The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1910-03-09
IS TIE GAME AND FISH STATE PROPERTY.

There appears in The State
Of last Monday en- inquiry from
II. {. Lawton, Of ESteli, 5. &.
asking who own the game:
Jr<. at this time the question Is
q proper one. and it viii DC Of
interest to the public for this
question to be answered. The
legislature. 1t It's last session,
enacted some Very drastic laws
efTectins the game and fish. and
the effect Of these laws viii oe
10 deprive the people from a
privilege they have enjoyed ever
since the creation OF the world.
The Acts are so drastic. in our
opinion. they must be modified
at the next session or it vii!
cause great dissatisfaction all
over the State.
The demand for this leSisia-
ton came from the Audubon
society aud It's advocates repre-
sented that it was also demanded
bv the Farmers Union, bat in
cur opinion, It will be found that
the Farmers Union did rot con-
template any legislation SO draS,
tic and so far reaching. TIE Au-
drbon society is composed OF
only a few in each county; in
this county there are eight mem
berS, and throughout the State
the membership is about in the
same proportion. and itiooks to us
that for sach unusual laws To be
enacted without q general de.
Enand for the same, is revolution
ary and extreme. We contend,
Notwithstanding the Audubon
society to the contrary, that the
game and fish belong 10 the peo.
pie upon whose lands they SUB,
sist, ana are not the property OF
the State. We hardly think il
will be argued that the iegisla
tpre has the power TO make peo-
pie feed the living properly OF
the State without compensation.
Suppose the State owned a lot
Of horses, no one would for Q
moment say that these no. SeS
can Craze s,pon private lands
without the permission OF the
owner OF the lands, so 1t must be
the same with the game and fish
The birds get their sustenance
from where. the State property !:
No. they get il from the private
lands Of the taxpayers, there.
fore it IS doubtful to our mind
if the State has the power to
prevent the owner Of land from
using that which grows and lives
thereon.
We believe it wrong 20 permit
people 70 trespaSs upon the lands
Of another and the law SO recog-
nizes this to be wrong that it
affords a remedy in the courts,
established for the protection Of
private rights. TIE owners OF
lands being protected by law can
stop wauton destruction Of
game and fish by refusing to
permit trespasSing, but when
the Law goes further aud says
that man cannot fish except in
a certain way, q way dictated o,
a few persons who nave o-gan-
ized themselves into society,
and provided high salaried set
of officers TO be paid opt Of the
pockets Of the general taxpayer,
it goes too far, and it borders
upon tyranny. This is a repub-
lican form OF government, the
founders Of which rebelied
against the mother country for
the very reason that the mother
country imposed unjust and
tryannous requirements upon
them, they would not stand for
1t, and the people Of the present
day have the same blood in their
veins, and they Will not stand
for oppression.
It Is q source OF regret that
we have not as yet a copy Of
these obnoxious laws, when they
come to Us We will publish them
SO the people can see for them
selves what a farce freedom Is
getting TO be.