SECOND BIENNIAL STATEMENT 147 



defenseless wild creatures. This in turn is based upon two 

 things ; ignorance and selfishness ; and there is always a line 

 beyond which selfishness becomes a crime. 



A state or a nation can be ungentlemanly or mean, just 

 the same as an individual. 



For example: When Minnesota, the Dakotas, and Wis- 

 consin stop spring shooting, and Iowa, Missouri, and Illi- 

 nois sullenly refuse to do so, it is worse than bad state 

 ethics. It is indecent; and everywhere in civilization in- 

 decency is a crime. Of course the reason is very plain. 

 The spring-shooters of Missouri, Iowa, and Illinois want 

 all the dead ducks they want, when they want them; and 

 to them, ducks killed in the breeding season are just as 

 good for their tables as any others. 



In 1914 a majority of the people of California, in spite of 

 an immense majority on the right side in Southern Cali- 

 fornia, voted to continue the sale of game, for the cash 

 benefit of a small, utterly selfish but financially and editori- 

 ally powerful class. It was disgracefully bad ethics on the 

 part of Northern California. 



Up to this date seventeen states have raised their ethical 

 standard to the height of sternly prohibiting by law the 

 killing of female deer. 



These honorable states are the following: 



Vermont Wisconsin 



New York Oklahoma 



Pennsylvania New Mexico 



New Jersey Arizona 



West Virginia Utah 



Georgia Idaho 



Alabama Oregon 



Mississippi California 

 Missouri 



Two other states, Florida and Texas, have the "buck 

 law" on their statute books, but I am told that neither of 

 them enforce it and so I must omit them from the roll of 

 honor. 



