The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-12-11
HASN'T OCCURRED TO HIM

HASN'T OCCURRED TO HIM
The Audubon Society may make mis-
takes, but it's principles are good and
in the main well worth carrying out.
The time IS coming, and We hope II
is not far of. when indiscriminate
slaughter not only of birds, but all
useful and harmless animals and even
reptiles and insects, will be checked. 1t
Is not only cruelty but bad policy 10
kill just for the sake of killing. Men
should no more shoot birds and ami
mails and haul fish out of water simply
for the sake of sport than they should
kill songbirds or domestic animals
Every thing has its place in the plan
OF the universe. and it is impossible to
destroy anything useful without in
Melting harm on what Is left.
Scientific men say that existence on
this planet Is nothing else than unani-
nous murder-that everything lives
OF the life of something else; that
even in eating vegetables life Is de-
stroyed that may have sense, though
IL hasn't locomotion nor utterance.
A little reflection will show that their
judgment in this respect is mostly
true.
But of all the forms Of life. man,
the highest, is the lowest in the ratio
of rendering justice to the other forms.
Civilized man has to certain extent
learned to be just to his fellow men,
principally because he has to be, but
he Is not yet impressed to any great
extent with his duty to the other in
habitants of the sphere, which he con-
trolls only by the right of might. In
this respect. man is worse than the
beast, and the civilized man is worse
than the savage. The man eating
tiger is a dreadful animal, but he
doesn't stalk thru the Hindoo village,
striking men down for the pleasure of
seeing them crumple beneath his pow
erful paws. The rattlesnake is an alb
horrent reptile. but he doesn't wait by
the roadside all day, driving his fangs
into the passersby because he likes
to see them drop, swelled and dis
colored, few yards further on. The
savage kills fish and game to supply
his needs, sometimes a few to prove
his skill, but he seldom kills all day
just for the fun of. it.
What might be the righteous opin-
ion Of the tiger who kills for food, of
the serpent that strikes in defense, of
the man who kills for fun? Wouldn't
the birds have the right. If they had
the power, to beat the hunter down
with their beaks and wings, and
wouldn't it be fair for the fish to up
set the boats IL they could and drag
the fishermen to the bottom of the
river or the sea?
II the Almighty really notes the
sparrow's fall, as the scriptures say
he does, what a tremendous indict-
ment there will be in the day of judg-
ment for the men who shoot birds for
the pleasure Of seeing them fall
to the pull of the trigger. If blessed
are the merciful, for they shall obtain
mercy" what Is to be obtained by the
men who play fish," that is, plant
agonizing barbs in their gills and tor
ture them for minutes on minutes with
pain that would drive a human being
crazy. finally to draw them from their
native element and make them pass
more minutes, sometimes hours, of a
death far worse than drowning?
Man has physicians, nurses and hos
pitfalls for his sick and MANNED, even
for his enemy's wounded, but for the
shot-torn animal or bird that escapes
the hunter there is nothing but the
slow. unaided, unassuaged agony of
dying, or the longer misery of recov-
cry into SCARED or crippled life.
1t can only be said of man in his
defense that he has not yet thought OF
these things and yet 1t is strange, in
view OF his kindness to his domestic
or petted animals and birds, that IL
has not occurred to him that he owes
Justice to every living thing of al
fiesh." and perhaps to every herb that
grows upon the face of the earth.
mi lass
thinking, woman for fashion, as mar
for sport, adds to the miseries of the
brute creation. That she may veal
feathers and furs she mistakenly
thinks add to her good looks, or dis
guise her lack OF them, the arctic
SHOWS are dyed with the blood of the
seal, the fox and the sable, and the
tropic sands are turned into grave
yards for the plume birds and thei1
young. Strange that women who will
f1ercely resent a kick or blow to a dog
cat or horse, will persist in style:
that cause wild animals to suffer ex
quisite pain in the steel jaws of trap!
thru long winter nights, and helples!
birdlings to starve to death under thu
equatorial sun.
IF mans inhumanity to man, make!
countless millions mourn" what sor
OF a wall of distress from counties!
billions of birds and beasts shall come
out of the past to make the souls O.
the human race shiver with remors,
and apprehension when they line up OF
Judgment day?
Lest you should consider all the
foregoing idle sentiment, read the ar
ticle headed Friends of the Farmer,
on the first page, and you will see tina
the practical side of the question is o.
immense Importance to everyone.