Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-02-03

in the District of Columbia, as the health
officer suggests, it is obvious that the al
vocates of the bill would not have expended
their disinterested efforts in pressing 1t
against the interested opposition of vivi-
sectors. who are influenced by pride ana
would the Senate committee have taken
time from its busy days for exhaustive
hearings and careful consideration
Against the amateur dictum OF the
health officer We may quote the statement
of r. Ross Perry, who said In his argument
before the Senate committee the 18th of
April. 1896:
To-day, SO far as 1 know, there is no
law anywhere in this country, from the At
lantic to the Pacific from Canada to
Mexico no law anywhere which interferes
with the most heartless man in the tnflic-
ton of unnamable cruelty If only he says
that he performs these experiments in the
name of science
1T may also be stated that among the
names of the petitioners for the enactment
of the bill were Justices Harlan, Brown,
Brewer. White. Peckham and Shiras Of the
United States Supreme Court: Justices Cox,
Hagner and Cole of the District Supreme
Court: Chief Justices Richardson and Mott
and Justice Weldon of the Court Of Claims;
Mr. w. D. Davidge. Mr.. jeremiah NJ. Will
son, Mr.. Nathaniel Wilson, Mr.. Calderon
Carlisle, Mr.. ]. Hubley Ashton, Mr. Samuel
Maddox, Mr.. ]. j. Darlington, Mr.. Chaplin
Brown, Mr. Enoch Totten, Mr.. Mahlon Ash
ford Mr.. ]. c. Head, Mr.. Haibert E.
Paine, Mr.. Benjamin Butterworth. Mr..
Henry E. Davis Mr.. H. Randall Webb. Mr..
Mr. ]. Hodsworth Gordon, Mr.. William
Henry Dennis, Mr. Frank T. Browning. Mr..
William Stone Albert and Mr.. Crammond
Kennedy, whose united testimony to the
necessity for the bill. in law and in fact.
will surely outweigh even the opinion of the
health office.
No Names withdrawn.
"And, as the Serate committee said in
its second report, in speaking of the re-
markable list of signers to the petition, in
Guiding besides those mentioned the bish
ops of the Roman Catholic. Protestant Epis-
copal and Methodist Episcopal churches,
the leading clergy of all denominations,
distinguished public officers and many other
prominent citizens, The strength of their
conviction was shown by the fact that, al
though they were solicited by the vivisec-
tors by letter and in personal interviews,
as soon as the list was published, to with
draw their names from the petition, not
one out Of the hundreds of names was
withdrawn
''If, then, special legislation is as neces-
sary to prevent cruelty in vivisection as
to prevent cruelty in docking horses tails,
all humane men should unite to secure such
legislation Yet, as the health officers report
shows. the vivisectors are opposed to any
law on the subject, and their real assertion
is that they ought not to be brought under
the control Of law. They insist that they
ought to be excepted from the general reign
of law and intrusted by the community with
absolute power over living creatures, behind
locked doors, free from the inspection of
the government and from the necessity of
reporting upon their work. even though,
as in most cases, they may be doing it in
the offices of the government.
When a cashier in a bank objects alb
soutely to making any report of his bust
ness and refuses inspection of his books
because these involve an ''imputation upon
his prohty." and then proceeds to mention
minor inconvenience. we see at once that
no shaping of legislation to meet the minor
objections will make acceptable the publicity
which he really fears says the second Sem
bill Is altered, so long as 1t provides for
inspection and protection against cruelty
it will be opposed by those who love dark
ness rather than Light
Position of Vivisectors.
"These vivisectors ask US to believe, as
in the health officers report, that the
atrocities which have been occasionally
committed to use his own phrase, are not
being committed in the District of Column
bia, and. therefore. that there is no neces-
sity for any law to prevent them. and then
show the cloven hoof by Directing as the
health officer does twice in his report,
against the requirement of the bill that the
Commissioners may call for reports from
the vivisectors, that they would thus be re-
Quired to bear evidence against them
selves to quote his exact language. We
would like to ask how . man can bear evi-