The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-06-30
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
Information Bureau
FREDERIC j. HAsKIN, Director
Washington, d. C.
THE PROBLEM OF PERSONAL
ARMAMENT.
Washington, D. C.

have been committed in this country
recently. has supplied all of is en-
, ployes with automatic pistols, set up
target range in its basement. and
made pistol practice a regular insti-
tuition. One of its woman clerks has
attained an expert proficiency in
short time.
This bank is one of many organiza-
tons that have taken the protection
of their property into their own hands,
as it has become more and more clear
that most of the American police sys-
tens are not equal to the task. The
United States government is one OF
these organizations. The postoffiee
department especially has invested
heavily in automatic shotguns and
pistols and has made target practice
a part of it's routine.
For organizations to prepare to de-
fend their property in this way seems
to be generally considered a wise and
justifiable move; but theresis a strong
movement on foot to deny the same
fight to the citizen. Everywhere gun
toting'' laws are being discussed, and
the movement to legislate guns out OF
existence seems to have reached its
climax in the federal measure which
proposes to bar small arms from IN
terstate commerce.
This measure, which was discussed
in a previous Haskin Letter, would
have the effect of making it extremely
difficult for reputable citizen to pur-
chase a pistol for self-defense without
| breaking the law, and it would also
make such arms much more expen-
sive. The theory is that it would
make it equally difficult for the GRIM
! inal to arm himself
Opponents of this law assert that 1t
would accomplish just the opposite OF
| its intention. They say that the yegg
or gunman, who finds a gun indispen-
sable to his business, would always
manage to get one by hook or crook,
just as he now manages to get cocaine,
| liquor, opium, and other contraband
goods. 1t is the reputable citizen.
eager to obey the law, who would be
disarmed. The criminals would be
given a monopoly of armament.
What the Constitution Says.
| The constitutionality of this law has
also been questioned, as the >Constiu-
ton provides that the right Of the
people to keep and bear arms shall
not be infringed."
| Opponents of pistol prohibition now
bring IN a substitute, which is not
new, but has a special interest at this
time When Mayor Gayner was shot
| by an assassin a few years ago, Judge
| George C. Holt made an able address
on the subject of arms, and the right
| to carry them. He discussed the ad-
cided that it was impracticable. He
advised that instead law should be
passed which would place the selling
of small arms in the coptrol Of com
petent boards everywhere.
Under such a system. if you desired
| to own a weapon, you would appear
before the board and apply for Ii
cense, just the same as you do now
when you want to operate motor car
You would have to demonstrate thai
you knew how to operate the gun
| Just as you now have to demonstrate
that you know how to operate a car
| You would very likely undergo a br1e1
physical examination, and would have
] to prove that you had no criminal rec
ord and were sane. BY the signatures
! of reputable persons, you would estab'
lish your own reputability.
1t is argued that such a law would
do Just as much to keep arms away
from the criminal class as would the
measure preventing the interstate
trade in arms That Is, it would pre-
vent a criminal from going into q
reputable store and purchasing such
an arm. 1t would be impossible tt
| buy an arm from a reputable dealer
without presenting a license from the
board. Storekeepers would obey this
law punctIliously, as they obey anS
law regulating the sale of firearms
because 1hey have everything to lose
and nothing to gain by disobedience
! In either case, the yegg would have IL
go to the gun bootlegger for his gun
and in either case, in all probability
he would get it.
! This licensing law would have ths
great advantage, it is claimed, that i
would enable the responsible citizen
who knows how to use a gun, to ge
one for self-defenSe. 1t would no
give all the advantage to the criminal
as would gun-prohibition. say thu
critics of that measure. Furthermore
the licensing system would tend to re
duce the great number of weapons
which are now purchased by person.
who do not know how to operate
them, and who cause most OF the nu
merous accidents that occur in the
use OF small arms
Not Abolish, But Regulate.
The proponents of this licensing
system say that the object of laws Oh
the use of small arms should not b'
to abolish their use,n This is neitheI
practicable nor desirkble. The ohiec
should be to confine their use to per
sons who are capable of using then
with discretion. This has scareel!
been attempted in the United States
In a large part of the country, tn
civilian population has been com
pletely disarmed. In the northeastern
quarter of the United States. it is ex
tremely rare to find a man with a gu1
about him, unless he is either a crini
nal or a police officer. The result il
that any man armed with a brick II
sock can be q successful robber
Crimes are carried out with an cas-
. and impunity which is too well known
: to need illustration here. Foreign
feudists fight out their battles in tn
streets Of our great cities. usual,
shooting a few bystanders incidental
ly, and these are as helpless as s.
many sheep.
In certain southern and western
) states, very different custom pre-
walls. Almost every man, and indeed
every boy past seventeen, carries :,
revolver. These arms may be pur
chased by any one at very low price
in pawnshops. In these states, the el,
custom of settling personal differ
ences by personal combat still sur
wives The result is that thara are ,