-02-01
nnauIArINn rnINas.


 This is the day of prohibiting things. If there's anything that the law cant prohibit then. that thing must be regulated Not only human actions. but human tastes and incli- nations must be regulated. Do not the lawmakers know better what is good for humanity than anybody else does? Of course they door think they do, and the effect is just the same. They go ahead and regulate whether or no.
 One of the favorite subjects for the wise Solons to exercise their powers on is the deadly weApon. In Alabama it is solemnly decreed by the assem- bled and concentrated wisdom of the Legislature that no man shall carry pistol with Q barrel less than two feet long. How man would look with a pistol of that length swung to his hip we are not saying. but that is the size he must carry or find hirn- self in limbo.
 As a general thing the regulators confine themselves to laws. for re- straining the male sex. whether 1t results from gailantry or wise eau ton we cannot say, but those who make the laws usually steer clear of anything that would bring down on them the wrath of the other sex. But now comes an oregon law maker who takes his courage in his hands and attacks a woman's sacred pricilege by asking for the enactment of a law prohibiting any woman in that state wearing hatpins more than ten inch- es In length. We do not know what is the ordinary length of this portion of woman's headgear in Oregon. As to that matter. we admit ignorance of their length elsewhere, but the articles named must be long, fierce and dangerous in that commonwealth, else there would be no necessity for such law.
 Perhaps most men. as an obsery- ing contemporary suggests. twill agree that the length of the hatpins should be regulated. Tn this age when the mania for regulation is ram pant it seems entirely right and proper that hatpins should be denaturized., The hatpin is a deadly weapon. or at least . dangerous one. It is possess led of a peculiar terror in the minds of men that Is not inspired either by the dirk, the revolver, the shotgun or. the cannon. A hatpin in the hand of g. detefmine6 woman has brought panic to the bravest. and even when this cunning little stiletto is in its proper place, carefully inbedded in rat and janmed five inches through hat, it has not lost It's supernatural power for harm. The hatpin is cunning; it is insidious; it is lurking peril that should be subject to rigorous legis- lative restrictions. Yet where are the men brave enough to enforce e ten- inch Iaw?"
 We may admit that Something is needed in this matter. Sometimes, 90 Igws have heard say . hatrpin is about as sudden ana unexpected as the sting of q hornet and much more danger ouA. 4 woman who understands the job can draw q hat-pin from some where and jab a mans life out before he has time to dodge. Tn short, it may be admitted that these imple- ments may be classed in the list of deadly, weapons, and regulated acc cordingly but all the same we admit some curiosity as to the way the reg uIation is to be carried out. win the police and other officers of the law make it their business to draw out every pin they see in 8 woman's head gear and record it's measure? If they do. we predict numerous vacancies among oregon ofacials--by death or resignation.