ORAL ARGUMENT OF HON. EDWARD J. PHELPS. 275 



Then if you will turu to page 214 I will read another quotation. He 

 reconmieiuls there: 



That all pelagic sealhig in the uuilers of liehriug Sea he prohibited and suppressed 

 throiif/hout tlic hrccditu/ sca/^nn, no matter how, so that it is done, and done qnickhi. 



This step is equally iiaiiorative; the immorality of that (Iciiuiiul made by tbo open 

 water sealer to ruin within a lew short years and destroy forever these fur bearing 

 interests on the Pribilof Islands, the immorality of this demand cannot be glossed 

 over by any sophistry; the idea of permitting sucli a chase to continue where five 

 thousand female seals heavy with their unborn young are killed in order to secure 

 every one thousand skins taken is repugnant to the sense of decency and the simplest 

 instincts of true manhood. 



I cannot refrain from expressing my firm belief that if the truth is known, made 

 plain to responsible heads of the civilized powers of the world, that not one of these 

 governments will hesitate to unite with ours in closing Behring !Sea and its passes 

 of the Aleutian chain, to any and all pelagic fur sealing, during the breeding season 

 of that animal. 



You will find on pai^e 297 what lie says on another iioint which has 

 been mooted liere — whether a female seal suckles any young- but her 

 own. 



It has been said by some peopk^, in order to break the effect of this 

 murder of nursing mothers, that, after all, the other nursing mothers, 

 that are not killed may suckle other pups. The absurdity of the state- 

 ment that a fraction of the mothers could supply all the pups with sus- 

 tenance, is all the contradiction that should require. Mr. Elliott says 

 at page 290, speaking of the killing of these nursing mothers: 



That means death or permanent disability, even if the cows are driven but once — 

 death to both cow and her pup left behind, since that pup will not be permitted to 

 suckle any other. 



With resjoect to the pups learning to swim upon which there has 

 been some criticism, Mr. Elliott says at page 255 : 



In the beginning of August a large majority of them are wholly unused to water. 



And he says that a number of them do not get into the water before 

 September the 1st. 



He speaks also of the gentle disposition of the seals. On page 123 

 he says. "Docility of fur-seals when driven" — is his title — 



I was also impressed by the singular docility and amiability of these animals when 

 driven along the road ; they never show fight any more than a Hock of sheep would do. 



Then on page 98 on the "Gentleness of the seals" he says: — 



"Descend with me from tbis sand dune elevation of Tolstoi, and walk into the 

 drove of holluschickie" below us; we can do it; you do not notice much confusion 

 or dismay as we go in among them; they simply ojien out before us and close in 

 behind our tracks, stirring, crowding to the right and left as we go, twenty feet 

 away from us on each side. Look at this small flock of yearlings, some one, others 

 two, and even three years old, which are coughing and spitting around us now, 

 staring up at our faces in amazement as we walk ahead, they struggle a few rods out 

 of our reach, and then come together again behind us, showing no further sign of 

 notice of ourselves. You could not walk into a drove of hogs at Chicago without 

 exciting as much confusion and arousing an infinitely more disagreeable tumult; and 

 as for sheep on the plains they would stampede far quicker. Wild animals indeed; 

 you can now readily understand how easy it is for two or three men, early in the 

 morning, to come where wo are, turn aside from this vast herd in front of us and 

 around us two or three thousand of the best examples, and drive them back, up and 

 over to the village. 



This may be usefully considered in connection with the point that we 

 discussed some time ago as to the condition of the seals as a matter of 

 property. He says further on page IS, in respect to the young females 

 going back to the islands, which has been made a subject of discussion: 



It must l)e borne in mind, that ))erliap8 10 percent of the entire number of females 

 were y(>arlings last season, and came up on to these breeding grounds as virgins for 

 the first time during this season — as two year old cows, they of course bear no young. 



