Fitzgerald enterprise. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1895-1912, 1909-01-05

Col. Jesse Mercer has announced his intend
ed retirement from the fourth estate. He will
give up the editorship of the Fitzgerald Enter
prise, of which he has made such a bright
paper. While it is to be regretted that the
ranks of journalism are to lose this trenchant
writer, consolation is given in his announce
ment that he twill exercise his sovereign right,
as a private citizen" for the good of the state.
The particular good service which he has as
signed himself is ''to bring to be introduced
at the next session of the legislature bill to
require every citizen who carries a pistol to
wear bright badge appropriately inscribed to
Indicate that he iscarrying deadly weapon"
This is a capital idea. AS Col. Mercer well
observes: ''The present law against the carry
ing of concealed WeapOns) is almost nullity
and the pistol toting practice is one of
the most universal crimes in the state at the
present time" Probably three fourths of the
hOmicides that are committed must be charged
to men who carried q concealed weapon at the
time. This is generally recognized, and the
the efforts of law makers have been directed to
the passing of laws to prevent the carrying of
concealed weapons All these laws have how
ever, been found Intellectual. The burden of
proof is on the state, when the charge of carry
ing concealed weapon is brought, to sustain
the allegation that it was concealed, which
it is often impOss ibe to do. So the law is
made mockery, and very large proportion
of our young men habitually carry pistol in
their hip pocket.
Now Col. Jesses bill, which he will bring
to be introduced, will release the state of the
burden of proof in concealed weapon cases.
Under his proposed law every man who goes
armed must 'wear bright badge appropriate
ly inscribed" That will fix it. Any man,
found at any time after the passage of this
law, under any circumstances, with q deadly
weapon is to be tried for felony and convict
ed, unless he wears the regulation "brght
badge appropriately inscribed"
That this law would prove effective and ac-
complish the desired end cannot be doubted
1t would not prevent those who think they
cannot be happy unless they are toting gun
from making walking arsenals of themselves,
and it would prevent the greater parte if not
all the homicdes that are now committed by
giving peaceable citizens a chance to delav
furnishing job to the undertaken by advoid-
ing meetings with men who wore ''the bright
badge appropriately inscribed - as they would
adVoid meeting q rattlesnake equipped for
business
So wise is the proposed law that it's merits
will need no discussion, and it should be in or.
der now to settle the details, which Col. Jesse
has neglected to do. What is to be the color of
this bright badge, what its size, its subscription,
and lastly and most important where is it to
be worn?
AS to color, red would doubtless be the best.
Red is the color of danger warnings. and a
bright red would be both appropriate and con.
spiciouS. In size it should certainly be large
enough to be easily SEEM not less than six inches
square The inscription would seem to
be less material, but might consist of figures to
Indicate the calibre of the gun or letters to de-
note the kind of armament carried. But where
should the badge be worn? The back of the
coat would seem to be the best place, but the
badge should be placed in front If it be worn
on the outside of the coat it would be invisible
if the coat be open and thrown back; if under
the coat it would be covered when the coat
was buttOned.
So there's the difficulty; and because no suit.
able place is provided by prevailing styles of
mems clothing for the proper display of these
badges it is probable that Col. Merce1's plan
will fail of adoption, and pistol toters will re-
main untagged. Augusta Herald
Our oversight in not providing for the partic
lar details as where the badge should be worn
IS size, color and texture, in our announcement is
alpable. We presumed that such details would
e attended to i'll drawing the bill ITSELF The badge
,irht he worn as a cnckade ON the hat or aS q 50