The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1915-03-15
PISTOL ToTING

The Pensacola Independent thinks it
has found the philosophers stone for
stopping the pistol toting practice.
This is to teach boxing In the schools
so that every boy becomes an adept
in the "manly art" and thus VIII De
able to defend himself with his hsts
instead of resorting to deadly WeaP-
ons. The man who arms hlmselt
with deadly weapons IS a coward, says
the Independent.
This boxing scheme may be all right
| If all men are of the same size, but
alas. except In magazine stories, a big
man who cannot box is generally more
than a match for small man who
can, Neither is big man unarmed
match for a small man who has pls-
toll. But this is neither here nor
there. As long as brutal negroes and
white men with criminal instincts car
ry pistols for attack, good men are
compelled to carry arms for defense. /
To take means to protect ones lie
when danger is anticipated IS not !
cowardice, and it is foolhardiness IN
stead of bravery to refuse TO take
such means when occasions demand 1t.
We read almost daily about unarmed
men being killed by armed rutflans,
whereas, had the former been armed,
some of the ruffians might have had
their careers stopped. The quarrels
between white men when pistols or
knives are used are generally drunken
: brawls and if no weapons are handy
: the combatants will use clubs or any
t thing they can find, often with deadly
effect.
The element among US in the South
desperate enough to carry and make
e use of pistols in slight provocatlon,
a consists mostly of floating negroes,
) many of whom have served time IN
!, penal institutions or are fugltlves
n no one is safe unless when armed. We
&c read about their lawless deeds all the
# time. and often also, how the lives
of worthy persons were saved, and
the assailants put to fight because the
ID attacked were armed. Against the
perils from this class there is no
remedy, and it has been and is the
!, chief instigation to pistol totlng by
otherwise law-abiding men. Drunken
e brawls are becoming more and more
I'd infrequent with the increased difficulty
~ of getting whiskey. :,
tn Pistol toting is not an unmlxed evil
:, In portions of the country where the
habit of carrying arms does not exist
+ and the pistol does not put all on al
nd equal basis as far as fighting strength
wv is concerned, DULLES abound, wh'
-, tyrannize over their weaker brethren
and thrash them if they rebel. w
have nothing of this sort in the South
I'd for every would-be bully knows tina
lid those he would like to ill-treat ar
iii able to defend themselves. If we don
"a get excited but look at the matte
- calmly we find that there are very FEY
ar IN unsuitable killings in the South tina
nd can be charged directly to the habl
We of carving arms Neither is pisto
ITO toting so common as it has been erie
- out to be. We deplore the practict
70 but as long as there are those VIII
mt would make life a burden, II the
I'D could. for the rest of the population
err we consider it proper for those VIII
apprehend attack to be prepared to dc
fend themselves This condition WI
le- cease with closer settlement, but
me the meantime we must expect to er
lb- counter the same conditions as a
other new countries are or have bee
subjected to.
Let us work for temperance, for eC
1ts ucation and for the rapid settlemeI
at of our state. When these things CON
. pistol toting will cease.-Starke Tel
y graph.
H The Star is glad to see and indor'
II the foregoing. 1t is the most sens
II BILE and comprehensive article on IL
III subject we have ever seen in print.
III It is too well known to dispute tn
Editor Mathews of the Starke Tel
III graph is a law4abiding man and {
II upright citizen, so it will be no u
II to try to reply to him by saying he
HI a coward or indorses ruffianism.
has exactly expressed the sentimen
of the thousands of men who respe
iii and uphold the law, but believe tn
III have the right to take measures
III protect themselves in those plac
where the law cannot help them.
a. Mr.. Mathews speaks from person
experience. A number of years
he was editing one of the pioneer
Al pers of the state He found hims
Al confronted by conduct contrary
III law and humanity by certain none
I'll ed men. He was given to understa
I'll that it was to his profit if he rema
AI ed silent, but that if he exposed
5I evil he did so not only at his financ
Eli but his personal peril. He chose 1
Al a good and brave journalistic
III posed and denounced the evil. At
aI same time, he armed and gave not
I'll he would defend himself if necessa
iii And considering the power and
III character of the men he defed, tn
Al is not much doubt that it was only
I'll knowledge that he could, and be-
8I that he would, fight, that saved /
HI from rough treatment, maybe wors
Hl "Gene" knows what he is talk