Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1901-04-26
Origin of Organized Humanity.

Origin of Organized Humanity.
Ia the carly part OF tic century Just
past, in the year 1911, il the English
House OF Lords, scene was enacted
that, 50 far as known, was without a
parallel in any legislative assembly.
For in that small chamber, ia the very
home Of conyentionality, surrounded
10y men whose names were synonyms
for cXclusiyeness and conservatism
Lord Erskine 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 bad
been vented without restraint from
the beginning Of time, and the other
noble lords broke forth IN derision at
the absurdity. 1t Is said that loud
jeers, vulgar CALCULATIONS, indccorous
demeanor and even whistling 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-reaching of
all movements, the movement known
as Humane" which has for its OBJ
lect the elimination of cruelty from
the world and the incubation of kind
ness to all living creatures. Yet there
have always been human hearts, and
imaginations sufficiently alive to COM
prehend suffering even in the persons
OF beings below the human level.
About hundred and forty years be-
fore 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:
81 carried them to Kensington, to the
Grotto, and there we sang to my great
content, only vexed in going in, to
see son OF Sir Heneage Finch's beat
ing of poor little dog to death, let
ting it lie in so much pain that made
me mad to see it, till by and by the
servants of the house, Gliding their
young master, one of them came with
a string, and killed the dog outright
presently" The bystander was not
without fealing, but he could do moth
ing till, when the boy had tired of his
sport, the servants might finish it
quickly.
In spite of the brave words of Lord
Erskine the law took no cognizance of
the suffering of animals until 1922,
when statute was enacted in Eng.
land "To prevent the cruel and i'm.
proper treatment of cattle" After
ward other acts were obtained improy-
ing upon this, and in 1924 the first
"Society for the Prevention OF Cruelty
to Animals" was organized in London.
This grew in grace until even Rank
and Fashion, those twin goddesses
that can make or mar anything,
smiled upon it; the Royal family gave
it patronage and by command of the
Queen it took the name of the Royal
Society,""
And then, in the year 1862, the
United States sent to St. Petersburg,
As Secretary of Legation, a man by the
name OF Henry Bergh, who in Russia,
received an education that was awak-
ened to duty not contemplated in
his official instructions; for there he
saw and was enabled to interfere in
cases of great cruelty because of his
diplomatic position, without which he
would have been exposed to personal
violence.
On his way home, three years later,
he made the acquaintance Of the Earl
of Narrowly, President of the Royal
Society, who gave him valuable infor-
nation concerning the work OF the So
ciety; cmbued with which he landed
in his own country and Immediately
set about creating interest in a similar
movement in New York.
His FIRST lecture aroused much sym-
patty; the press took it up; the lee
ture was published in all the great
cities in the country and the first
American Society for the Prevention
OF Cruelty to Animals was incorporat-
ed in New York, April 10, 1866.
Since that, many other such societies
have been organized in different parts
of the country.
An important step has been the Or
ganizing, in the United States, of
nearly all such societies into one great
body known as the american HUI.
name Association" which meets every
year in one OF our cities, each local so.
ciety being represented thereat by del
egates and of which the President is
now Hon. James NJ. Brown of Toledo.
To these meetings delegates bring
their experiences and discuss the best
methods of action, one of the objects
being the amelioration of conditions
in the transportation of cattle. An
other is the missionary work by which
it seeks to extend the number of these
organizations, with the hope that
there may be eventually no CITY or