Evening star., 1914-11-15
Representative Favors Any
Law That Will Stop Dan
gerous Custom.
HENSLEY WOULD REQUIRE
PERMIT TO PURCHASE
Newman and Symes, Home Tomor-
row, Are Expected to Take Steps
to Curtail Sales.

There is no reason why any one
should carry pistol in Washington,
unless he be an officer Of the law"
said Representative Sims Of Tennessee
in discussing The Stars crusade to
make it more difficult to buy revolvers.
Il stand for any regulation that will
wipe out pistol toting. for 1t is fool
ish. dangerous and useless custom. 1t
is not enough to make 1t misde-
meanor to be found with a concealed
weapon: there should be a drastic law
making it felony"
Representative Sims has been a con-
sistent fighter for an anti-pistol law in
the District of Columbia, but the fate
Of his drastic bills is pointed to by
many persons as evidence that it will
be long time before any such law as
prohibiting the sale of pistols is en-
acted by Congress and that meantime
there should be some method adopted
by the Commissioners to prevent the
easy and unrestricted purchase of re-
volvers.
1t is recalled that at one time there
was bill introduced to prevent the
Importation of revolvers into the Dis
trict and to prevent the interstate COM
merce in pistols as far as the District
| is concerned, but pistol manufacturers
worked the 1obbies successfully, it is
claimed by Representative Sims, and
|
Representative Hensley of Missouri
one of the foremost of the small navy
men, says he can see exactly the same
argument against pistol toting as he
can see against great naval arma-
| ments.
| Like Big Navy.
THE men who tote pistols for what
| they call their protection are in the
same class with the nations who pile
up huge navies for Defense" explained
Mr.. Hensley. stop every one from
getting pistols SO easily and you'll stop
| the murders and assaults and shoot
ing. Stop all nations from building
navies and we'll have no wholesale
| slaughters like We are seeing now,
with the taxpayer bearing the burden.
| 1T is good thing to require a stif
permit before pistol can be bought,
and I believe that, Furthermore, the
dealer should be required to keep a
record Of why he parted with the re-
| volver he sold.
THE man buying the gun should give
good reason for needing 1t. too. be-
lieve also that promiscuous pistol tot
| ing should be made a felony. with
| penitentiary terms attached. When that
| sort of law is vigorously enforced
pistol carrying falls off. In my own
section. where pistol toting is a peni.
i
| linfreQuent. Where there were once
| Ave there is now but one"
| Representative Page of North Caro-
lima is in sympathy with The Stars
attitude toward promiscuous pistol
buying and believes change should be
made Immediately. He also believes
that penitentiary terms should follow
conviction of carrying concealed
weapon unlawfully.
Action Expected Tomorrow.
With the return to Washington to.
morrow of Commissioner Newman an6
Corporation Counsel Conrad H. Syme
who have been attending the mayors
conference in Philadelphia, immediate
consideration will be given by the Dis.
trict heads, it is expected, to the de.
STABILITY Of asking Congress at the
next session to enact for the District q
more drastic law governing the sale Of
firearms and dangerous weapons.
Both the president of the board o,
Commissioners and the boards lega
adviser believe that the present regu
lation of this traffic is insufficient, anG
the latter has gone SO far as to ex.
press the opinion that it would be Z
good thing to make the carrying o.
concealed weapons an offense punish
able by Imprisonment only.
Before leaving for Philadelphia Com
missioner Newman stated that he wal
heartily in favor of doing all that coult
he done in the direction Of curbing th'
pistol l-carrying habit. and he expresset
i. the opinion that the board could b.
counted upon to aid in the enactmen
of legislation along this line. 1t Is ex
pected the question may be taken VI
; by the Commissioners at their mex