The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1874-01-10
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ELKTON. JANUARY 10, 1874.
THE BIRDS.

Now that the season for killing small
game is about closing and the Legislature
has met for the purpose of devising ways to
promote human happiness, among which
the facilities for acquiring property Or
accommodating wealth, if you please, is not
generally despised. If pecuniary gain can
be coupled with policy which is largely
humane in its character, every good chris
tian, and numbers who are not SO highly
civilized, will heartily rejoice. The ac-
complishment of this boon to very great
extent lies within the power of our Legis-
lature, by amending the game laws of the
State, so as to include the absolute protec-
ton of all insectivorous birds, by a total pro-
hibition Of the slaughter of them. Such a
provision would include nearly all the
small birds which visit our fields and groves
in tho Spring, and tarry with US through
the Summer to nest and bring forth their
broods of young; and for whose support
millions of insects destructive to the farm
er's fruit trees and crops are destroyed by
songsters of the fields and woods. Thous-
ands of these beautiful and valuable little
workers are wantonly destroyed every year
while they are with us, by idle and cruel
boys and young men, who lounge about
and help to kill time by killing the little
feathered friends offs the farmer and gar
dener. Some of the counties in Pennsyl-
vania have procured the passage of special
acts for the above purpose, and we are
informed that the insectivorous birds have
increased astonishingly since tho act has
been in force; and a corresponding advant-
age to the crops of the farm, the garden
and orchard has been the good result of
this no less wise than humane policy.
In the most enlightened agriculture,
where science has contributed her store to
the advancement and elevation of that pur-
suit-insect destroying birds are held to be
among the best friends of the farmer, and
tho only means by which his crop and trees
can be protected against the ravages of
insects. The small birds that are killed in
wanton sport serve no useful purpose what
ever to the idle sportsman, or rather ma
RAIDERS, for no sportsman will descend to
such hsartless acts of cruelty. And it is
the proper province of law to restrain, by
severe penalties, that low propensity for
killing the small birds SO manifested by the
idle and vagabond part of the community.
An enlightened policy among farmers
would demand such a law at once, and see
that it was not violated with impunity;
and this, along with other beneficial re-
suits would not fail to follow organizations
among the agricultural classes, which had
for their object the lettering and elevating
the business of farming.
Our Legislature could not pass law
that would advance the interests of the
entire rural population of the State more
than total prohibition of the killing of
every species of insectvorous birds. Our
members from this county are intelligent
men, who know that the destruction of the
birds is not only cruel license allowed to
crafty low propensity of idle young men
and boys, which it would be an act of pub
lie virtue to break up; but they know that
this wanton destruction of the innocents
causes great loss to the husbandman by
insects which depredate on his trees and
crops, and against which there is no pro-
lection but the birds.