Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-12-17
CATS AND DOGS
AND OTHER FOLKS
Love of Animals a Subject of Many
Divergencies of Opinion-Tales
and Testimonies From
Various Sources

SOMEBODY said in his haste, THE more
~ see of men the better like dogs" and
this expression of bad taste, forever after
ward, has had prominent place among the
favorite quotations of the msanthropes and
grouches. And yet, when we come to think
of 1t, possibly this saying like many another
has been warped and twisted and finally tra-
dtionalized out of its original intent and
meaning The idea may have been simply
that the qualities of men as exemplifed in
dog life should lead to a better appreciation
of and n kinder kinder regard for both
races. For, philosophically speaking, at
titude toward canine character Is undeniably
anthropomorphiC. The virtues of the human
race are reflected in dogs, and vice versa
Also other qualities and characteristics
There's n dog story from Cleveland that IL
lustrates this point very well. A Cleveland
woman was walking down the street the
other day, wearing a pair Of the new fur
top shoes. dog saw the fur, thought he
recognized in it his old-time enemy, the
neighbors cat and made an energetic at
tack, the general result being rumpus
Now, if that isn't human trait, what is?
The dog, as you can see from the Cleveland
story, is the modern scapegoat. This line of
reasoning" has brought us back to the quo
taton from which we set out It is better
to be a scapegoat than a slanderer.
Lack of Understanding
The English essayist, Arthur Christopher
Benson, who has Just published, on purpose.
a book with the war left out has few re-
marks to make on our love for animals.
lone may love animals" he admits, and con-
tinues, but that is very strange love- for
the man and the animal cannot understand
each other" This lack of understanding is
a suggestive topic. Humans call one an' her
shallow if they don't understand one ano,ner.
If the man and the animal cannot under
stand each other wrv is it not as reasonable
to suppose that IL. animal considers the
man shallow as to record that the man con-
siders the animal shallow? Mans idea of
his own superiority is entirely and absolutely
of his own egotistlcal manufacture.
Mr. Benson makes some interesting dis
tinctions among animals THE dog may be
a true and faithful comrade and there really
is nothing in the world more wonderful than
the trustful love of a dog for a man. One
may love a horse. I suppose, though the
horse is n foolish creature at best; one may
have sober friendship with cat, though
a cat does little more than tolerate one; and
a bird can he merry little playfeow."
Anthropomorphism again!
Another charming essayst Mr., e. V.
Lucas writes that 'to love cats and dogs
with an equal intensity is practically i'm
possible. There must be n preference for one
or the other, and thus is mankind divided,
3" To tell the blunt truth, the cat has
to be loved more for its faiings than its
virtues. 1t is never heroic, except OCCASION
ally as a mother: it has no sense of respon-
sibillty as a dog has It protects nothing but
itself. Hence, in a way, the cat lover is a
finer type than the dog lover, because he is
getting nothing back. His love is disinter-
ested. The cat will never save his life never
refuse to leave his coffin, never do any of
the picturesque things in the books On the
contrary, it may steal his baby's breath.
No one ever said, The more I see of
men the more like CATS"