The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1895-10-12

Killed.
ST wouldn't kill them, that is all, -
said Mr.. Scott
In an interview with John w. Scott,
President of the New York Vegetarian
Society, he gives expression to some IN
teresting views in regard 10 vegetarian
ism and his own belief that animals have
souls.
How would man with this belief treat
the matter which the Society for the Pre-
vention of Cruelty TO Animals has in
hand in New York and Brooklyn oil
gathering in all the stray cats and dogs OF
the two cities, and, if unclaimed after
forty Eight hours, putting them by hui
name methods TO death? The opening
paragraph tells what Mr.. Scott would
not do.
at was simply disgusting" went on
Mr.. Scott, 1.-The way that Band of Mercy
woman-Mrs. Divine-Devin-wh was
her name? went around catching cats
aud putting them to death. 1t was a dis
gushing thing to do, and particularly so
in woman. a person who would dc
anything like that would commit any
crime"
But, in case of these animals taken by
the society, they are prolific and would
soon govern the city. Ought not some
thing to be done in that case 2" was
asked.
II am not one of the legislators" an
swered Mr.. Scott. land the question is
not one that l am called upon to decide.
would not kill the animals myself"
you would simply evade the question
then?'
YES" said Mr.. Scott, 81 would. 1 am
very fond OF animals. but L don't have
one in my house for that very reason.
What are you going to do with dozen
kittens every month or SO? l would not
kill a mouse. We have a few in the store
here-there is q restaurant or something
of the kind underneath us-but they
never do any damage, and we let them
alone. We don't have any at my house,
and we never keep cat. our neigh bors
on the street have both rats and mice.
What would L DO If we were overrun
with mice? Well. suppose | should
move somewhere else; L should not kill
them"
"What would you do if. as in Australia,
there was almost a plague of rabbits,
which ate up everything, and it was
necessary to destroy the animals or be de-
stroyed by them ?"
III it was case Of sacrificing the ami
mails to save the children, L don't know.
That would require consideration. L have
never been called upon TO decide such a
question. For myself, personally, l think
II l could not live in the country with the
animals, l should 60 somewhere else
where L could"
Are you citizen of the United States,
and have voice i'll all public matters
here?"
es; but where almost every one is
against a thing, L think it is entirely
useless to take 1t up. The world is full
Of ssvages. L have no doubt they will
kill Oft all the animals in time. Take
fishes, for instance. The rivers are al
most tished dry. AS soon as people hear
CT a stream with fish in it, they make
haste to get them out. If they were not
restocked there would be no fish. That
the fish are caught for food is only an
excuse. l don't believe half the fish
caught are eaten. l was up at the Thou
sand Islands this summer. There the
guides made it business to take all the
fish caught and sell them. II they had
not, think very few would have been
eaten. \ person could hardly have
eaten one OF those fish, they were SO
large, and they would catch at least a
dozen. There is no use talking TO people
now. What is 1t that Christ said: 1t
must needs be that offenses come. but
woe unto that man by whom the offense
cOmeth.' BY aud by, when there are
better people in the world, it will be
time TO do something about this matter"
I'm 200 years, when you think all the
world Will believe in vegetarianism ?"
ut will be sooner than that" replied
Mr.. ScOtt.-New \ Ork Times.