The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1917-03-02
OFFICERS
Communicate


The State of Minnesota is a great
state if for no other reason than that
it is a unit or part Of the greatest re-
public in the world, "a simple state
ment, but behind it what food for
thought?) insofar as wealth, culture,
education, refinement, business abil-
ity and numerous other qualifications
that go to make in part or in whole
the standard of civilization. Its in
habitants, with justice to themselves,
cannot give or take any odds from
any people in the world.
In the establishment of society,
laws are a necessity and without men
to enforce them would be useless.
When so appointed or elected they be-
come a part of and embody the
standard of society and the qualif-
cations that go to make up civiliza
ton as we understand it. From the
highest executive in the land to the
lowest unsalaried petty officer there
is absolutely no difference. They
stand on the same pedestal, set up by
society. built of democracy on a
foundation of civilization. AS most
of us believe that the human being
on it's entry into the World is en-
dowed by the Almighty with a soul
unblemished, so is a man on mount
ing the official pedestal endowed by
society with those greatest of all
qualifications. They are given into
his keeping untarnished and like tho
soul, without his consent. What great
er honor, what greater invisible
gift from fallible humanity a an!
man ask than a chance to keep hi
endowment untarnished?
With what honest pride he coulf
square is his shoulders, raise hi
head, open his eyes and look tho
world square in the face. Bar moth
ing. Such has been my honest cor
ception and ideal of an officer of tn
laws of the State of Minnesota fror
the highest to the lowest.
I cannot deal with the transgres
sions in general of men who, to my
knowledge, have blackened their
priceless endowment. Men who in
honesty to themselves should hang
their heads in shame far lower than
the whipped cur that bit the hand
that fed it.
1 said 1 could not write in general
of such men for my vocation in life
as hunter and trapper of fur bearing
animals and commercial fisherman
has limited the circle and contact
with such. / can write only of those
that l have met in my very limited
sphere in life, game wardens. But
why, do you ask? Oh, nothing much,
only the aftermath and sting Of a
shattered ideal.
l have no axe to grind, NJ irons in
the fire. Being a member Of the Lake
Superior tribe of Chippewa Indians
and holding rights to hunt and fish
and residing in territory coded to the
United States by virtue of a treaty
(not a scrap of paper 1 hope) with
our tribe I cannot have any selfish
motive in this matter.
Maybe, to- open the eyes of some
of my readers who may be ignorant
Of the methods and means employed
to make records and fat purses for
some game wardens, quite naturally
at the expense of some hard working
man.
System 1. When making an arrest
a common stock phrase in use among
game wardens runs something like
this:
Nov l didn't come up here to ar
rest you. / was sent here. You have
some great friends around here Tin
a significant way) if you only knew
it. You ought to be more careful if
you have anything around. Keep it
out Of sight Of your neighbors."
The above is old, likely as old as
the first game warden. Why is it
used? Think it out. Can you imagine
o lower and contemplate trick
than to go among neighbors and cause
enmity and possibly hatred among
friends?
System 2. If system zone" fails
to develop anything, then something
like this:
Nov look here, I don't want to
take you to town, etc. If you can
put me wise to something (mention-
ing some offense, carrying a larger
fine) I'll swap cases with you or 1
won't find anything around here.
This thing is going to cost you some
money, think it over"
System 8. 1t sometimes occurs
that a warden has not a very clear
case or in other words is not sure of
a conviction, and in many cases moth
ing but circumstantial and very flimsy
evidence at that, is at hand. The vic
tim in many cases being innocent,
hints at putting up a legal battle for
his liberty. Something like this will
follow:
"Now look here, the best thing you