The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-05-10
Liberal Viewpoint
by DIR. HARRY ELMER BARNES -

CENAToRs COPELAND Vandenberg and
- Murphy have introduced a bill into the
United States senate designed to restrain
criminals from obtaining deadly firearms.
This bill is motivated undoubtedly by the
highest and most sincere aspirations. But it
raises once more the fundamental question oil
whether crooks can be restrained by legislation
which has as its primary and most direct result
the disarming Of honest citizens,
We already have plenty of state laws which
virtually prohibit the possession Of pistols and
revolvers. But these have had little effect upon
criminals and gangsters, fact which was made
patent by the information gathered by Senator
Copelands own committee last year.
Legislation prohibiting the possession OF fire.
arms will be respected only by the law-abiding
citizens who would not them in an anti
social fashion The crook who would commit
robbery or murder with them would not be likely
to respect the law prohibiting possession.
But laws which prohibit the possession of
such deadly small arms do not prevent the pur-
chase of such weapons
Even if they can not be bought in any given
state they can be bought outside and brought in.
If they could not be legally purchased in the
United States as a whole they could be obtained
easily outside and struggled in. Further, though
there might be a world agreement to outlaw the
sale of pistols and revolvers it would be perfectly
feasible to carry on a bootleg manufacture of
such weapons quite sufficient to meet the needs
of the underworld
MOREOVER, We're gangsters absolutely de-
1V1 prived of pistols and revolvers they could
easily buy a standard shotgun saw it off, load it
with buckshot and make it much more deadly
for hand-to-hand encounter than any pistol
or revolver.
Were our criminals reduced to desperation in
their effort to get deadly weapons, this would be
equivalent to declaring open season upon police
men, deputy sheriffs. custodians and armories
Otl, cub
machine guns in their possession. The recent
antics Of Mr.. Dillinger we'll illustrate this point
The net result of all such legislation is to
disarm the law-abiding citizen and to guarantee
the criminals relative immunity in their depre-
dationS upon society. I do not often agree with
the Chicago Tribune, but there was much truth
in one of its recent cartoons in which it por-
trayed the Copeland bill as, Willingly or not "a
bill to promote burglary"
The Copeland bill goes beyond earlier legisla-
ton in attempting to restrict the sale of am
munition as we'll as of firearms. The wording
of the bill would clearly apply to all shotgun
shells and to about IS per cent of the ammuni-
ton used in the rifles which are common in the
United States
1t makes it unlawful for a manufacturer to
ship such ammunition in interstate commerce to
anybody except licensed retail dealer. It like
wise makes it unlawful for a dealer to receive
this ammunition from anybody except licensed
manufacturer. This eliminates both the whole
Saler and the JObber in ammunition legal
participant in the ammunition trade.
The bill also renders liable sportsmen who
quite innocently and unconscously purchase
ammunition from dealer who has not fully
complied with the law. The mere possession of
such ammunition would be sufficient evidence to
demonstrate his guilt.
| TNQUISITORIAL powers are given the depart
Il ment of justice in the enforcement of this
proposed law.
| Extreme though this bill is it might prove
only the opening wedge for more fanatical legis-
lation. Many of the persons who now are sup
porting this bill openly admit that they desire
further legislation which would compel every
sportsman to register his firearms and store
them in local armory when not actively using
them for sporting or target purposes
There is just one point upon which such pro-
hbtlve legislation would prove justifable
namely, the absolute outlawng of the manu-
/ facture sale and possession of machine guns and
Submachine guns by anybody save governmental
agencies and officials No private citizen could
offer the slightest justification for the possession
OF such weapons for legitimate purposes. More
over, the outlawing of such firearms would
eradicate the most deadly possessions of our
more dangerous gangSters.