The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1907-10-29
NE BILE SEASON.
Correspondent Calls for Protection Of
Human Life.


Editor Barre Times As a result Of
the six days open season Tor the killing
of deer IN Vermont, three men were &C.
cidentally shot and killed IN Orange
county aud without waiting 20 hear from
toe other counties 70 make up tho grand
total Of such fatalities, Il 4 sufficient
20 lead 70 the conclusion that II Yer.
mont Is to have an open season for the
staying Of her male citizens, Il should
be BY an act Of our legislature, and
become one Of our state laws. which may
be read and understood BY every citizen
Of the state, that he might govern him
self accordingly. And such open season,
II Il IL to be inaugurated, should be con.
temPorapcous with the open season for
the larger and more important game,
such a. deer, bear, hedgehog, RULED
grouse, etc. Under cur present laws
governing the open season for the killing
Of game, II man hunting for the more
important and sacred game Ares At some.
thing which he thinks may possibly be a
deer, bear OF some other fierce animal.
and when the smoke rolls away finds he
has killed nothing but a fellow creature.
Il may cause him considerable annoy.
ance, and possibly Inconvenience and loss
Of a day or two night IN the hunting
season BY being ruthiessly hauled into
court to relieve himself Of the charge Of
murder or granddaughter, by swearing
under a solemn and sacred oath that il
was purely accidental, because he
thought it must Be a deer or bear, for
it moved and did not look 20 him ike
a man. Establishing these facts, he Is
discharged, not being held criminally la
BE for the reason that he did net know
he was firing at q man. But enough Of
this phase OF the lamentable situation
that confronts Us.
We have an open season for deer,
which perhaps Is all right and proper,
and the laws>aoverning such open sea.
son are plain and stringent, and Il is
evident that our officers whose duty Il Is
to especially enforce those laws are en-
ieavoring to perform such duties rigidly. |
rs Is shown when 4 hunted designedly or /
otherwise shoots doe instead OF a
buck, he is promptly brought before /
who deals out the medicine |
by statute for such violation |
Of the law, no matter If the man behind /
LIE gun pleads and proves IL was an
accident or a mistake. It is The duty, /
both legal and moral Of every man who
raises a gun TO his shoulder, to know /
or not that gun is loaded, and /
i he designs to shoot, Il is his further
iuty to know that he is not pointing his
weapon at human being. If he does
not know this fact. II Is his duty to
.efrain from shooting.
In solemn conmemoration OF that d.
fine law in which God commanded his
children mot to kill, and which since
ime immemorial has been understood
o mean shat man shall not take the
lie Of man. our forefathers incorporat-
a into our constitution, both national
ina state. laws designed to preserve the
acredness OF human life, by imposing
lifferent degrees Of punishment for the
ISOLATION Of such laws, agreeable to the
surrounding such viola.
ion. Is not human life as sacred in
he sight Of God today as il has ever
,een since the world stood, and shall 1t
lot be held as sacred by mankind today
q it ever has been?
gIf IL Is the law that man who shoots
doe should pay a fine, not only let
i'm pay it, but make him pay it. Such
asses should not be whitewashed, and
he offender allowed to escape the pre-
eribed penalty because he didn't know bat
What it was buck he was shooting at !
md again, If it. il the law that man |
hall be punished for taking the life Of
ellowman, and he shoots at some object ;
Fbich he expects or takes for granted is
deer, bear or some other game, and !
ills man. make him pay some penalty |
rescribed By law, and If we have no {
aw on our statute books that viii pro-
ect human life from such headed, {
egligent OF careless use Of firearms, as {
as been this very open season unmis I
akably brought to our attention, by !
onfning such violators IN state prison
or a term Of years, then for Gods sake /
nd the sake If suffering humanity let /
hat be the FIRST and star chamber work {
t our next legislature i
W. H, Sprague
Chelsea, vt. il