The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-01-03
SENATOR BECK HUNTING DEER.
He Shoots for Fun, Not to Kill,


From the Charleston Nelcs and Courier.
Some of the English PARTICLES are singu-
larly expressive and often contain volume
of meaning. A conspicuous example OF
this kind was given in the Savannah letter
to the NelUS and Courier, published yester-
| day. The correspondent says: "Senator
| Beck of Kentucky has gone out to shoot at
deer with Congressman Norwood for few
days" "At' means near to-" beside; y
''in or near;n towards"
Senator Beck's ability as statesman is
| generally recognized, but, so far as the
Congressional Record shows, he does not
enjoy any special prominence as a deer
hunter. The language of our correspond
| emit is, therefore, well chosen, inesmuch as it
| CONVEYS to the mind of the reader, in The
| least Objectionable way, the belief of tbs
| correspondent that Senator Beck could not
| bit a deer if he should happen to shoot At
one.
But more than this, and better than this
| the peculiar form of expression employed
by our correspondent, while it clouds the
| title of Senator Beck as deer hunter, con
tains a strikingly delicate compliment TO
| his humanity and to his tender regard for
| the poor brute creatures who are TIE prey
| of the cruel sportsman. 1t is the smooth Z
| at deer and not their slaughter in which
| Senator Beck rejoices He would not Uu-
necessarily cause pain or suffering to any OF
| Gods creatures, and therefore he simply
shoots at the deer The Joy of the sport U
| him is not i'll the blood that be sheds, but in
the music of the hounds chat will never
catch the fieet-footed beauties of the savan-
| mas. He does not revel in the dying ag0nies
of the soft-syed doe, but in the surprise
which she exhibits at the report of his re-
verberating but innocuous shotgun.
1t is too early vet to anticipate the result
| Of Senator Becks campaign with Congress
| man Norwood, but it is not out of place at
| this time to make some reflections upon the
uncertain nature of shotguns. They are
dangerous even when they are not loaded,
| and they have habit of scattering so that
! it oftentimes occurs that objects at which
| they are not aimed receive unintentiOnal
| injury. This simple statement is made for
the purpose of shielding Senator Beck from
any severe criticism, should a stray shot
| from his gun strike any one of the deer at
which he may shoot. In the light of the
| information that we have from Savannah,
such result would be purely accidental,
| and the distinguished Kentuckian should
| not be held responsible for it.
Not many years ago, in one Of the upper
| counties of this state, there was a hunts
| man who invariably missed everything at
which he fired. If it were a br. that he
had tried to Kill, he would say: u hit 1t
pretty close, or it wouldn't have flew so
far" or, if perchance it was a deer at
| VIII Oh he had fired he would say: II came
mighty near getting him, or he wouldn't
have run SO fast;n and so it was that in
his philosophy he had Just as much re-
enjoyment in missing his game as he had
in hitting it. This is evidently the princl-
pie on which Senator Beck has gone gun
! ming at deer. He does not care to hurt
them, and so he only desires to shoot at
them, the sound of his gun being to him the
most charming accompaniment of the
chase.
We express to him the assurances Of our
distinguished consideration, aud indulge in
the hope that, while he may see all the deer
| that he wishes to shoot at, he may never
hit one Of them.