The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1915-12-08

THANKSGIVING DIxNEn
WITH vEGETARIAxs AND
THE PRINCIPLE BACK o.
1T.


things, but II has meant above al,
perfect. an irrisistibly juicy turkey
fattened for the occasion II | was
not actually thinking of this turkey,
was at least taking 1T for granted
when ! entered the home of friend
Thursday, November rs. No soon
er had I entered, however. than
was told that we we're not to feast
at home but with friend who was
an enthusiastic adherent of the veg
etarian cause. had often thought
that a vegetarian dinner would be
decidedly interesting, but a vegeta-
rian Thanksgiving dinner. Thai
was different, Although my curl
losity was aroused, I must confess
that when we sat down at the table
| secretly wished for the traditional
bird Before had had time to think
much about it tempting cocktail
was put before me. | tried it sus-
ipiciously. 1t was composed of oys-
tiers smothered in sauce. No. it was
made of mushrooms. At any rate It
was delicious, so / ale it all and
wanted more. Later I learned that
ut was of cepes. which are much like
mushrooms in texture. Course after
course followed. each more delight
!ful than the last and all thorough
Z 4. 81 i.
gay turkeys strutting around on pos
ters we ate our turkey substitute,
/ consisting chiefly of crushed nuts
and served in slices. At the end of
1.-THE dinner ] was absolutely convinc-
ed that one could feast happily with
out meat. but why do so | asked my
Iself? Why? In talking to my host
ess and her guests and in thinking
lit over since / have found the an
swer to that why" which has made
ios me an ardent supporter of vegeta
rianism Four strong, convincing
reasons | have found to strengthen
! this theory: An ethical, an eco
monte, sanitary and an ascetic one.
None have / found against it which
ibear close scrutiny Though it is
comprehensive subject, ] can at least
try to open the door to it for others,
as ii has been opened for me.
We all agree, who have thought
about it. that much of meat which
/ we get is not obtained from animals
louariered in sanitary way, fed
isanitary food or killed and prepar-
ed according TO the laws of sani-
ltation We may say that we eat
too little to count, yet It has been
iproven that the average individual
consumes during a life time the
equivalent of six cows, fifteen calves,
twenty-five sheep, forty lambs, ten
ipigs. one hundred turkeys, two hun
dred chickens and ducks, one deer.
fifty pigeons, etc. Moreover every
day the physicians are showing US
that many of the diseases from which
I'VE suffer can be traced back to this
teause. II stands to reason that from
pure fruits, vegetables and nuts we
1ean get all the nourishment, all the
iproteids that we now get from meat
land that the result is bound to be d
Istronger constitution. hstter health
in every way, a clearer mind and
the ability to do infinitely more IN
tensive thinking and physical work.
Granting ali this some might still
remain indifferent saying, I'VE have
always eaten meat and we have al
ways been in good health. There
fore vegetarianism is q fad Let
those stop and consider, Thou
shalt not kill" Has this no mean
ing for us other than the restrict-
ed one we have given to it. that
Thou shalt not murder men," II is
true we may not Kill the things we
eat and many OF us shudder at the
thought of doing SO but someone
must do the killing so we force 9TH
ers to do it for us. Perhaps il is
not known that in many places oyer
seventy per cent OF the murders COM
mitted are done by butchers or their
|children. We do not need psyehol-
.ogists to point out the obvious sig
|nificanee of this fact TO us, though
we may need 10 be reminded OF our
own responsibility on the matter
On the other hand there is the thing
that is killed 20 consider the ami
mails tortured in traps and the thou
sand cruel methods of putting to-
death some creature that was born
10 live aud enjoy lie. No matter
how this Is done IL is murder Have
we the right TO sanction this aud is
h, necessary IN the face Of ali
facts there is only one answer, that
is "no."
Tolsto, marYels "a 50 many good