34 



RECREATION. 



ed most rigid laws for the protection of in- 

 sectivorous birds and game birds. Trap- 

 pers go there and catch quails, netting or 

 trapping them, in violation of the local 

 law, pack them in barrels or boxes, and 

 ship them to other markets in the United 

 States. It is done secretly. The result is 

 that the market houses in other States 

 have been utilized as places in which to 

 dispose of these birds and animals killed 

 in violation of the laws of the State. Game 

 wardens of the various States have long 

 desired some legislation o{ this kind by 

 which they can stop the nefarious traffic in 

 birds and game killed in defiance of their 

 State laws. 



Take the State which I have the honor 

 in part to represent — the State of Iowa. 

 A few years ago it was filled with prairie 

 chickens ; quails were abundant. A careful 

 protection of the quail has recently result- 

 ed in an \ rease of those beautiful little 

 birds; but the shipment of prairie chickens 

 has still been going on until they have 

 well nigh become extinct. This bill, if 

 enacted into law, would enable the local 

 authorities to prevent the transportation 

 of these birds. It is perfectly evident, how- 

 ever, that such a law might be abused 

 unless suitably guarded. Persons might 

 make use of it for the purpose of black- 

 mailing the carriers. Therefore a provision 

 has been inserted in this bill by which car- 

 riers will not be held responsible for the 

 shipment unless they have knowingly car- 

 ried the forbidden articles. But the ship- 

 per can not plead ignorance, and when 

 complaint is made against the carrier, he 

 will transfer the responsibility of the crime 

 to the shipper, and the result will be that 

 the whole traffic can be broken up. 



As to insectivorous birds, I saw an arti- 

 cle going the rounds of the newspapers 

 the other <'ay purporting to give an inter- 

 view between my friend from Illinois (Mr. 

 Cannon) and myself. While the inter- 

 view was not stated with entire accuracy, 

 the general facts are true, and I will re- 

 peat it now as an illustration of one of the 

 features of this bill. 



V ..en this bill was up in the H©use be- 

 fore on a motion to suspend the rules, my 

 friend from Illinois raised the question of 

 "no quorum." Two-thirds of the House 

 were in favor of passing - the bill, but there 

 was not a quorum present; and the gentle- 

 man from Illinois raised that point and 

 prevented further consideration of the 

 bill. The next day I came to the House 

 with my pockets full of most beautiful ap- 

 ples. They were fair to look upon, but 

 were veritable dead sea fruit. I went 

 around and offered them to my friend. 

 He loves apples as well as I love birds. 

 He opened them. 



They were all perforated with the tun- 

 nels that the worms had dug in passing 



through the fruit. I asked him if he had 

 ever seen that condition in apples when 

 he was a boy. He said no; it was a recent 

 thing. I inquired whether he often saw an 

 apple now that did rot show the foul 

 track of a worm through its interior. 

 He said, "What of that?" "Well," said I, 

 "my friend, the killing of the birds causes 

 this condition. Man kills the birds that 

 killed the insect that laid the egg that 

 hatched the worm that defiled the apple. 

 [Laughter.] Thus following back in some- 

 thing of the fashion of "The House that 

 Jack Built," we reach the real cause of 

 most of this trouble. The destruction of the 

 insectivorous birds has resulted in the 

 loss of our fruit. No wonder the farmers 

 and horticulturists are interested in this 

 proposition! 



Objection was made to this bill upon 

 the theory that it was a purely sentimental 

 measure, and intended merely to strike at 

 bird millinery. Not so. It is true, Mr. 

 Chairman, that there is some sentiment in 

 the bnl; and it is a proper, a legitimate, 

 sentiment. The love of birds is something 

 that ought to be taught in every school. 

 Their protection is something that ought 

 to be inculcated in the mind of every boy 

 and girl. I have always been a lover of 

 the birds; and I have always been a hunter 

 as well ; for to-day there is no friend that 

 the birds have like the true sportsman — 

 the man who enjoys legitimate sport. He 

 protects -them out of season; he kills them 

 in moderation in season. The game hog- 

 is an animal of 2 legs that is disappearing. 

 May he soon become extinct ! The 

 game hog formerly had himself pho- 

 tographed surrounded by the fruits 

 of a day's "sport," and regarded 

 the photograph as imperfect unless 

 he had 100 dead ducks, gr se, or 

 geese around him. To-day a true 

 sportsman would be ashamed to be pic- 

 tured in connection with a larger number 

 of fowls than a decent share for an Ameri- 

 can gunner, having due regard to the pres- 

 ervation of i„- game for the future. 



Mr. Clark, of Missouri. Is there any- 

 thing in this bill to stop the operations of 

 pot hunters? 



Mr. Lacey. This bill is directed against 

 the pot hunter. When you take away his 

 market you destroy his occupation. Take 

 away his market, or put that market under 

 the surveillance of the game wardens, and 

 the pot hunter must cease to carry on his 

 nefarious traffic. He is the man who 

 should have no friends on the floor of this 

 House, or anywhere in the United States 

 of America. He is the relentless enemy of 

 all animal life. The States have awakened 

 to the necessity of preserving what re- 

 mains of bird life, with which nature so 

 generously endowed our country. State 

 laws of a vigorous character are enacted, 



