Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-02-04

! Superstructure OF the humane society
can be built to reach up TO heaven.
/ There is, in fact, no limit where the
dome of such a building may not
reach.
! The history of the humane move
ment is the history of mankind, the
| history of the world 1t is cause and
effect interchangeable We are humans
| because we are humane and We are
/ humane because we are humans. You
will notice that all along the long
stretch of the history of human de-
+ velopment, from the remotest times of
antiquity to our own present day;
from the times Of our savage ancestor
to the times of our beautiful schools
colleges and universities the humane
/ instinct. in the human heart, was the
prime factor, and to it, to it alone,
We owe our thanks for the progress
We have made. It began with the sin
J gle point of selfishness in the heart of
the savage. due TO the innate feeling
/ of selfpreservation, when each savage
| loved oneself; then came the first
small circle drawn around that pri-
mary point of self, embracing ones
ond circle embracing the first, called
the tribe; and a third one. called the
nation, a fourth one. called all man
kind and now comes the humane soci-
ETY. with the all embracing circle of all
the living beings under God s heaven.
This is, in short the meaning and mis-
sion of humane society.
l will not discuss the reasons why
we need a humane society living, as
we do, in such an enlightened age as
the beginning of the twentieth century.
For such a discussion may carry me
cut of my theme. Suffice it to say,
that as the fact of having churches,
schools, universities and other soci-
cites is sufficient warrant of their
need so also will this argument equal
~ hold good in the matter of the hui
name society The fact that there is
in existence, today, 647 such societies
in the United States. involving a pop
ulation (estimated) of 44.954,271, is
sufficient proof of the need of them.
And what do you teach?" / am ask
ed. To this / answer, We teach that
an animal, especially a dOmesticated
animal, warm bloOded animal,
which We use for our comfort and gain,
is, morally and legally, entitled, nay,
has the right to demand of us the fol
lowing considerations: The horse, in
return for his services, may demand
TO be properly fed, to have good and
clean food and some variety of it.
To be watered in time, to have a good,
soft bed at night and a warm and com
Portable shelter. To be kept clean and
in good health and exercised when
not working. When in harness and
at work the bit, the saddle, the col
lar, the binders. the check-rain and
the rest of his working clothes shall
be of the proper material and right
size. He has a perfect right to de-
mand that his shoes be kept in good
repair, always, especially, in snowy
and sleety weather, unn ecessarily
beaten, tormented, or killed and the
other thousand and one things which
We deny him. He has a perfect right
to complain land because he cannot
do it himself, the humane society does
it for him), on Johnny, for over-driving
him last Saturday night, for no other
reason then that it was Johnny's paw
day and he was out with the boys to
have a good time. He has a perfect
right to complain land this too is
done by the humane society, for the
same reason as stated aboveD on Pete,
for overloaded wagon, for no other rea-
son then that Pete INDUCED a little
yesterday and is having big head to-
day. The dog and the cat, the COW
and the OK, the rabbit and the lamb
and all of the long list of Gods dumb
children find in the humane society a |
protector, an advocate.
I cannot pass over the case of the |
dog without saying word in his be- /
half: HE is only a dog" is a phrase
you hear very often. But. to my mind, |
there is not another animal, domesti- /
Gated or wild who can equal him in |
and devotion I doubt /
very much if we, men, possess any /
virtues which he lacks. The meanest /
cur in the alley carries a heart in his |
breast, which If given the proper |
chance, would be worth a gold mine to
any human 10 claim il as his own. |
Many are the stories related about the
love, devotion, self-sacrifice and he
roic acts performed by this unfortu-
nate being towards his sole master,
man You all heard about them, and /
shall not burden you with recounting
them. Show me a dog that will not,
under all circumstances, give up his
life. asked or Unasked, for his master,
Or for his masters child or property?
There is no element in nature to in
luce the dog to turn traitor to you.
Your kindness, when bestowed upon
The dog will bear fruit now and in
years after, which is not the case. I
am sorry TO state. with some of us.
And this true friend is only a dog"
And what can there be said about
our faithful and honest slave, the
horse? Surely not very much against
him Who viii deny the use we are
getting out of him; the service he is
rendering US and the pleasure he at
lords us. and after all this he is the