The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-10-24
such horrible fortunes, contrary to all law and de-

such horrible fortunes, contrary to all law and de-
cency, they would cry out to high heaven in protest. -
Many readers are likely to regard this an extreme
statement, thought the facts about police lawlessness
are much worse than the brief description of them
given in the nation, and the eminent lawyers Just
mentioned are acquainted fully with facts in the
premises.
Yet, almost simultaneously with the publication of
this statement in the nation, there have appeared
news items which strongly confirm the implied charge
that we are more touched by the treatment of animals
than of men.
The annual convention of the Societies for the Pre-
Vention OF Cruelty to Animals was meeting in New
York. A lively session was devoted to devising more
humane and painless methods of killing stray animals
and much attention was give to papers defending the
relative merits of shooting, electrocution, asphyxia-
ton and the like.
On the same day Mayor Eugene Lehman of larry
town, a town in the very shadow Of the death house
and electric chair at Sing Sing, telegraphed to the
mayor of socorro, N. M, protesting against a sched-
uled bull fight and urged greater consideration for
bulls and horses:
1t is my hope that many leaders of thought
throughout the nation will enter a vigorous protest
against any American community that may bring upon
itself such a spectacle Of commercialized shame.
W@N ~ Sdi6OIC1Og VIC L OG=
coming only too familiar with the shedding of blood"
No person of sense and decency is likely to deplore
sentiments of humanity concerning dumb animals.
But he may sardonically observe the general absence
of any comparable adherence of ~barbarous methods
of killing humans.
Compared to the millions Of men who were killed
In the most painful ways in the World war, the num-
Der OF stray cats and dogs killed is unimportant and
the methods used highly humane. Yet there is no
adequate worldwide protest against war and arming
to kill in far more horrible ways than were emploved
in 1914-I8.
There is no effective rebuke administered to the
lew conspicuous nations that are baking anv honest
movements towards world peace and international
reconciliation.
There is no concerted effort in the American Prison
Society to abolish cruel methods of capital punish
ment still used in the United States. It long was be-
leved that electrocution was painless, but the cleo
trlcal wizard, Nicola Tesla, whose inventions made
electrocution possible, recently has referred to the
electric chair as tie b~arbarouS machine which in
nlctS the most excruciating torture known to man"
Asphyxiation by use of lethal gas in certainly q
painless method of eXterminating criminals. but only
Two states out of forty-eight allow it. If we were as
solcltous about men as We are about NANCY cats
every state would replace the scaf1old and electric
chair at once by the lethal gas chamber.
The one bright spot on the horizon is the ADOPTION
Of resolutions by the American Bar Association in its
annual meeting which, if applied, would curb seriously
the Savagery OF the prevailing third degree methods.