Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-10-13

| It's promoters are actudteu Dy HotiNeS
largely or wholly sentimental. 1t goes
without saying that the members OF
the Audubon society are opposed to
any kind Of needless destruction or
| to any intentional cruelty in dealing
with birds and denounce all so-called
sport Of which the sole object Is to
destroy. Yet it takes this ground not
| merely for humane reasons, even
more largely for economic reasons.
The economic test Is the first one to
be applied to any bird. Is It useful?
If so, let it be protected in every rea-
sonable way. If, on the other hand,
] it is destructive, and generally so, the
right to be protected from its depre-
dations should be interfered with.
Should its character prove neutral,
without direct effect on economic con-
ditions, the ordinary dictates Of hu-
manity will prevent its being molest-
ed, and such sentiment will in every
case have the unqualified Endorsement
Of the Audubon society.
aside from the misunderstanding
that has arisen in regard to its work
there is another obstacle that pre-
vents the accomplishment Of more
good for our society. This is the in
nate desire to kill that seems to dwell
in many breasts, especially Of our
boys.
I'VE recognize that real sport has
90 OF oy,lH
natures, but we can not understand
the motive that prompts hunting
where the only result is the extinction
of life. In order to indulge this de-
sire and yet to prevent its being rec
ognized as the true incentive for
slaughter, birds are often charged
with crimes against the farmer Of
which they are undoubtedly innocent.
1T is wanton killing of this kind
that the Audubon society strives to
suppress 1t would educate the peo-
pie to the belief that there is nothing
either pleasant or profitable In the
killing of a bird merely because 1t is
bird, but that the reasons for sac
dllJ VI llCoC
be found in some extraneous circum-
stances that makes such action nee
essary. The killing Of game birds,
for instance, is not Objectionable, be-
cause it is accompanied by some def
mite benefit, providing legitimate rec
reation, supplying food Of the best
quality, bringing out much that Is
wholesome in men and keeping them
in touch with the natural world.
1.-The killing of destructive birds.
such as the English sparrow In the
country, and few Of the native spe-
cies, Is sometimes an absolute nee
essity. But the Audubon society in
sists that the desire to kill for the
sake Of killing too frequently controls
the conduct Of our people towards
the BIRDS and that instead Of looking
for reasons to kill them, we should
regret the necessity Of destroying
them, and should refrain from doing
so unless they are destructive or un-
mistakably intended by nature for
mans use as objects Of the healthy
hunting instinct and as articles Of diet,
What we especially desire to see
in the treatment Of all feathered life
is more careful consideration Of the
attributes of each species. A popular
prejudice against some particular
kind of bird frequently exists In d.
rect contradiction of what has been
shown by careful research to be the
truth of the case. Further facts In
this respect will be brought out by the
Audubon society in its publicity con-
tributions from time to time, but at
present it will suffice to say that 1t is
easier to get rid Of destructive spe-
cies once it has been proved so by
careful investigation than it is to re-
place a useful species brought to the
verge Of extinction.
Stated briefly, then, our purpose
is to prevent the indiscriminate de-
struction of birds, and we keep this
purpose in view not from sentimental
objection to their killing or from
purely humane reasons, but because
we realize that we are considering
question of the comparative value OF
dead birds to the hunter and OF live
birds to the average citizen. Com
paratively. few persons are interested
i'm the killing Of birds: countless thou
sands are directly and practically In
terested in their preservation. YET
in the past, the will of the minority
has prevailed, and to satisfy the
whims of a few immensely valuable
insect destroyers and crop savers have
been destroyed" New Orleans PIC