Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1915-01-10
SEIZE THE OPPORTUNITY; SAVE
THE BlRDSl
BY MRS. JOHN DICKINSON
SHERMAN

To all Federated Club Women:
The federal migratory bird bill, which
was supported by the peneral fedora
ton, is now a law.
The Federal government now pro-
I tects our insectivOrous and rodent
| eating birds from their human enc
mics At all times. whether thar enc
my be the plumage- hunter. the trap
per of song birds, the market-hunter
with his repeating shotgun or the
unthinking small boy with his sling
shot The new law is so compre-
hensive and adequate that the eX-
tinction which threatened every wild
! bird in the United States is now
averted and the birds that remain
| have good chance of perpetua
/ ton and even of substantial increase
Game birds may be killed at speci
| fled times but they are adequately
safe guarded and the pernicious
practice of spring shooting is pro-
hibted
Nevertheless. the battle to save
/ the birds is still on and is yet to
be Won For the fate of the birds
depends upon the enforcement of the
new law. And. the enforcement of
every law depends largely upon pub
lie opinion The new law, being re-
| evolutionary in its character and from
its nature difficult of enforcement,
needs the loyal support of all good
citizens Every club woman should
bestir herself The opportunity has
lac | at1
portunity and save the birds,
,Enemies of the Law
, The truth is that the Federal Mi
gratory Bird Law is so comprehen-
sive and so adequate that the pros
pect Of its general Enforcement has
united in opposition every market
hunter and pot-hunter ana game
hog whose reckless license is re-
strained. These enemies of wild
life are many and strong They are
attacking the law and opposing its
enforcement wherever possible. In
congress they almost succeeded in
multiplying the law by resembling the
appropriation for its enforcement
They have attacked the constitution
ality of the law in the federal courts.
/ In localities, notably in the Missis
sippi valley with headquarters at
Kansas City, the spring duck shoot =
ers openly and defiantly violated the
law, claiming that it was unconsti-
tutional.
AS to the constltutionalitT of the
law there is just this much to be
said: There have been two court
decisions on the question to date
In April of this year in South Dako-
Ia Judge j. D. Elliott decided that
the law was unconstitutional These
decisions of the United States dis
trict courts are of local effect only
The United States Supreme Court
and the United States Supreme Court
only can decide whether the law IS
constitutional or unconstitutional and
1t Will be more than a year before
it reaches the case And until the
Supreme Court does so decide the
Federal Migratory Bird Law stands
as the law of the land, to be obeyed
and upheld by al good citizens and
to be enforced against all violators
by fine or Imprisonment or both
And this irrespective of the personal
opinion of some Mississippi Valley
spring duck-shooters who are desir-
Gus for the sake of killing egg laden
waterfowl on their way to theii
nesting places in the north to bring
to nought a law OF untold ethica
and economic Importance to the
American people.
Ethics and Economics
The ethical side Of the struggle tC
save the birds need not be set forth
here. 1t is well appreciated by the
club Women. Ever have they haG
before their eyes such Sanctuary
as Archibald Rutledge sees:
Every wild wing Of the hunted, the
harried
Every fleet foot Of the stalked. the
pursued,
Every bright eye of the fearful, the
followed
Solace may find in this blthe soil
tude.