The record-union., 1895-02-05
AN UNDEREANDED FIGHT"
The Proposed Game Law, and the
Fight Against 1t.


Fight Against 1t.
From the Field Sports, February 2d.]
The Sacramento Bee is again showing
its teeth. In its report of the first meet
ing of the Assembly Committe on Fish
and Game, it tries by Innuendo to lead its
readers to believe that the bill drafted by
the late game convention, and now before
the Legislature, is all III the interests of
the sportsmen and against that Of every
one else. Thus, in its headlines it says,
All for SportSmen. The Main Thing to
be Considered is What They Want"
Then in its subheads, "a Blow at the
Millinery Trade" and ''Sportsmen are
Favored"
The Bee has bsen championing the
cause of the market-hunter and others
who think that the game belongs to them,
and that they can take it under any and
all circumstances, ever since the bill now
before the Legislature came into public
notice. We suppose it has its reasons for
IL. But ii so let it make an open, manly
fight, and not by insinuatiOn try to con-
vey the Impression that the bill is drafted
in the interests of one class of citizens
more than another.
AS we have repeatedly stated, the men,
bers OF the convention that formulated
the bill in question were appointed by
the highest appointive powers of the
State, and were selected on account of
their broadness of views, their public
spirit and willingness to labor for the
protection and maintenance of most
valuable food supply worth millions OF
dollars to the State, and, lastly, for their
knowledge Of and capability to handle
the subject in hand.
We again challenge the Bee to point
out one section, clause, phrase or word in
the bill that gives to or takes from any
citizen any privilege that it does not give
to and take from all. Its language in all
cases is every person." whether sports
man or market hunter, whether lawyer
or farmer, whether banker or tramp, the
privilege is exactly the same.
The Bees talk about "all for sports
men, is rot, silly rot. and unworthy the
columns Of an honest journal, and an in
suit TO the honorable gentlemen who
comprised the convention. 1t is an in
suit TO their intelligence to state that they
would present measure to the law
making powers OF the great State of Cali
itornia asking for or expecting to receive
privileges for one class of men that were
denied 10 another.
The gentlemen of that convention la
bored earnestly and honestly for the best
interests of the State by drafting bill
that would protect the game and fish
from further rdiminution-that would pre-
serve this valuable food supply to the
people and stop the inroads upon it by
men who neither respect the laws of ma
ture nor of man. They were assem- mbled
for but one purpose. and that was for the
better protection of our game and fish.
and during all their deliberations this OBJ
Ject was never for moment lost sight of
All interests consistent with the neces-
sary protection OF game were fairly and
impartially considered. No privilege was
granted to one section of the State that
was denied to another. No rights were
given to one class of men that were not
given TO all.
The Bee calls especial attention to the
clause prohibiting shooting on inclosed
or cultivated grounds, and calls it one of
1.-THE vital points" OF the bill. The Bee
should know if it does not, that this clause
Is copied verbatim from the present law,
and that 1t was placed there two years ago
at the request OF the very men whom the
Bee would have it appear that il is
against The truth is it was placed there
in ORDER that the poorer sportsmen might
have the privilege Of shooting on unin-
! closed lands, without being liable to ar
rest under the trespass OF the laws Of the
| State. In other words, to compel those
| who wished to deny the poor man the
| privilege of shooting on their lands 10
! surround 1t with a fence, that he might
! know its boundaries.
! If the Bee wants to point out "the vital
| points" OF the bill, why does it not print
| those clauses which are in reality vital
| to the game interests of the State, or il 1t
| is opposed to game protection, why does
! it not fight the bill on principle and show
| wherein it is uni ust to any class of citi-
| zens, or wherein it makes the least dis
elimination?