The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-06-16
TO SIGN PETITION
TO Mr.. DICKINSON
Citizens Will Check Sale of
Springfield Rifles
BABB WILL AID MOVE
Petition VIII Be Signed BY Law Of
fcers and Prominent Citizens.
All Glasses Are Aroused
Over the Matter

The peace-loving and law-abidng citi-
zens of Greater Birmingham are thor
oughly aroused, and the old Springfield
and Swiss army guns that are being
distributed in the Birmingham district are
doomed
The sale of these guns at a price that
the most shiftless and irresponsible class
can easily pay for them is going to be
stopped in Birmingham and stopped
quickly. The lawless people of this dis
trict are not going to be provided with
a gun that will shoot three or four miles
and penetrate half dozen planks at a
cost so low that every man and boy
can own one-not If the better element
| can help themselves and it now looks as
| If they are entirely capable of doing so.
Chief of Detectives Jack Mcdonald.
who first started the sentiment against
the sale of these crime promoting in
struments, said last night: There is no
use to wait for any action that the state
legislative body may see fit to make
in regard to the sale of these guns and
of placing tax upon their ownership.
1t may be months and even a year or
iiiolc DCloiS any dCliOH ldhcS pldCt
and in the meantime the distribution of
the guns will be going peacefully on and
the crimes committed with them will be
steadily on the increase. What we should
do is to get up the petition to Secretary
of War Dickinson, which should be signed
by officers of the law of the city. county,
state and nation who have jurisdiction
| in this locality and also by the leading
business men and politicians of the dis
| trict Then this petition asking that
the sale of these guns be prohibited In
this district by the war department
should be sent to Washington and the
matter will be attended to.
To Draw Up Petition
| 'In that way the sale of the guns will
| be stopped in the course of a few days
| and then we can afford to wait for legis-
lative action to levy a tax on the guns
| already bought and thereby restrict their
use. If necessary, will be the first man
to sign a petition and will be glad to
get my name on document tibet I know
will greatly advance peace and law
fulness in this district"
Joseph B. Babb, secretary of the Cham
Der of Commerce, said last night that
he was very much in favor of the idea of
stopping the sale of the guns. He said
they had been put to at frequent inter
walls in the past and that anything he
could do In the way of helping the cause
| along would be freely done.
Today the petition will be drawn up and
left at the police headquarters for the
signature of the officers of the law who
are really the men who know most about
the results of the sale of these guns.
Any one desiring to sign the petition
will find it at the police station all day
during Friday under the care of Chief of
Detectives Jack Mcdonald.
Petition to Washington
The petition will then be taken to the
Chamber of Commerce where the sigma
lures of the leading men of the city will
be added to it. The time when it will be
at the Chamber of Commerce will be an
nounced later. 1t will then be taken to
the sheriffs office at the county court
house and from there will probably be
left for a day at the office Of the United
States marshall in the federal building.
When 1t has been aligned and fully pre-
pared by all the citizens who desire to
sign It, the petition will then be sent
direct to Washin gton, and the action of
the war department will be awaited.