New-York tribune., 1885-03-16
MICH ADO ABOUT NOTHING.


AN INCIDENT OF THE FIRST ENACTMENT VI oAA-
LAWS IN NAME.
A ventleman from Maine sat In tho Fifth Avenue
Hotel the otherday reading THE TRIBUNE when nc
came to the dispatch from Bangor, reiatng no"
Canadian not hunters violate the game laws OF the
State with immunity, he burst into laughter more
hearty than seemed warranted by the item OF news
at brought TO my mind" he said in explanation
an amusing incident connected with the carry history
=. ,ho coe lava IN Maine 1t was not far from thirty
vears AGO that the first comprehensive act for the
roecton Of eaaoe was introduced into the Legislature
A. the temperance party was In the majority ana
advocated the measure. the Dsmocrats-or hnmmos;a
"A thew were then caedwere OF course In duy pouno
To opDose it, which they did vigorously Auer ~ oo
came o law II was discovered by some as'u.e p.n
cratic editor-HOlden, OF The Eastern Aisus,
hel;eve-that woodpeckers were included among .ne
birds 10 be protected during the close season anu
showers of ridicule hurled at the Temperance party
for cassing woodpeckers as game Inc me AND its
supporters The Woodpeckar party Inc tenPcianmJ9 "a m
editors took up the cudges and defended the law IN Az
its details woodpeske,s they s@iu ;nierss, of farmers
They byed largely on larvae of destructive insec'"
which they picked from the bark Of trees.
"Tbe opposition was ready for the emergency
abundant evidence was produced that the woodpecker
40 far from being friend to the farmer was oo VI hs
worst foes He lived not on insects or thelr egSs ID.
on the tender inner bark OF trees ana on run ~: ~ ~
He ought TO be exterminated and II was s,n CIV Su
shame to protect him by law. The name OF sap
Sucker by which some varieties are ;Ssn su aainsf
country people was brought up in evidence aga,ns'
him Now began a controversy over tue woooPcc
more animated than the later one over tue r1hsnsn
sparrow Expert testimony of the highest cnarac.ei
Was introduced on both sides. The Agricultural news
papers took up the ground and fought vigorously s"cn
With the PARTY to which its political aihnauons
endeared It. In the Legislature. the following year,
The war was renewed. and the woodpecker was inc
occasion of torrents of eloquence from oucohc law
roakers Not a man who had voted tor the measure
originally could be found who was not ready 10 Geiend
the woodpecker as the most useful bird In the state
far more worthy of protection than BIRDS y no were
merely good as food and not one who had opposeu
the hill but had done from the firm conviction tnst
thi, most destructive bird should be slaughtered WIN
out mercy at all seasons Of the year.
a. But the question never settled Tor on ono
unbappy day Il was discovered that in the game law as
introduced debated and passed there was no wood
pecker Ii 1ass woodcock which was include among
other game birds and printers blunder had csused
all this bother The introduccr had simply taken the
bill from the statute book OF some Older state ana
neither he nor those who voted tor it, nor those who
opposed it, had any intelligent idea OF what was 10 IT.
. - have often thought" continued the gentleman
from Maine that the great mass OF men defend the
dongs their party and oppose those OF the other
party will Just about much independent JndSment
as characterized this tight over the woodpecker'