The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1913-06-14
THE CODE DUELLO
IS BARBAROUS
CoURTLAND SYMMEs SUGGESTS
MEANS FOR OBTAINING
SATISFACTION
Mr.. Editor:

Mr. Editor:
was somewhat surprised to note
IN the yesterday mornings issue OF
d, 1ur able paper a suggestion from
your Atlanta correspondent that The
code duellO be rev ised (and which
must mean that that it be made law
m. to fight dnels) as a means Of pre-
venting the bandying of epithets
ana, to use slang phrase, mnd-
singing through the newspapers.
ana was more surprised to note that
your able editor. generally thought
ful and conservative, made no criti-
clsm OF the suggestion, but by the
absence of such, seemed to lend an.
| prevail.
Concurring fully with the view that
the administering of abuse, the hurI-
ing OF cpithets and opprobrious
words, through the press should be
stopped, ] would like TO be allowed
| 10 suggest the prevention of such by
a step forward, rather than back
ward. And [ put the suggestion in
| form OF interrogation
Would it not completely stop that
sort OF thing, that unseemIy practice,
that uncouth custom. if the newspa-
pers would but lake in that, the same
high stand that they take in other
| things, and refuse to publish such
| deny it place in their columns?
And if the press cannot unite upon
the line suggested, would it not be
we'll to require of the judges of the
superior court TO give in charge to
the grand juries, at each session, the
penal code provisions against libel,
make it the duty of the solicitors gen
| lles OF the newspapers published in
each county, and lay before the
| grand jury each publication which in
| heir opinion was libelous, and make
it the duty of each magistrate, with
out an affidavit or prosecution by
| anybody, to Issue his warrant, on his
| own motion, for eacn and every per-
l'son guilty of libel through newspa-
per when the publication is shown
to or seen by him? This you see
would insure prosecution. Gener-
Tally the person libeled does not wish
| to resort to n prosecution. Most peo-
pie entertaining the erroneous idea
that it is cowardly when as a mat
ter of fact, it is not.
And if the law of libel is not suff-
| Gent TO meet such cases, possibly an
| amendment to the provision of the
| penal code against the use of oppro-
| hrious words or abusive language,
| tending to cause breach of the
| peace, when used in the presence of
| the person against whom they are di-
rected, might be amended so as to
make such penal when used in a
newspaper, magazine or periodical,
or otherwise published And then
| prescribe with respect to that law as
amended, the same duties for the
| judge, the solicitor and the magis-
| trates, as suggested above.
Does not either of these means
seem better than legalzing dueling
1 OF course, there are exceptions to
all rules, and possibly you might get
up a duel between the persons whose
conduct. recently, has provoked the
| criticism from your Atlanta cores
| pondent, and if you get them both
shot, 1t might be well, but you see
one might pc missed, and you will
have all your trouble for nothing.
From murders and duels Good God
deliver us, The law we'll says that
the man who shoots his enemy in a
duel. is a murderer. And a murderer
he is.
| Yours for progress,
| COURTI.AND SYMMES.