LET US GO AFIELD 



wailing against the iniquity of anything which re- 

 stricts them in their pleasure. All sorts of arguments 

 are used, most of them no more than assertions. 



For instance, one man explains that it is not the 

 shooting which has killed American game, but "ad- 

 vancing civilization." That commentator overlooks 

 the extinction of the buffalo, the early extinction of 

 the elk, the bighorn and other large game animals ; 

 and overlooks also the millions of head of wild game 

 marketed in our great cities. Presumably he thinks 

 these animals were not shot, but merely died from 

 contact with civilization. To a dispassionate reasoner 

 the result would seem much the same in each case. 



The most naive and artless statement at hand 

 covering this question of special privilege comes 

 from a Western state, where some of the shooters, 

 by reason of local conditions, appear to be deprived 

 by Federal statute of part or most of the shooting 

 to which they have been accustomed in the past. 

 Since the argument advanced is about as frank 

 and about as empty as those from any other source, 

 it may perhaps be well just for once to quote 

 part of this special plea for special privilege: 



"On the question of migratory birds permit us 

 to view it from the practical standpoint of those 

 situated in the middle section of our country. Dur- 



268 



