Page 286 - Our Vanishing Wild Life

264 OUR VANISHING WILD LIFE
handed, there is one powerful weapon,—PubHcity. The American people love fair play, and there is nothing so fatal to an unfair fighter as asearchlight,turnedfullonhimwithoutfearandwithoutmercy. Ifit is reliably and persistently reported that some citizen who ought to be on the right side has for some dark reason become active on the wrong side, print the reports in a large newspaper, and ask him publicly if they aretrue. Ifthereportsarefalse,hecanquicklycomeoutinaletterand sayso,andendthematter. Iftheyaretrue,thepublicwillsoonknowit, and act accordingly.
EternalVigilance.—Theprogressofabill mustbewatchedbysome competentpersonfromdaytoday,andfinallyfromhourtohour. I know one bill that was saved from defeat only because its promoter dragged it, almost by force, out of the hands of a tardy clerk, and accom- panied it in person to the senate, where it was passed in the last hour of a session.
A bill should not be left to a long slumber in the drawer of a com- mittee. Suchdelaysnearlyalwaysaredangerous.
Signing the Bill. —The promoter of a great measure always seeks the sympathy of the Chief Executive early in the day ; but he should not make the diplomatic error of trying to exact promises or pledges in advance. Good judges do not give away their decisions in advance.
Because a Chief Executive remarks after a bill has been sent to him for signing that he "cannot approve it," it is no reason to give up in despair. Many an executive approval has been snatched at the last moment,asabrandfromtheburning. Askforahearingbeforethebill isactedupon. Atthehearing,andbeforeitandafter,thePeoplewho wish the bill to become a law must express themselves,—by letter, by telegram,andbyappealinperson. Ifthegovernorbecomesconvinced that an overwhelming majority of his people desire him to sign the bill, he will sign it, even though personally he is opposed to it ! The hall mark of a good governor is a spirit of obedience to the will of the great majority.
Not until your bill has been signed by the governor are you ready to go home with a quiet mind, take off your armor, and put your ear to the telephone while you hear some one say as your only reward,—"Well done, good and faithful servant."
As TO "Credit."—Do not count upon receiving any credit for what you do in the cause of game protection, outside the narrow circle of your own family and your nearest frieniis. This is a busy world; and the humanmindflitslikearestlessbirdfromonesubjecttoanother. The men who win campaigns are forgotten by the general public, in a few hours ! There is nothing more fickle or more fleeting than the bubble called "popular applause." Judging by the experiences of great men, I shouldsaythatithasnosubstance,whatever. Themostvaluablere- ward of the man who fights in a great cause, and helps to win victories, is the profound satisfaction that comes to every good citizen who braveh^ does his whole duty, and leaves the world better than he found it, with- out the slightest thought of gallery applause.