Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-01-08
No Anti-ViNisectiOn Bill Before Com
KresS.

To the Elitor Of The Evening Star:
letter appears in The Star of January
6, written to Senator Mcmillan by one DR..
Robert T Morris of New York. who evil
IDENTIFY thinks he is writing about the bill
For the further prevention of cruelty to
animals in the District of Columbia" He
prefaces his remarks by saying:
Il assume further that the committee
will wish to be guided by brief statements
OF fact. rather than by other sorts of ar
gument."
Facts" Bless YOU, yes, But doesn't it
really make any difference what the facts
are about or whether they have anything
to do with the matter in hand? If the
senator to whom that letter is written were
addressing the Senate on the subject of the
gold standard, and somebody else were to
oppose him with a ''jrief statement of
facts to the effect that the drachma of
the ancient Greeks was a silver coin of the
value of about 10 cents" would il floor
him? If. before the committee that is try
ing to decide whether a certain married
man from Utah should be admitted to the
House of Representatives. some one should
deliver a brief statement of facts" con-
corning the marriage customs of the Zulus
or even describe the Wedding trousseau of
the Queen of the cannibal Islands (howcyer
brlef or matter-Of-fact), would it enlishten
the situation? If somebody. anybody, that
IuShes into print against the bill were to
read it-bUt | suppose that would hardly
do because if they did they would find out
that II does not in any degree prohibit vivi-
section
The bill provides simply that all vivfsect-
ing laboratories shall be registered all yiyI-
sectors licensed, that in painful Operations
all viviSected animals shall he mercifuilv
chloroformed, and that inspectors shall be
appointed by the President 10 see that these
regulations are complied with
And 70 this DIR. Morris replies that he has
himself vivisectod dogs. rabbits and turtles
with incalcul&blc benefit 10 the human race
How intarestins-even from the point of
view ot the dogs, rabbits and turtles, But
relevant? No
II is interesting. too. to see the doctor in
adVertently betray some slight conscious
ness that something else is in question by
the naive remark that II have taken as
inuch care to avoid suffering on the part
or the animals as l would be expected to
take"
CAS- would be expected to take" curious
phrase, Is it some hat ambiguous?
The letter concludes: "U-nfortunatelv
the men who are doing advance work in the
interests OF science and humanity usually
nave such contempt for the methods of the
untnformad anti-vivisectionists that thew
Will not even deign to make a statement OF
their side of the ca se'
All. Then the doctor didn't know of all
those cart loads of brief statements of
fact that his ViviSe citing brethren have
constrained their naughty souls to send I'D
to Congress in the last two years in spite
OF their contempt etc.-most of them
about 'anti-toxin,' and all of them wholly
beside the question.
Strictly considered, they would have been
as pertinent if offered in opposition to
tariff bill as in the case of measure
wholly confined to prescribing merciful
methods of Vivisection. In truth the writ
ers are not wholly TO blame, because they
have acted in consequence of careful mis-
information sent them by those managing
the opposition in Washington. who are for
some reason best known to themselves, op-
posed to the humane methods of vivisection
prescribed in the bill. and who cease not
| to urge their brethren all over the country
to memorialiZe Congress against a bill pre-
htDiting wis. ction If there had been no
obscurins OF the issue the bill would prob
ably have passed long ago.
MARY HOWE TOTTEN.