The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1881-06-09
IN. Y. Observer.l
Slaughter Of the InnOcents.
BY CHARLES L. HILDRETH.

1t is a shrewd criticism upon the
claims of modern civilization, that
hunting for sport owes much Of it's
popularity to the organs of refinement
and culture. Of the half-dozen mag
azines published in this country there
is rarely an issue which does not con-
tain an illustrated hunting article.
Elaborate details of duck-shooting
form an almost stereotyped feature Of
the autumn numbers. A recent issue
of New York magazine contained a
brilliant description of deer-hunting
in Michigan, supplemented by vigor-
Gus illustrations Of wagon-loads Of
stark bodies piled up in such painful
abundance that one saw at glance
how little Of all this enormous de-
straction could possibly be applied
even to the pretence of use. We
have, beside the magazines, not few
weekly papers wholly devoted to
hunting. One published in New York
has a circulation Of six thousand.
London alone publishes twelve and
supports several clubs whose pro-
fessed object is the encouragement of
cunning.
Upon what grounds is this sort of
thing countenanced? Certainly not
as an element of culture. Its object
cannot be to sharpen the finer feel
ings and deaden the brutal ones.
There is no poetry in destroying the
animated portrait of Nature. Alive,
what more beautiful object than the
wheeling bird or the bounding deer?
Dead, what more pitiful sight than
their bloody plumage or agonized eye
balls?
There appears to be no general con-
ception of the inhumanity and cow
ardliness of the practice. In England
every man who can, hunts; finding
his game, in most places, where it has
been preserved In order that it may be
killed for sport. In this country up
to comparatively recent date, hunt
ing for sport had never been a wide
spread practice. We had been too
busy, too simple in our tastes, and
perhaps too poor; for it requires the
leisure of wealth to devote ones at
tention to the business with any de-
gree of success. 1t has now received
the death-warrant of fashion, and
every year thousands of well-equipped
parties start from the various cities,
eager to deal havoc among the inhab-
itants of the forest. In spite Of poor
attempts at game protection, birds
and beasts are rapidly becoming ex-
tinct along the Atlantic border, and
the time is not far off when the gen.
tleman hunter will be forced to find
his prey in well-guarded preserves,
mere chicken-yards Of half-tamed
poultry.
The dangerous animals invariably
lurk upon the outskirts Of civilization,
where their destruction is a work of
necessity and falls naturally to those
whom they would be most likely to
injure. Crusades against them by
amateurs not seldom result in the
stripping of trife of hide from the
hunters, instead of the hunted.
Wherein there is not pleasurable
degree Of sport.
The killing of certain rapidly prop
agating species, whose numbers are
destructive to human industry, is JUS
tifable upon the ground of self-pro-
lection. That man has a right to
sustain life by all possible expedients
is philosophy which few will ques-
ton. He could not subsist upon the
uncultivated products Of the earth.
He has therefore supplied his needs
by various forms of aliment, which
are, in effect, the creation Of his own
skill. Out of rudimentary species he
has bred the enormous herds of cattle,
swine and sheep which form the basis
Of his food, and which, without his
care and protection, would now be
extinct or exist in low forms and
trifing numbers. Consequently, if
meat diet is necessary to the human
economy, the killing of such animals
is justifable expedient. The right
Of man to produce life, and then de.
stroy it, is doubtless open to question
ON high moral grounds; but at pres
ent there appears to be no other re
sources.
There are no similar necessities t.
justify killing for sport. The meat O.
the animals and birds slain in this wa.
is used only to limited extent,
great portion being thrown away
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