The Oregon Sportsman 



Volume II MARCH 1914 Number 3 



THE ALIEN GUN LAW 



Deputy Game Warden E. H. Clark recently arrested two 

 Italians in Tillamook County for hunting without a license. 

 Both of these men had shotguns which were seized for evidence. 

 The case was presented to County Attorney Gersoni of Tilla- 

 mook. He refused to prosecute the case, saying that he believed 

 the law was unconstitutional. 



At the last session of the Oregon legislature, a statute was 

 passed making it unlawful for an alien to hunt or angle, or to 

 have in possession any shotgun, rifle or any firearms while in 

 the field or forest or in any tent, car or camp in the state, with- 

 out first securing a gun license at the cost of twenty-five dollars. 

 Neither of the Italians mentioned above had secured a gun li- 

 cense or a hunting license. 



A provision of the laws of 1913, Chapter 332, provides that 

 it shall be the duty of a district or prosecuting attorney to prose- 

 cute any case in which it appears that any of the laws for the 

 protection of wild animals, birds or fish have been violated. 

 But what is the use of compelling a county attorney to prosecute 

 a case when he has already taken the stand that the law is 

 unconstitutional ? 



WHY THE LAW SHOULD BE ENFORCED. 



Inasmuch as an alien license law was passed by the legisla- 

 ture in 1913, it should be enforced until it is declared void by 

 the courts. The causes which led the legislature to pass the 

 law were as follows : 



Many aliens, especially those coming from southern European 

 countries, have no regard whatever for game laws. They con- 

 fuse trespass or hunting restrictions with infringement upon 

 their personal liberty and oftentimes a foreigner will resist an 



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