Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1899-05-17
OFFICE IN TRIBUNE BUILDING.
WEDNESDAY, MAY II, 1899.
ENFORCE THE LAWS.

ENFORCE THE LAWS
There is at present great demand
from the sportsmen of the cities and
villages that the game laws be strictly
enforced. The laudable zeal to secure
the proper Difference and obedience to
the laws of the commonwealth which
is displayed by this gentry, however,
does not always emanate from any
real desire to preserve the wild fowl,
and fish, but from the desire to pre-
serve for themselves the opportunity
Of bagging the game later on, when
the law legalizes the act of killing.
It is we'll, indeed, if these same men,
who are now the foremost in the effort
to enforce the game laws, are equally
jealous to keep within the law and re-
spect the rights of others when they
sally forth to do battle on the wild
denizens of the forest, stream and
lake.
We do not at this time wish to be
understood as finding fault with the
game law. Our lawmakers we pre-
sumo used their best dgment in the
passage of its provisions. But we do
wish to call attention to the moons ist-
ency of those who usually are so Sc
we're in their denunciation of breakers
of the game law out of season, but do
not themselves have proper respect
for that law during the shooting sea-
son.
We recall to mind an instance re-
lated to US which occurred not many
years ago. One Of our law-abiding
farmers, who was also somewhat of a
sportsman, had jealousy watched the
growth of few coveys of chicken
upon his premises, anticipating
good days sport when the season
opened. On the first day after the
legal restraint expired our farmer was
obliged to go to town in the afternoon.
In his absence, in spite of notices
posted as required by law, a number
Of hunters had visited his farm and
killed or scared out every chicken,
and he had good reason to believe
that one of the offenders was game
warden who had been very active in
enforcing the laws BEFORE THE SEA-
SON OPENED. It is needless to say
that the disgust of the said farmer was
not conducive of respect for the law
represented by such an officer.
When farmer has had his place
overrun by hunters, his notices shot
down, his stock frightened or injured,
his fences torn down, and other depre-
dations committed by hunters, who
can blame him for entertaining the
notion that the game laws are con-
structed solely in the interests of the
city sportsmen? The fault is with the
utter disregard for the law by a class
of sportsmen who expect others to
live up to the law when they them
selves do not.
The case is similar with illegal fish
ing, although the trespassing evil is
less on account of the lakes being
common property. To the farmer liv-
ing near lake, who during the busy
season has no time to use hook and
line, the temptation is great to get an
occasional mess of fresh fish by the
use Of a net. This temptation is made
stronger when he has reason to be-
lieve that many of the sportsmen who
are camping along the shores have the
same means to thank for the ''phenom-
email" catches they make. The farmer
reasons that he needs the fish for food
while the fine-haired fisherman is fish
ing "for fun.'' He is in the wrong of
course, because such an excuse is
worthless before the law. But it is
just in this way that many laws by
tacit consent become dead letters.
The TRIBUNE is heartily in favor Of
enforcing the game laws, but let not
the vigilance cease when the season
opens, and do not make examples
only of poor farmer boys and then
wink the other eye at the depredations
of the city dudes and people who have
some sort of 'pull.'
Hr~EGs,As~ rhE AAaEn,~AA nr@