Waterbury Democrat., 1902-06-16
KINDNESS TO ANIMALS.
The Work of Henry Bergh in the Hu-
 mane Field.

!
 Popularize humane work and you will have done a service that will bring many-fold more blessings to animals
 than they now enjoy. It may be con- tended that it is already popular, but ii
 so the exact meaning of the term here 1 intended escapes.
 1 Twenty years or more ago Henry
 Bergh was engaged in his Titanic struggle ill behalf of brute creation Miss Clara Morris has recently well l told of his heroic efforts. They con- l stituted a contest against barbarian l ism in the center of ciyilizatiOn-a bar barianism more cruel than that with which history deals, because it's vic 1 tims were the willing instruments of
 masters who in return for faithfulness l bestowed laShes and whose reward for doing their best was what might have
 been given had they perversely done their worst. Henry Bergh changed all this. His fearless stand in defense of
 animals worked wonders, but was not his triumph one of acquiescence on the part of the public rather than of CO., operation? He awolze the popular con
 science to a realization of shame that his striyings in behalf of ''the friends
 of man" should be so stoutly resisted,
 and he, the champion, held up to ridi-
 cule
 This, to my mind with the odds
 against which he was called upon to
 contend was little short of marvellous,
 but the work which he began was not
 completed, and will not be completed
 until that popular conscience is so
 thoroughly aroused that it becomes a
 two-edged sword wielded in defense of
 the most defenSeless and most inoffen- sive of creatures.
 How shall this be done? Enter upon
 q systematic campaign of education. Pay close attention to the young of the land, but do not neglect the old There should be at least a small place in the curriculum of the public schools for the propagation of the basic princi- pies of humane work. Create that place. You will be laughed at, but set about with q great determination to turn that laugh. Have laws placed on the statute books whenever you see that the cause can be benefited thereby The politicians may oppose this; then get down on q practical working plane and go into politics. Votes from s'cranks" lbout dogs, fowls, cats and horses are esteemed at quite the same market value as those of any other class. Enlist the aid of the press. Do not hesitate to argue with an editor about the merits of a case where an animal is concerned. The newspapers are much given nowadays to featuring what are termed ''human interest | stories. Convince the publishers that the public will read with as much avid- ity articles of humane interest," And especially should the country press not 1 be neglected. The animals of the city now enjoy comparative immunity from brutal treatment. but we who are familiar with rural life know that the same restrictive influences do not four ! ish there.
 This much done, organize q Humane society in every city and county in | every state of the Union. This seems a big task, but it is by no means i'm | possible. Have the churches of all de recognize that in promot- ! ing humane treatment of animals they | are doing God a service. What does the Good Book say of the sparrow that falls to the ground?
 z Garry the war into Africa itself Go [ among the "cabbies'' and the draymen and give substantial rewards to those ] who are best known as kind masters. | setting the spirit of emulation at work E among them. Through these agencies. I here set forth so generally and perhaps t so unsatisfactorily, may not the lot of | the patient toiler at the shafts, the E faithful brute that licks it's masters E hand and the scores of creatures of. | earth and air that make the world | brighter and more habitab1e for man | be made more tolerable?