The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1901-04-10
AN IMPORTANT MOVEMENT.
The First Public Appeal for Jus.
tice and Mercy to Animals.

In the early part of the century lust
past, in the year 1911 in the English
House of Lords, a scene was enacted
that, so far as known, was without a
parallel in any legislative assembly.
For in that small chamber, in the very
home Of conventionality, surrounded
by men whose names were synonyms
for exclusiveness and conservatism,
Lord Elskine made the first public ap-
peal for justice and mercy for the
lower animals. The " noble lord ;" for
such he was. stood up in his place and
presented the case Of these creatures
on whom the passions Of the callous or
cruel had been vented without rcstaint
from the beginning of time, and the
other noble lords broke forth in deris-
ion at the absurdity. /" 1t is said that
loud jeers, vulgar CALCULATIONS, in le-
corous demeanor, and even whisthng
and cock-crowing were practically the
only reply given to the grand speech
OF this high-souled man."
There was no one who took part in
the astonishing scene in the House of
Lords who could have imagined that
he was assisting at an era in the his
tory OF civilization, and that from it
would date the inception Of one Of the
most important and far.rcaching of all
movements, the movement known as
I" Humane" which has for it's object
the elimination of cruelty from the
world and the .inculcation Of kindness
to all living creatures. Yet here have
always been humane hearts, and imag-
nations sufficiently alive to comprehend
suffering even in the persons Of beings
below the hmuan level.
About hundred and forty years
before this time Sir Samuel Pepys put
into his diary one Of his little sketches
that probably gives us the situation as
clearly as anything. Being out for
| pleasure with some friends, he says
carried them to Kcnslngton, to the
Grotto, and there we sang to my great
content, only vexed in going in tc see
a son of Sir Henoage Finch's beating
OF poor little dog TO death, lotting il
lie in so much pain that made mo MAD
to see il, till by and by the servants o.
the house, chiding their young master
one of them came with string, ant
killed the dog outright presently
The bystander was not without feeling
but he could do nothing till, when tn,
boy had tired of his sport, the servant
might finish it quickly.
In spite of the brave words Of Lor,
Erskine the law took no cognizance o
the suffering of ANIMALS until 1922
when a statute was enacted in Englan
G g To prevent the cruel AMI imprope
e treatment of cattle" Af.erward othe
y acts were obtained improving upo
j, this, and in 1924 the first d" Society fC
!. the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
!, was organized in London. This gre
q in grace until even Rank and Fashion
8 those twin gooddesses that car nal
o or mar anything, smiled upon it, Il
d Royal family gave it patronage ana I
1t command Of the Queen it TOOK IL
d name OF the +" Royal Society,""
;e Then, in the year 1862, the Unite
n States sent to 81. Petersburg, as seer
Or tary Of legation, man by the name
M Henry Bergh, who in Russia receive
m an education that was awakened to
a duty not contemplated in his oilic
as Instructions for there he saw and "
Id enabled to interfere In cases Of gre
Up cruelty because OF his diplomatic po
to tion, without which he would ha
10, been exposed TO personal violence.
or On his way home, three years lat
sft he made the acquaintance Of tho z