, 1923-03-14
HON. W. C. DEL0NEY, CHAMPION OF WY0S.|
WILD ANIMALS, TELLS FOR ENTERPRISE
READERS STORY OF GAME BILLS DEFEAT
Brilliant Member of Seventeenth Legislature From
Jackson's Hole Country Declares Treachery
Responsible For Loss; Leaves Sore Spot
w. C. DeLoney

country OF wyoming never lac q
more able or loyal champion than the
Hon. William C. DeLoney of Jackson
whose eloquent plea for them in the
house of representatives was one OF
the notable speeches made during the
session of the Seventeenth Legisla-
ture.
He fought for them hard, every
jump in the road, as the phrase Is
and then the bill, the best ever franz
ed for their protection and preserva-
ton, was defeated through t~reachery
in his absence.
How this was done is best told by
Mr.. DeLoney himself;
1.-THE powers that be decreed the
death of our game bill in conference
Nthere is an interesting little story at
9tached to how it vas accomplished
and l have had many a silent laugh
over the spectacle of our Honorable
Senate putting amendments into the
bill and then deliberately d~ecreeing
its death and leaving in the existing
law the very provisions which were
so repugnant to them in the proposed
bill.
"The amusing part of the whole
performance lies in the fact that none
of those Honorable gentlemen took
time to read the bill, which, had they
done SO, would have been convincing
proof that the entire game bill was
written to contain to law of 1921 SO
as to avoid contradictions, and con-
tanned only some more stringent re-
gulations to close the loop holes in
the existing law.
Before writing the game bill, we
held open meetings attended by re-
personalities from every Rod and
Gun Club in the State, and there was
a universal demand that the alien
should be kept from our streams and
game fields-i.e., the resident alien;
that the season IN game birds be
either closed or delayed to a later
date; a higher license should be col.
lected for hunting elk; stricter regula
tions about u guides, and, above all,
better protection for u game ami
mails.
"All meetings were open and above
board, and the members of the joint
committee from both houses pledged
themselves as satisfied and willing to
give their support to the bill.
Jealousy OF the part of the fish
department, fostered and fomented
by an employee of the senate, spread
discomfort among our senators so
that when, after one o'clock Monday
morning, exhausted from my continu-
ed effort, l left the Capitol to get a
bite to eat, they did what they could
not muster strength to accomplish
while / was present, appointed a con-
ference committee composed of men
not in any way interested in game
matters, and killed the bill in con-
ference!
"This has left a sore spot with me,
not so much that the bill was killed
for / grant to any a the right to
think as he choses-but that the
thrust was given in the blouse of my
friends" in the back, and in a manner
that l did not think u people would
stoop to gain their ends" ?
81 was very sincere in my desire to
secure such legislation as will help to
preserve oud wild animal life as well
as to retain within our state Rights
a natural playground for our people
unhampered by regulations such as
are now enforced in our National
Parks.
"We have scenery at the foot OF
the Tetons that Is beautiful beyond
description and it is my most earnest
wish that the natural beauty of that
country be preserved from CONNER.
cialism in any form. / feel that the
remedy lies within our own hands anc
can conceive of no reason why il
should be surrended to Federal con
troll.
"This end could be attained by
forming a state park embracing these
gems of beauty and securing sucf
legislation as would insure then
against any possibility of their lakes
and streams ever being used for ir'
rigation purpose.
"These spots of unsurpassed lowell
ness are our dearest t~reauerers, w
I sh>uld pause and think well before
Up surrender them to a soulless cor
poration such as now dictates thu
policies Of the Yellowstone Park.
know that this "souless corporation
business is hackneyed stuff but il
this instance ] use the term advised!
and IL comas from my heart"