Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-30
Spring Thoughts on
Mercy to Animals
70 the EDITOR Of The star:


Spring is here; cherry blossom and
Easter times have come and gone. We
are looking forward to Mothers day in
May and Children'S day In June. Mean
while last week we paused to observe
Be Kind to Animals anniversary and
Humane Sunday, week in which to
turn our thoughts to the realization Of
all that the lower creation means to
us. In what state would mans civiliza-
through the years of the so-called
| beasts" Of burden who have helped
| build his cities and pillow the hard land
which has produced his very food and
clothing; the guardianship and friend
ship of the faithful dog; the check upon
| insect invasions by the feathered song
sters, and the aid Of the friends among
| the insects, the busy bees, who fertiliZe
SO many of our food plants; besides the
| companionship and love of many crea-
| lures we call just pets, and the help our
souls derive from sympathetic observ-
ance of the lives OF wild things OF forest
| and field?
Although personally do not consider
| the clothing and food products OF the
farmyard creatures essential to mans
progress, yet he has appropriated them
! for himself, and these speeches. ones
have humbly yielded up their very
bodies to those who still insist upon
| eating their flesh. I have not for 20
years. and never expect to again Tor
| both humane and health reasons, and
others are feeling the same about the
matter.
we are thinking more of our animal
friends and helpers than in 1866, when
Henry Bergh, amid tauntS and sarcasm.
formed the first society in this country
| for the prevention of cruelty to animals.
| the American S. p. G. A., New York,
| N. Y, For those who boast Of hating
animals and loving their fellow men:
may their narrow minds be reminded
! that the aforementioned brave man
who formed the first animal protection
society also few years later founded
the first child protection one, inspired ,
| by the case of an abused little girl
brought to his animal society for pro-
! lection. The hearts of real humane
| people are big enough for both children
and animals; they follow the example OF
the worlds Savior and of Abraham Lin
| coin.
During the last few months, the
Humane Bulletin, q guide for teachers,
i has been provided the public schools up
| donor; the graded school children have
been addressed on kindness, and just be-
| fore the Easter vacation thousands OF
both graded and high-School pupils
were told of the kindness work. Street
cars bore signs proclaiming it. and on
| Sunday in many church schools and
young peoples societies remarks were
made concerning Humane Sunday and
the week.
Yes, we are becoming, in some re-
spects, kinder every year, yet the goal
| is still very far away. Before it can be
reached such gross cruelties as child
! labor and the animal torture of the
steel trap, vivisection, hunting, ctrcuses
bullfghts, rodeos, many Zoos, and the
bloody shambles must go. The natural
spark of kindness in childish and youth
| full hearts must be famed into flame
by humane education, until finally the
| long prophesied millennium will dawn
and a little child, through the power
| of love, shall lead in peace all the crea-
| lures, no more fearful Of their enemy
man, nor Of each other, for the earth
| shall be filled with the knowledge OF the
| lord, as the waters cover the sea-"
| VIRGINIA w. SARGENT.