Pueblo chieftain., 1921-05-06
D|SARM|NG A NATION

He is used to getting things by theft
and craft He is we'll acquainted in the
underworld He will get a gun under
gun prohibition just as easily as he
gets liquor under liquor prohibition
The law-abiding citizen will be dis
armed by such legislation. but not
the professional gunman.
Take, for example, they say, a group
of 100 citizens. Perhaps so or more
of these never thought of owning a
gun Perhaps about so of them have
purchased guns which they keep in
bureau drawers for personal protec-
ton. Many burglar and highwayman
has been foiled by an armed citizen.
The keeping of arms in the house for
self protection is recognized and
crime. If there were a loaded revolver
in every bed room in the country with
a person who had been properly
trained in the use Of It. burglary
would be greatly discouraged.
In this 100 men there are perhaps 10
who own revolvers as means of recre-
alton. They are members of target
shooting clubs which encourage civil
ian practice with small arms, or they
are men who make camping trips in
wild country and carry side arms with
them.
How 1t Would Work
Not moro than three, probably of
this lO0 men are criminals, Now the
effect of a law like tho Shields bill.
says its opponents. is to disarm this
entire 100 men in the hope of dsarm-
ing the three criminal members. The
30 who would otherwise buy revolvers
for self defense will be discouraged
from doing so by the expense and risk
OF prosecution. Then men who use
their weapons as means of recreation
and who are valuable for their skill
in case of war, will be more reluctant
to give up. but they too are lawabid-
ing men and do not like to follow a
hobby which involves contempt Of law.
The only men of the hundred who
will completely and gladly disregard
the law are the three criminals. They
habitually disregard law anyway.
They are experts in breaking it. Their
lives depend upon the ownership of
guns. II is almost certain that they
will succeed in obtaining them. And
they will be the bolder in the use of
them by reason of knowing that their
intended victims have been disarmed.
These men argue that the way to
prevent the abuse of any privilege or
right is not to take away from every
body, but to take it away from the
man who abuses it-not to deprive the
% law abiding citizens of their rights,
bot to make it hot for the thrte
crooks.
rhis is not being done. they say. Our
much criticism lately that Il is hard
ly necessary to repeat any Of it. I'm
solved murder and theft mysteries are
tho order OF the day. our criminal
law is a notorious farce. Tho state
ment Is made by high authorities
that a man is seldom convicted Of
murder in this country IL he has
plenty of money or a political pull.
The way to stop murder is to catch
and punish the murdcrers. and the
way TO disarm criminals is to catch
them and take their arms away from
them. argue these opponents of tho
prohihitory principle.
II there is TO be any federal lcGis-
lation bearing on the crime wave,
these men say. 1t should have for its
purpose the creation OF federal po-
lice bureau. This is badly needed to
act as a clearing house for inforna-
ton about criminals. tn raise the
standards OF police work in America
and to study European police methods
with a view to Introducing them in
this country.