The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1907-1917, 1913-03-06

Your defence Of invaded RIGHTS. T am
-liting to call your attention to evils
resulting from the enforcement Of
the ao-called game law.
We're the question put, "What pro-
DoTt!9n do the huntcrs-sportsm en--
bear TO the general population Of
Georgian" and some person would
carefully examine into it and seek
To solve the question correctly, and
then answer, that answer would as
tonssh our people.
1t is ventured that the "hunter'
class constitute about one-ffth Of our
entire population, taking city, town,
village and country.
If true, then the conclusion must
be, for the benefit of this few, a law
working much wrong upon the gen
eTal public has been passed, and is
vigorously enforced in Georgia.
Were farmers and country land
owners advised as to how this law in
yades their rights, tney would rise
and clamor for it's repeal. The ques-
tion is, was this law considered by
the General Assembly, or was it just
rushed through like many other
laws?
Now let's see how it wrongs the
land owner, the farmer.
The land oWners-tfe farmers
raise all this protected game, upon
their own land, or lands, which they
have the use Of; net upon the States
land, for it has none.
The game naturally eats, subsists
upon the produce Of the lands; that
produce, regardless What it may be
is the property OF the lana owner.
Where the owner is a farmer, the
raising OF this game is quite expen-
siVe to him, in the eating OF his pro-
duce. Some times, their ravages
amount almost to a destruction of
the crop. For instance, deer, SPUR
rels, o'possums, turkeys, cartridges,
doves, etc.
Ask any farmer whether Or not the
writer is correct. See what his ans
Wer will be.
The farmer raises on his lands
domestic animals and fowls; these he
kills, when ever it suits his conven-
fence, and sells.
Many times the expense of raising
/; It materially more than raising
i game. But for this ubiquitous
l.r1, he would have the right to kill,
or trap his game, in short deal with
it just as he legally could with do
nestle fowls and animals, and from
it's sale make quite little sum Of
money each year, without wasting
his game. This in the absence Of
this game law would be his unques-
toned right. But the law steps in
and says, Thou shalt not kill, ex-
cept in specified time-and thou
shalt not set a trap"
Why? Because the sDOrtSmen
must be protected, and had this law
passed, regardless OF the rights Of
others.
The game may be so plentiful as
to be actually impoverlshing the land
owner, in it's destruction Of his crops.
Still he may not kill, or trap.
If his neighbors' stray cattle in
wade the farm, the owner may actu-
ally kill in protection of his crops,
and violates no law. All farmers
know this-all act upon it. And yet
although destruction of his crops face
him, he may not kill or trap game.
The land owner may have a sur
plus of game on his lands. There
may be other owners, whose game
is scarce, and they desire to replen-
ish, and are willing to buy, at a
splendid price, the surplus and it's
owner may be anxious to sell. Now
to get the game alive, traps are in
d'spensible. Traps are prohibited by
this law. If he runs them down and
catches them, still he may not sell