Mountain advocate., 1921-08-12
MR. PlSTOL-TOTER, FELLOW
CITIZENS, YOU AND I

I'NlH r. etdHlp'I' III ine presence or
great crowd Of people, made the
] statement that the people who
carry pistols should be classified US
follows:
: /. Class one includes the officers
of the law who should go prepared
, according to the law to enforce the
authority of the law.
.. Glass two includes the person
who either plans crime or at heart
says ! will be prepared to commit
crime should the circumstances un-
der which ! can do the thing come
about.
3. The third class includes the
coward who Is afraid that he might
be found by the criminal in sur
roundings favorable for said crimi-
nal to do his work and the coward
thinks he must be ready with a pis-
tol to defend himself.
4. The fourth and last class in
cludcs the person who has fallen in
with the wrong company or environ
ment and is mislod into being n pis.
tol carrier
Then in a few words. which the
limited time necessitated. said 7
believed that the time had come
whom the 2nd. 3rd and 4th classes
should be disarmed if it took force
on the part of the -pistol-carrier
Now. Brother PistOl-Carrier. Eel
low Citizen, You and I. let's look at
and talk about this matter frankly.
/ 7 have been trying to see this from
your view point as well as mine. 7
am your friend and love you tho I
probably have given you little evil
dence that I love you.
My people have fought when nee
essary. Seventeen Aliens Of the same
blood that runs in my veins were in
one regiment Of Washington's army.
Ethan Allen, of Ticonderoga fame,
is another Of the same family. My
grandfather took upon himself the
duty and peril of a citizens guard
during the Civil War. which duty
was probably more dangerous than
the soldier life at that time. He
carried a bullet in his body to his
grave only a few years ago. could
come closer to my own life with in
cidents, but suffice it to say. God
has helped me to he perfectly cool
in danger until I believe fear and
love God, but only love my fellow
man.
Pistol-Carrier. you are ny broth
er man. ! never have owned or car
ried a pistol-you have. but am I
one bit better within rlyscl' than
you are because of this? | ; not
was reared in a quici community
where l can only recall three cases
of murder in my home county dur
ing the twenty-five years : lived !
there. The pistol-carricr wlg look
ed on as a rotten criminal and was |
given the limit under the bitter |
teeth of the law. Most of You whom |
I have in mind now are creatures of |
different circumstances. Even the |
very hills. rocks and valleys seem to |
suggest lurking danger. Your faith |
ers did find them filed with danger
but today the wild Indian. vicious
beasts and poisonous reptiles are of
teh past. I know the mule still kicks
and runs away when frightened and
our gentle COW still p,esists in be-
ing armed with her sharp horns and
even our faithful. friendly dog will
not pull out his fighting teeth These
were their means Of protection and,
they being merely a1imal. are not 7.
capable of entirely throwing away
their Inheritance But you and I, /
with thc~iutelliEence which God has
given us. are capahl" Of ro" l,2iug /,
that these outside dangers arr" no
more. Let ne behold in the hills and T.
valleys the beauties and r;cho. os
Gods gifts - US and learn 10 fear.
reverence and love !'ii0 who @rr
these for our good ma love our fol
low man. nnirr that wN"r, IS the .
need today Of the o&t,' vhirl your
fathers Of the pa. d,d uorl2
believe nest of tlo D'.toi-,ar-
riers OF today belong 'o the cigsf
Of mis-lod tens who have q mis-
Of life. The public tell
me that even these men Of the fueds
have many noble traits, are good
neighbCrs, honest financially be.
tween man and man, and would sac
ritlce in order to do you Il good turn, i
but they are human and It is human |
to err. Al the same time IT is not
only divine to forgive but to lift up.
strengthen, and help against temp
tations. Young men, let's lay aside l
this relic of savagery and become Il
noble citizen, seeking the good OF
pur faIInuy mon V,tb,, tI,,,,