The record-union., 1894-12-10
OPPOSITION 70 JUST GAME LAWS
How 1t Originated, and Why 1t i
Maintained.
No Occasion for the Frantic and Ridic
ulOus TiraGe That some
Indulge In.

KNOW aDO9t Ine SUBJECT would make
good big volume.
Forinstance. a few of them declare, with
loud blare OF trumpets, that California
doesn't want any English game laws'
that gentlemen" sportsmen are killing
more game than market hunters; that th e
Emeric game bin is an outrage-and all
that sort OF stull. One editor down near
the bay says it is proposed (but he doesn't
say by whOin) to bring up the Emeric
bill again at the coming session OF the
Legislature and pass it il possible.
In the language of the day, This is all
rot" Not one OF these editors knows
anything about the English game laws;
gentlemen spOrtSmen are not respOnSiD Dle
for the untirnely depletion Of the wild
game; Emeric is not a member-elect of
Jne incoming Legislature, and his bill is
very dead, anu has been tor TWO years.
In the first place, EngllShmen do not
rule in this State, ana all of them that
own farms are already protected by law
III the possession ana use thereof, just the
same as other Glasses of citizens. ~ man
can pOaCh Oh thoIr farms against the
owners WiSLos, and no law VIII ever bC
passed That Will give poachers the priyi-
Iege OF trespasSlng on any mans land,
vi ram ping uOWn his crops ana SlOOLlng
his livestock.
Secondly, the gentleman sportsman is
simply gentleman out for sport. He
may be Iaborer or a capitalist, but he Is
a gentleman, just the saline, whether he
wears soIIed hunting suit ana carries
gun, wlelds pick, or leads The german
at fashionable party. IN short, gen
tIeinan Is always gentleman, wherever
you meet him. There is only one kind of
lTGIltiHfnAn ThArA a Hll
ot The genus hOOGlum. They, too, some
times carry guns, and while they may
claim 10 De sportsinen they are still hood
lums.
The gentleman sportsman respects the
rights OF his neighDors. If he happens TO
be poor man and does not have time TO
go aheld often enough TO warrant him in
joining a club and paying small sum
per year for the rental Of some other poor
mans ranch on which 10 shoot, he does
not trespass where he knows he has no
right TO go, shooting right and lett. He
goes up To a farmers house and asks TO
be allowed to shoot ON the place, and be-
ing gentleman he is rarely refused the
privilege.
The shooter who is not a gentleman in
variably gets driven Oft peoples farms
for his disregard OF their lawful rights.
Then he raises a howl about Infamous
English game laws" declares there must
be no un-American 'poachlug" restric-
tIOnS III this country, and denOunceS the
gentlemen SpOrtSmen Tor their methods.
And the funniest part OF 1t all is this class
OF so-called sportsmen manage to lind
country editors to side with them and
voice their woes.
No person connected with the RECORD
UNION Is Il member OF 81 gun club, and
never had an interest III the lease OF any
ones grounds Tor shooting purposes.
N'I,- h.,, ,I,n
grounds without asking the owners per-
mission, though occasionally men do so
by mistake. Net none of tuem were ever
refused such privilege on application
therefor, and were never at a loss for
grounds on which TO hunt.
All the noise that is being made at this
time by those who talk about obnoxious
English game laws and the Emeric bill
comes from few persons vino have been
nislcd by the cold storage game dealers
and q few market hunters, who have
raised false issues in order TO hide their
real motive. The former want to have
repealed that provision of the State law
which prohibits them from selling game
at all seasons of The year. thus opening
the door to violations Of the law fixing
the closed season, and Offering induce
men,s to the market hunters to slaughter
game by the ton, even during the open
season.
Then the market hunters have i'm
pressed these few editors with the idea
that they are 'the people," and that there
is an issue between the people and lot of
nabobs who want to crush them by the
enactment Of English game laws.
For the information OF those who may
have been miSted III this matter, a brief
explanation may be necessary. Some
SIX or eight months ago a State Conven-
ton was held for the purpose of framing a
game law TO be presented TO the coming
Legislature. In that convention nearly
every county was represented. Some of
the delegates were named by Governor
Markham, ana the others by the County
Boards OF Supervisors. They repre-
sented all classes OF people, ana were
gentlemen.
After several days deliberation a
measure WAS agreed upon, and il Will be
presented 10 the Legislature in the shape
OF bill. 1t does not contain anything
that should rouse The fury OF those who
don't like English game laws, nor set
them 10 rending the air with their in
veutive, like lot OF young bulls paw
ing up tie ground and believing under
the ueluslon that they have grievances.
This bill Is very mucn like the laws that
California has had for many years, the chief
difterence being i'll the slight lessening of
the time i'll which game can be killed
each year; permitting the people in the
mountain counties to shoot grouse and
mountain quail as early as the lst of
August ana before the UIrCis migrate 10
the foothills, and limiting the time DUR
ING which market hunting may lie car
RED on to III we are not mistaken) three
months-December, January ana Feb
ruary.
This is probably tie bill which a Contra
Costa editor refers to as the "Emeric
bilr' that the Legislature is to be again
asked TO pass.
That Emeric bill of two years ago pro-
posed a license on each person who went
from one county into another to shoot.
and also provided that uninclosed tracts
OF land might be leased from the owners
for exclusive privileges. The RECORD
UNION was the first journal To oppose the
bill, and the measure was defeated, but
in doing So the Legislature got in so
many amendments 10 the law as to leave
it in "a somewhat muddled and uncertain
condition. Hence the calling of the con-
vention referred to for the purpose of
having bill framed by men who under
stood their business and who came fresh
from and represented the people. The
bill they have drafted has none of the
features of Emeric's bill of two years
ago, and the English" portion of it was
born in the brains of persons who have
never read the bill.
This is a plain, truthful statement Of
the situation. There is no occasion for
all the noiso that is being made and
which was started by the cold storage
game dealers and a few market hunters
who wish TO make money at the expense
of the people by depriving the latter OF
their heritage-the wild game Of the State.