BULLETIN NUMBER FOUR 151 



PRESENT STATUS AND GENERAL CHARACTER OF 

 THE OPPOSITION. 



Ordinarily it is of little interest to set forth a statement 

 regarding the personnel of any particular group of the 

 enemies of wild life; but this fight calls for full informa- 

 tion. When men enter the arena as the champions of an 

 idea or a cause, that moment do they place themselves in 

 the spot-light of publicity, and render themselves subject 

 to thorough scrutiny. Whenever a man seeks to dictate 

 legislation for 100,000,000 people, we have every right in 

 the world to know something about his motives and his 

 character. This universal law of the lime-light is recog- 

 nized throughout America. 



It is highly important that every member of Congress 

 should know the men who are financing, directing and push- 

 ing the campaign in Congress to accomplish the following 

 ends: 



i. To secure for themselves an exclusive special exemp- 

 tion from the operation of a universal federal latv, or 



2. To rob the lata of its annual enforcement fund; 



j. To repeal the laiv, absolutely, and return to the old 

 days of bird slaughter, and also 



4. To defeat the ratification of the international treaty 

 with Canada for the protection of migratory birds. 



The malcontents of Missouri have heaped upon the mi- 

 gratory bird law and its supporters unlimited contempt and 

 denunciation ; and their hostility is implacable. When they 

 were offered (by wholly mistaken generosity!) an open sea- 

 son on wildfowl until March 10 they rejected it with scorn, 

 declared that they "will accept nothing less than March 31," 

 and announced the offer as a 'Victory," with "the Biological 

 Survey on the run." Their so-called "petition" to Congress 

 was really a long denunciation of the law and its supporters. 



Now, who are the men, and whence come their funds, 

 for this fight on the best bird law ever put upon any statute 

 book? Let us see. 



