Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1886-07-15
nArnAnrrr or rox-nuxrIxa.
A Fair Arrangement OF what IN
MiseniHad sport.


New York World.
Two writer's, not altogether unknown
TO fame, address themselves to the current
number Of the Century Magazine to the
presentation of the threadbare and tat
tered but only available garment of
defence in the matter of hunting.
One of them says that their articles "haye
been written TO little purpose if they do
not serve in some slight manner, at least,
10 dissipate certain preiudices which have
been felt against riding TO hounds in this
country which have been disseminated IT
not bred by the press merely through lack
of information and not Mt all from any
real i'll will" The main prejudice" in
yolved is the same as that which exists
ia tha mindB Ct some people against
small boys finding enjoyment iu setting
dogs on cats and joining in the race to
get thu full benefit of the sport, the
prejudieed people entirely forgetting the
| fact that the boys are inyigOrated by the
| healthful exercises. Substitute mounted
men and sometimes women for the boys
and fox for the cat and the parallel is
| practically complete. for the extermina-
| ton of foxes MS Vermin is not the purpose
| in view indeed, the foxes are sometimes
especially procured for the torture, while
| the chase of the cat in the case of the
boys is almost invariably accidentally
suggested.
Still, contends one of these writer's
there is no other sport ''that is 30 manly
And again ut requires nerve, courage
and skill So do bull-fghting and
properly conducted highway robbery
The cruelty of it is not worth consider.
ing. because lit is the nature Of man Il
hunt and SHAY wild creatures, from the
reed bird up 20 the elephant Their,
have been long continued aud general,
commended efforts put forth to subdu'
"the nature of man in various particu
lars since the first dawn of civilization
and some of them have been in the dirtc
ton Of stopping needless suffering Il
beasts. The progress made has been SLOW
but partially successful. Bnll-hghting
bear batting, dog and cock fighting an'
rat pits are not at present Endorsed b,
those who represent advanced civilization
and we have in this country laws agains
them all. Shooting edible game and extel
minating vermin assuch give, as the worl
goes, Il legitimate cover TO sport and I
the qualification of "the nature of man
for killing things. But TO deliberatel
increase suffering for the sake Of sport
which is most conspicuously done in TO,
hunting, is sheer barbarism, and tn
families of those who approve Of it hay
simply not walked exclusively on the
hind legs MS long rs those who apprecia'
s its true character and disapproye Of it.
The civilized world has grown col
siderabfy aud Invested itself of much (
the brutality of the fox-hunting STRIP
!, since the last century, and this brutalii
must 60 too. It is Enthusiastically repul
nant TO the vast majority of intelligei
i people, and consequently cannot 4
otherwise than Jar harshIy on the con
munity. The matters of drag.huntin
trespassing and Auglomania may
=. waived here, aud the thing itself aloi
regarded To sly that it is essential
health, horse breeding and proper recre
n ton il mere nonsense.