Evening journal., 1897-02-05
WHAT Is HIs spITE2

We do not believe that the people of
Delaware. and especially that class of
our population which is i'm love with
legitimate sport with gun and dog, have
any desire to see Representative VIII
son or any other representative "clip
the wings" Of the Delaware Game Pro-
tective Association. Any curtalment
of the powers which that association
now possesses would he to strike a
blow at cunning as a sport and to put a
premium on meat-hunting.
Every true sportsman should rally to
the support Of the association when its
standing and integrity are assailed by
men who have some real or fancied
grievance against it.
The association is a body composed
Of sp0rtsmen. Il was organized for the
benefit of sportsmen and to stamp out
that reprehensible class Of gunners
commonly termed meat-hunters. Il is
conducted in a proper and business
like manner. But for its protecting in
fiuence such n thing as a days shooting
for sport would be unknown In our
state and what little game we have
left would be slaughtered in season
and out of season by men who have no
conception of what constitutes legitl-
mate sport.
If we are to have game we must have
a closed season in which birds and rab-
bits can mate and breed and rear their
young. The season must be sufficiently
long to give the young birds strong
flight and The young rabbits muscular
development sufficient to lead the
hounds a gamo-like chase. That closed
season must apply to all, else il would
leave a loop-hole in the law through
which all meat-hunters might escape
If every farmer who had covey of
birds on his place could go out and
kill them off at any time it would be as
disastrous as a year-round open season.
lie has the benefit of the trespass laws
to preserve that game for himself at all
times, but he should certainly be will
ing, II he is not q meat-hunter, to give
those birds the full benefit Of the closed
season and not desire to shoot down
the old birds while they are mating
and nesting, or the young ones when
they are scarcely able to wing their
flight He should be as anxious to pro-
tect that covey as the Delaware Game
Protective Association is. II is to his
interest to do so. IL is TO his interest tc
let enough of the birds escape the
slaughter incident to the open season
20 guarantee another covey the next
year A farmer who is inclined tC
shoot nestlings should be deferred by
law.
The Delaware Game Protective AS
ISOLATION has done excellent work since
it was chartered. But for such men a:
Representative Wilson it would have
done much more There is no doub
that its executive officer has blunderet
at times in making arrests. but W.
would like to know If there is a police
officer in the State of Delaware wh'
has not at some time in his career seei
his prisoner acquitted. IL is Difficult
to secure evidence in cases Of violation
OF the game laws, and, considering thi
fact we incline to the belief that tn
work Of the association has been wei
done. 1t has no desire TO punish guilt
less persons. 1t does not uphold its ex
ecutive officer in wilful misdoing, but
cannot restrict him closely as to le
every offender get off.
The published accounts of the mar
ner in which Representative Wilso
gave notice of his bill must be taken q
true until he denies them. His word
indicate that he has a personal spite I
satisfy against the association. We ma
be wrong, but a man who is not brin
igg over with spitefulness does nj
usually make such caustic and unwai
ranted remarks unless he has SON
very close personal interest in the bi
of which he is giving notice We wcul
remind Representative Wilson that II
people of Kent county did not send hi
to the General Assembly to work OF
his own personal plans of spite He
there in public and not in a priva
capacity He was sent as a law-mak
and as q conservator of the peace, al
not as a man whose duty il was to s
gccd laws at defiance and to give u
terance to sentiments discreditab.e
himself and hurtful to most COZ
mendable organization.
We cannot conceive that his C,
leagues in the House will permit him
carry through any measure calculat
to impair the usefulness Of the Del
ware Game Protective Association,
which would rob the association of t
wholesome respect of men who go c
for meat and net for sport.
That Democratic editor who declar
Mrs. Mckinley had gone on a bul
deserves condemnation. The fact
Major Mckinley has had his portr
taken and his wife is having a mar
bust of herself sculptured.