The Washington herald., 1913-08-03
Something Wrong NTH the Heart of
Those Who Kill for the Love of 1t
Sportsmen Harbor Wild Creatures at Big Game
Farms that Their Strange Passion for
Killing May Be Later Satisfied

perhaps one should not. But one does
Just the same.
They are the sportsmen who urge the
passage of laws to prohibit promiscu-
Gus slaughter. who wax indignant in
deed over the violation of game laws
by men who perhaps may be looking
for food rather than for an hour Of
licensed sport. They are the sportsmen.
too, who bitterly protest against the use
OF the automatic machine gun. And
then, when the season Is on. the wild
things. flying, swimming, and roaming
about, are cut down by the hundreds.
not for food, not for commerce. but
rather because the strange passion for
killing Is upon the gunners. For months.
while the wild life Is multiplying. safely
sheltering from hunters who care moth
ing for laws. for conservation or any,
thing else. these true blue sportsmen''
are content to stand aside and wait for
the open season, when they fare forth
to kill and to enjoy themselves.
And 1t is hard to believe that there
Is not something wrong, cruelty wrong.
at the heart Of anyone who kills one
Of Gods wild creatures just for the love
Of the thing. For 1t does not matter
how big, how great, how powerful or
how cultured a man or woman may be-
something Is sadly missing IL there /.
not strain OF gentleness underlying
all. gentleness that reaches out to any,
thing throbbing with God-given life.
Mrs. Seton's Experience.
Mrs Grace Gallatin Seton. wife of
Ernest Thompson Seton, tells OF the
first and only time she deprived a moose
of his life for the sake of his majestic
head and for the fancied prestige and
glory OF the shooting. The great crea-
ture stood before her. close to a placid
lake, superbly fun OF strength and
beauty. head erect, eyes searching for
his mate and with never a thought of
his arch-enemy in hiding.
Well, one shot doomed out then
another, and then the startled animal
scurried away on the swift wings of
fear. She was half glad. half regret
full, but later on determined to leave
pity and sentiment at the camp and
take back her royal trophy; so she
and her little party set out to win
They gave the imitation call. then
waited. and finally the answer came.
for the beautiful creature of the fores'
was still looking for his charmer A,
he came close. she pulled the trigger
and the majestic head was bowed-th.
magnificent antlers were hers.
But as darkness came on and she
left the woods, she asked herself how
the scales balanced-on one side
perfect head and set of antlers and a
thousand pounds of carrion meat: on
the other a superb creature of the
wods deprived of life. power, and
beauty, at her Diana-hands. She asked.
and the inference was that the verdict
was against her.
As for me. the verdict always is
against any one. man or woman, who
Kills for the pure love of killing. or
Tor the paltry trophies gained For
the question is bound to come: What
of the heart that is back of the kill
/ ing? Perhaps we commit great
many nature-crimes in the practical
name OF food. clothing and the like;
and perhaps our eyes are closed when
| most they should be opened. But
with some Of us, they always are
opened when we think or talk Of
/ harmless wild life fostered for a while,
then sacrificed for day of sport"