Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1909-04-21
DECLARES STATE HAS NO NOR
AL RIGHT TO LEGALIZE
HUNTING.
BECAUSE BY DOING so 1T SIMP-
LY PROMOTES TREsPAss-
BILL KILLED.

AsSemblyman Roethe MADE a strong
and ingenious argument to prove
they are not, also that the Whole
system should be abolished and he
got 81 votes in support of his pro-
position; but there were 81 against.
If there is any department of our
state government that deserves to
be established in toto it is the game
warden" he declared. 1T is a scan
dial old enough to grow whiskers.
For years it has been disgrace to
the good name of our state, a stencil
to It's citizens and an abonaination
in the sight Of the Lord. 1t has been
| a political machine, almost pure and
simple, from the day game wardens
| flrst drew their breath and salary
TO the present time and our govern
ors and senators are all faired with
the same stick, be their names La
roulette, Davidson or Stephenson
The wardens have admitted under
oath that the duties of their office
were If anything secondary to poIit-
lcal work. The evidence of the ward
ems IN the recent investigation was
shocking, but not unexpected
might read for hours from the nrint-
cd report, but | merely wish to give
snort extract from the testimony
OF the game warden in chief"
| And he did SO, then went on.
1t really did not need the head
Wardens admission to show this nm
ior II was suspected and believed
right along. The state has had enough
OF game wardens. The people de-
Jest them Not another Office is held
IN such general i'll repute. An obi
UNI is connected with the name that
is obnoxious and pernicious in po1i.
Tics. The department. is farce and
the feeling against it so wide spread
| am confident / voice public senti.
ment In asking for it's absolute re-
peal.
But, some will say. wipe out the
game Wardens and who will protect
the game? Well, they have not
done much protecting, have thew
frm their own admission? They are
100 busy with politics. But we have
proper local authorities to nrosecuto
and punish violations of the law
Let them get busy. Or is killino
deer a more heinous crime than 70
XIII man. that a special officer IS
necessary to prosecute in the case
OF the former? Our officars ono
sworn TO see to it that all viola
ions OF the law are punished
violation of game law is no 174-
erent than the violation of anv other
kind of law.
Some will say also that WITH -
wal uens the game will all be slaugh
Tered. Not if the local authorities
uo lhelr duty. But here is fact
staring us In the face, that sooner or
iaeer the game will disappear anv-
now. 1t is but the natural co,rso of
events. With the advent of the
white man the aboriginal race tho
INDIANS, gradually became extinct and
with the settling up of the country
wllo game is supplanted bv tame and
|
concentrated animals. All the nrettv
sentiment in the world can no+
Grange IL. do not see why there is
such great hue and cry all the fine
ABOUT the protection of game To
Judge from the discussions We have
mere one would think the fufura VOL
lare and prosperity of the state do.
pended upon whether our hunters
should have the privilege of HANGING
away Tor a few, days at a flock of
oucks or shooting a deer or two or
nave somebody else shoot one for
Them. Whyi from the fuss tbat ;S
indue at every session of the IegisIa-
lure an outsider might imagine there
We're millions of dollars worth of
game IN Wisconsin. And vet | dare
say the value of the game killed in
the state in a year will NOT aon.,
whaI the farmers of Grant county re-
ceVe annually for the hogs thew
raise
When the game becomes less.-as
1t surely will some time-neonle
won starve, oh no, They win eat
peer IN place of rabbits. mutton in
place OF venison, chicken i'm place of
birds. Thousands of families eat no
game now all the year around. and
they live Just as long or lust as short
as the other fellows. And if will
nelp the farmer by making larger
uehiand and a better market for his
livestock. So there is consolation
even should it come to the worss
Then there is another phase 7 wish
70 bring out The game warden de-
Partment and this is the game war
dens' stock argument. is self-sustain-
ing, we are told. So it is: that is
the game wardens do not use llp anv
more money than what comes into the
treasury from hunting licenses is
sued; in other words. the state col
iects annually from its citizens some.