Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1901-08-09
Postio Iustios

pleasure drive with his sweetheart
not long ago, received a needed
though severe lesson on the necessity
of being humane to animals in this
day and generation. 1t was a very
hot day, and when the drive was
about half over the horse became
balky The driver thereupon lost
his temper and gave the animal an
unmetciful beating Then the
trouble began. A constable saw
him and promptly arrested him for
cruelty to animals. He was unable
TO pay the money, and his compan-
ion settled the business for him.
Then she went home and wrote him
note, and this is what it said /:
when a man will so brutally beat
a horse and so easily lose his temper,
woman marrying him would take
the chance of the same treatment. +"
And the rest of the note released
him from the engagement.
Most people will be of the opinion
that the young lady in question did
exactly right, and that she was
fortunate in discovering the disposi-
tion of her fiance before instead of
after marriage. Insensibility to the
pain of another is not a trait which
is particularly desirable in either a
husband or a wife. While, of
course, It is not to be inferred that
every man who will beat his horse
will also beat his wife, cruelty to
animals so vitiates the moral nature
that those perceptions upon which
a sense of justice depends are blunt
ed. The intimacy of marriage is so
close that happiness can only exist
where there is mutual forbearance,
together with a certain sensitiveness
to the feelings of others. The man
who does not possess this sensitive
ness may not be actually cruel to
either wife or children, so far as
physical maltreatment is concerned,
but he will say and do things which
are quite as brutal as blow with a
whip would be. There dozen con-
siderations which are likely to re.
strain from wife-beating-the opin-
ion of his neighbors, custom, fear
that his wife may invoke the law,
fear of retaliation by her relatives,
or merely the fact that it is not us
ual for American husbands to ex-
press their sentiments in that way.
But if his nature is essentially cruel
he will find ways to torture those
dependent upon him which are
worse than physical pain. The true
test of mans character is not TO
be found in his actions when he is
restrained by public sentiment OF
fear of consequences. He is his
real self when he is free to act, to
indulge meanness, or passion, OF
cruelty, toward some creature which
cannot retaliate and has no means
of defence. The Jerseyman who is
the unenviable hero of the incident
above recorded was subjected to this
test, and apparently he failed. He
may have had an idea that by his
lack of consideration for his horse
he was showing a manly and stern
strength of character which would
Impress the girl in the seat beside
him. Some men have an idea tnat
women rather admire those who are
capable of cruelty. These men are
trying to fit sixteenth century ideas
into twentieth century civilization
It cannot be done. It is true thai
women admire a brave man, and
ofton the man ii question is a sol.
dier or a hunter, bat there is a very
fine distinction between the brave
man and the man who is ready t
inhict pain. What the modern CIR.
sees 70 admire in the soldier is no
his willingness to shoot other men,
but his readiness to be shot himself
not his murderous impulses, bu
his sacrifice of personal safety
The kind Of woman who would likr
man better after seeing him ac
cruelty toward a helpless anima
is not fit for a civilized country.