The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-10-04
ANIMAL CONSCIENCE.
The Sense of Shame and Justice in tn
 Dog and Other Animals.

The Sense of Shame and Justice in the
 Dog and Other Animals.
 | And now they say animals know right from wrong, and that even in puppy's breast is kindled that spark of divine fire. a conscience.
 i The beasts of the field have eaten of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. That they are capa- ble of loving and of devoting them- selves to those they love, that they offer models of maternal and conjugal affec- ton, has long been admitted, and to- day they are credited with expressions of some notion, however obscure or irn- perfect, of good and evil, of merit and demerit, of justice and injustice. There lis a familiar anecdote from the natu- ralist, Romanes. about his dog, which never stole a thing in his life, save once, and then under these circumstances: "One day when he was hungry" says his master The seized outlet from the table and carried it under a sofa, l was witness to this fact, but pretended had seen nothing, and the culprit re- mained some minutes under the sofa, divided between the desire to assuage his hunger and the sentiment of duty. The latter finally triumphed, and the dog deposited at my feet the outlet which he had stolen. This done he re- turned to conceal himself under the sofa, whence no appeal could make him emerge. In vain I gentle patted his head; the only effect of this caress was | to make him turn his face with an air | of contrition that was truly comical.
 What gives particular value to this example, concludes Romanes, is that the dog in question had never been beaten, so that it could not have been fear of corporal punishment which ac- ttuated him. Tn him there seems to be Ian animal that knows what he owes to lanother. There are also animals which know what is due them. It has often been stated that certain beasts have a I precise idea Of what can be exacted l from them without injury and that they ask in their own way to be limited to their proper obligations. The mules on 4 ltramWays in New Orleans have to make their trip five times in succession. They go four times without any mani ifestation of rebellion, but at the end of lthe fourth round begin to bray. , l Dr. Edmondson, who has made a spe- cial study of crows, says that they hold lperiodic assizes, when the affairs of the Iseason are appealed. They gather to- Igether in large numbers for a convoca- ltion. Among them are some whose fal- lien heads indicate accusations, others are grave like judges, while still others larA motion and clamor When the as- sembly is ended there is a general noise, land a little after lawyers, listeners and bafllffs bounce upon the two or three prisoners arraigned before the bar and ply them with strokes until death en- sues.
 To wrong one, to render unto each his Town, to receive according to ones de- serts, is only the negative of the moral code. Above the duties of Justice are those of charity, the formula of which lis this: ''Do unto others as you would that they do unto you" Wheth- CT animals attain to this stage may be lpartially judged by a scene the theater l of which was large Parisian menage- lrie. A little black and white dog was thrown into the cage of a lioness named Constantine Terrified and trembling in all his limbs the dog tried to hide in corner. The lioness slowly rose and approached the poor beast, which ut tered plaintive cry. regarding her with an appealing look The lioness tranquilIy returned to her repose with out injuring the little dog. At meal- time the lioness' ration of meat was tossed into the cage She left a part for her little companion. Some days later the dog ate his meals with her, land week later he flung himself on the dinner When autumn arrived the dog thought it seemly to pass the nights be- tween the lions paws, the climax in a beautiful example of clemency and hos lpitality The hero animal can even yanquish his instinctive pride, pardon his injuries and voluntarily offer recon- ciliation. Chicago Chronicle.