The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-12-17

Ihs Psssins q he Duel.

~~19 - ~ 49, = -
iag has besn ds6lt ! heavy blow IN
France. " learn. by the refusal q
Leon paudet ! member q the
chamber Of deputies who fought IL
dueas before the war, to accept an
other challenge. He declares that
dnelipg ID . foolish practice, and
that there l. no excuse for 4 .since
the war.
Il seems strange to Americans
that In France men still formally
light to the death. - they do also
in other European countries and In
most Of Latin-America. It has been
more than half & century since .
duel Of any importance was fought
In the. United States, and almost .
century since the duel here was in
its heyday.
We might claim from this that
We are . more civilized country
than France. but that would be .
hard claim to substantiate by any
other evidence. 1t would also be
hard to claim much credit for not
dueling when We will have our little
lynching parties and race riots. and
: in view Of the record we have made
in Haiti. A malicious critic might
say that We have given up the fair
fight for the unfair one.
As a matter Of fact duels have un.
doubtedly held q high and recog-
nized place in countries which were
| by every other standard highly civ.
ilized, and a study Of the subject
leaves one not at all sure that com.
I; bat between man and man. strictly
regulated, is q wholly barbaroui
proceeding. The duel seems to b
condemned more and more, not be
cause It is essentially uncivilixed
but because it is wasteful Of human
life, and because it tends, especial.
in . democracy, to degenerate ints
. means Of legitimizing murder.
Why Duel Declined.
This seems to be the real caus,
Of its decadence in this country
Dueling is an aristocratic practice
In theory 1t is a combat betwee,
two peers, regulated by the strict
est regard for fairness. But in thi
country everyone is a peer. On
man is as good AZ another in theory
and all had, until q few years ago
the right to bear arms. Hence tn
duel became q means by which ,
rascal skilled with Z gun could xii
q useful man and 60 free.
! Long and interesting is the his
tory Of the Duel in America, and /
'Emakes us realize keenly how mucl
We have changed. A book on duel
ling written in 1868 by an English
man who had Travelled extensively
in this country says that "Americ'
is the land where life is held cheap
er than anywhere else. There duel
are off-hand diversions"
I He goes on to say that the wall
and furniture Of Washington hotel
were SCARED by the bullets whic
J excited legislators and politician
had fired at one another.
i In a word, so years ago We wer
the most cantankerous. truculen
and self-a5ser;ive people on eartl
All men went armed and were al
ways ready to lay down their live
in defense Of their honor, thei
property and their dignity. In thos
days you did not even jostle a ma
on the street without making elabo
rate apology or else fighting 10
your life.
: Now We are as completely dis
armed as medieval peasants. w
are driven about like sheep in gres
herds. We peacefully stand on eac
others toes in the subways, Will
consideration for the stranger is
rare virtue in our midst. Ther
would seem to be just q mite {
truth in the statement Of an oil
writer on the subject that "the dn'
Is sharp salutary remedy for rud
, and offensive conduct" He ais
points out that there Is little excus
: for ANY nation which still goes