The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1913-04-03
Kindness to Dumb Beasts.

Ernest Labors and Eloquent Appeals tt
Quicken Humane Sentiment in This
State-The Checkrein Cruelty and Tor
ture of Trapped Animals.
Ed. H. Packard, general field agent
for the American Humane Education
Society, who has been photographing
trapped wild animals in the north Maine
woods during the last two months in the
interests of his society, was In Bangor
recently and commenting upon humane
conditions in the State Of Maine, as they
have impressed him, Mr.. Packard said to
a reporter of the Daily News:
Primarily the business that has
brought me into Maine is the photo
graphing of trapped animals, the purpose
of tine Humane Society being to miti-
gate, if possible, the suffering caused by
cruel steel traps.
Sin my quest for pictures | have run
the whole gamut of woods life, camps,
taverns, country villages. and so on,
so that have pretty good line on con-
dltlons from humane standpoint.
''There is a strong humane sentiment
in the State of Maine, but it needs more
vigorous expression. You need more
humane societies. Every town and ham,
let should have one. Citizens should
take action as an organization to rebG
and punish men who abuse animals or
outrage communities with their tyranical
practices. Often few brutal DULLES
viii! dominate camp, tavern, or even an
entire village, because people as individ-
uals dislike the act.
Il urge the formation of local humare
societies everywhere to prevent cal
ioused human brutes from having their
own way, and l tell you there are many
of these brutal DULLES throughout the
north woods country
Il trust that someone will finance the
American Humane Education Society to
send a special representative into the
State OF Maine for the purpose Of or
ganizing bands of mercy in the schools
and churches, and to give pictorial hu-
name educational lectures throughout
the State. 1t is work that will benefit
every community.
Il believe in progressive evangelism
among the people in their own environ
ment," said Mr.. Packard. "Reach them
in their public squares, on their street
corners, in their camps, taverns, halls,
churches, schools anywhere that you
can get a hearing.
s.''rhis is the way that the American
Education Humane Society operates !;
also through the newspapers the society
is getting its humane methods to millions
of the people. The papers have respond
ed nobly to this work. Aggressive evan
gelism in the open is the need Of the
times, and | class tie newspapers and
motion pictures films as the greatest
educational and moral forces afoot, be-
cause they reach mutitudes of people
every day with fresh message.
'lt is an age in which you have got to
meet the masses upon their own level. Use
the spoken voice when you can, and
resort to the popular pictorial publicity
and the newspapers when you have to.
That is the way to get wide results in
uplift work and make an impression on
multitudes of people.
ga vast amount of good would result
if the humane society were financed to
campaign Maine a solid year through the
newspapers, motion picture houses, in
sporting and logging camps, schools,
hotels, churches and SO on. 1t would
result in great moral reinforcement for
your State.
l have talked before hundreds of men
in the logging camps and have been well
received. | have even formed bands of
mercy among the lumber jacks. What
do you think of that? Great husky fell
lows taking the cnid's humane pledge.
| promise to be kind to every living
creature and to protect it from cruel
usage; and these men have taken that
pledge in good faith.
"A fine substrata of humaneness ext sts
throughout the State. The thing TO do
is to crystalize it into organized soci-
cites. Therefore, | say-launch out
with your propaganda; and through
every legitimate avenue Of publicity get
your uplift message before the peo-
pie. Be sure that when you do they will
respond to your appeal to support the
work
Humane literature should be circu-
lated among the people. Bound copies
of the American Humane Society's off
cal organ, Our Dumb Animals the
oldest humane journal in the country,
ought to be placed in every library,
school, church, hotel, logging camp and
sporting camp In the State of Maine. |
hope that someone will come toward
and finance, and also provide for its
monthly distribution among the schools.
Ihls paper is missionary and not q
money making publication. For nearly
so y ars it has been issued at an annual
deficit by the humane society l find
hotel and camp proprietors, and profess
slonal men everywhere in the State, CO.
operative with the humane movement;
and SO are the majority of the people.
Il believe in striking positive note
for humaneness, said Agent Packard.
ut is an open field. Multitudes can be
induced to enlist under the humane
standard. 1t is the business of the Am
erican Humane Education Society to
convince men that kindness, sympathy
and mercy ru'es the world, and not the
gospel of brute force.
'The highest interests of your State
will be conserved if humane education is
made compulsory in the public schools,
urge it. The children of today are the
lawmakers of tomorrow, and the gentl-
est men are the greatest. History proves
it. Put Lincoln alongside Of Napoleon
and compare them. The universe is
ruled by love. The notion that might
makes right. and that the fittest survive
is the code OF the woods. Your child
will be more manly, growing up loyal to
the band of mercy pledge than in follow
ing animals with a gun. In the latter
case the drift OF his mind is not humane.
He is planning cruelty; is obliged to con-
sort with caiioused men to achieve his
h,,