Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-12-03
Tbe Rarbarism Of New York.


The "heathen Chinese " have bar
barous punishment by which they keep
a doomed man in the prolonged agony
of wakefulness till he dies slow death
Of horror. The heathen Hindoo of a
deyout frame Of mind INDUCES in the
gentle amusement of swinging in the
balmy air of the Ganges or of Ceylon' s
favored isle--a hook being passed through
his back, upon which he oscillates. To
these heathen we send missionaries.
AT home we have heather who enjoy the
sport of the rat pit. To these go the
police, instigated by Mr.. Bergh, and
when Kit Burns and few dozen Of the
lEke-minded are hauled to the Tombs the
respectable portion of the community
applaud. Other of our heather indulge
in the prize ring, and beat and pound
each other to jelly, to the utter disgust
of the virtuous and educated, who hear
with Joy of the arrest and punishment
of these brutes. s.all
Now let us go to the rink in Third av.
enue, and see what has been going on
there for few days past. Here man
is put up as "walkist, and surrounded
by bevy OF learned doctors, who prac-
tice upon his suflerings with all the re-
fined mercilessness of scientific analysis.
| To execute the task he has set out to
perform he must be kept awake, and
when after long hours of weary work he
struggles along with closed eyes, one
doctor comes to his side and by brisk
conversation picks up his man. His
head is sponged, his limbs are rubbed
Every effort is made to keep life in him.
But in all this there is too little stimulant.
SO says the report, He faced the walk
with bright look ofdetermination, pulled
off his leggngs, and, taking stout rid.
ing-whip, commenced his walk, lashing
his legs in the most frightful way till the
blood spouted." This fearful whipping
was long kept up, amid the warm ap-
plause of the audience, who hung as
greedily upon this exhibition as ever a
Roman mob gloated over gladiatorial
show, or a Spanish crowd hung en-
tranced over bull fight. In fact, they
enjoyed it as much as Kit Burns and his
crowd did the rat bait before the police
came to interfere with their sport. Soon
Weston failed again, and then Wallace,
at his request, ran behind him and lashed
his legs, smashing the whip ON them.
The go was out of him, says the re-
porter, and even this stimulus failed.
Then Weston made speech. He in.
formed the bystanders that those who
had bet on him need have no fears. He
would yet do what he had promised Our
Hindoo, vita the "crook in his back is
SO foolish as to believe that in affecting
the body he purifes the soul He may
be mistaken, but his motive is good
one. Weston and his medical grooms
have similarly elevated purpose. He
crucifes the flesh that his friends may
win their bets. They cruelty him that
he may evolve a soluble or insoluble
salt, and advance the cause of science.
IL is question of urea, and human life
and human suffering are of little ac-
count with the dilletapti, who hunt for
urates as for "hid treasure. The day $
proceedings were not complete without
the presence of the clergy, and so we
read, "Drs. Tying and Potter were in the
priyate box and shouted encourage
ment TO the brave fellow" This makes
the thing MI right, and Of course under
such auspices Humanity and Christian
ity and Science can look on approvingly.
And while Weston becomes q Ragellap
amid the huzzas of the best people in
New York, the men who behold the ca
nine exercises of " the dog that eats the
rat I" in the Water street pit are sent to
Jail, city mission must be maintained
in Water street, and missionaries must
90 10 China and India. There Is most
promising field for Christian work in the
Third avenue rink. Won't some healthy
enisrprising and devout Hindoo come
and occupy it? The Thugs and the
Parsees are la Glossr communion than
we had supposed possible,