, 1903-03-11


barred from setting up the plea in
abatement that these great areas might
not all Of them be designated as game
preserves; for If it Is not intended to
have this action taken. then there is
no occasion for the feverish precipita.
ton and eagerness with which the bill
was reported and which characterizes
the efforts to cur its passage. The
bill provides for game preserves in
each of the states and territories in
which there are forest reserves, and SO
in addition to those which have been
suggested, the bill would authorize the
designation of game preserves Of al
most any area in Arizona, New Mexico
and Oklahoma, in Utah, Nebraska. and
in Alaska. The area Of possible pre-
serves" above referred to by no means
measures the limit of area
which might be included in a single
forest reserve, for forest reserves
may have their boundaries indefinitely
expanded. from time to time, and join
ing or connected reserves may be con-
solidated, and nothing would stand in
the way of game preserves as large as
West Virginia, within the limits of
which, for all time to come, except as
congress might modify it's action in the
future, no beast, fish, or fowl could
ever be trapped, killed, or captured,
and yet this is the effect of the measure
which the majority call simple and
moderate"
1t would be difficult to conceive of a
measure which more contemptuously
ignores and i~nsolently ~disregards the
rights and wishes of the people of the
states in which the preserves pro
vided for will be located. Because the
federal government, departing from
its former practice Of disposition Of its
public lands, has seen fit to establish
permanent reserves for the preserva-
ton of forests and the conservation of
moisture it does not follow that the
Noh6iOoo Is JuolillCu III OSpllNlA6 Vic
people of those states of the privileges
and rights inherent in their sovereign
ty by repeating and annulling by indi-
rection the game laws of the states.
In addition to the large game which
many Of the forest reserves contain,
and which in the states where it is
n,NC& n1nnfiF,,l 10 hofrr noraf,1Iu Mao
tected, they abound in game birds, and
are ~traversed by countless beautiful
mountain streams, the natural home of
the trout, and contain many beautiful
lakes Astounding in game fish, and yet
it is proposed by this measure to pre-
vent absolutely all fishing and the hunt
ing or capture of any game for all time.
And this is not a fanciful picture Of
what might happen, but the inevitable
result of the carrying out of the pro-
visions of the act. In the Yellowstone
National park, carefully guarded as it
is, there is no restriction on fishing
with rod and line, and the law author
ICES the killing, under proper authority,
of bear and other wild animals, when
they become numerously troublesome,
yet the moderate" simple" measure
here proposed denies all this in the
contemplated preserves"
The people of practically every state
in which these preserves would be es-
tablished spend many thousands of
dollars annually in the payment of
bounties for the killing of predatory
wild animals, and find it necessary to
do this in order to protect their flocks
and herds, and yet it is proposed to es-
tabilsh enormous breeding grounds
large that states of the union-for the
purpose of breeding, among other ami
mails, bear, mountain lion, wildcats.
wolves and coyotes to prey upon the
people Of the surrounding regions, and
while state Legislatures were making
appropriations and the people were
taxing themselves to pay heavy bounties
for the killing of these beasts the Gov
eminent would be steadily nurturing
them in the woods and mountains to
become a terror by night and a n
by day to the families, the flocks, and
the herds of people of all the surround
ing region.
The proposition contained in the act
is the fad Of game preservation run
stark raving mad; it is uncomfortable
that its legitimate results could have
had serious consideration. Its princi-
pal advocates are a few visionary en-
thusiasts, Of whom 1t Is charitable to
believe that they did not appreciate its
full scope and effect.
1t may be proper to state in this con-
nection that the western states are
quite competent and willing to assume
thetroubleand expense of a proper pro
lection Of the game within their bor-
ders. The vast majority of the sensa-
tional stories Of game slaughter in the
region affected are without foundation
or are grossly exaggerated. Wyoming
which has been more sinned against In
this regard than any other state. has
a code of game laws wisely drawn and
reasonably well administered. She has
for years made the killing Of buffalo a
felony. The killing Of moose has long
been prohibited. The open season for
the hunting of large game ia brief. the