HUMANITARIAN LEAGUE'S PUBLICATIONS. PAMPHLET SERIES. TWOPENCE EACH. No. 1.-Humanitarianism: Its General Principles and Progress. By HENRY S. SALT. No. 4-The Horrors of Sport. By LADY FLORENCE DIXIE. No. 5.-Behind the Scenes in Slaughter-Houses. By H. F. LESTER. No. 6. Vivisection. MAITLAND. By EDWARD CARPENTER and EDWARD No. 7.-"I Was in Prison"; A Plea for the Amelioration of the Criminal Law. By ROBERT JOHNSON. No. 8.-Women's Wages, and the Conditions under which they are earned. By ISABELLA O. FORD. No. 9.-Dangerous Trades. By LOUISA T. MALLET. No. 10. The Extermination of Birds. By EDITH CARRINGTON. -The Horse: his Life, his Usage, and his End.. By Colonel W. L. B. COULson. No. II. No. 12.-A Plea for Mercy to Offenders.-By C. H. HOPWOOD, Q.C. No. 13.-The Humanizing of the Poor Law. By J. F. OAKESHOTT. No. 14.-Literæ Humaniores : an Appeal to Teachers. No. 15. Cattle Ships and our Meat Supply. By ISABEL M. GREG and S. H. TOWERS. No. 16.-Public Control of Hospitals. By HARRY ROBERTS. CARRINGTON. By EDITH No. 19.-The Shadow of the Sword. By G. W. FOOTE. No. 20.-So-called Sport. By Rev. J. STRATTON, Colonel W. L. B. COULSON, and Dr. R. H. JUDE. No. 21. -What it Costs to be Vaccinated: The Pains and No. 22.-The Sweating System. By MAUrice Adams. No. 23.-The Humanities of Diet. By HENRY S. SALT. By HYPATIA BRADLAUGH be familiarised to any but natural flavours; and let no exclusive taste be formed." WHAT TEACHERS CAN Do. This appeal is addressed especially to teachers, because until they as a class are brought to feel the need of humane education, there is not the slightest hope of such education being granted. It is a case of Quis docebit doctores? We must convert the guardians first, in order to gain the desired access to the pupils. It may be objected, perhaps, that the humanitarian program set forth in this essay is too drastic to be practical, and that more might be gained from those to whom the appeal is addressed if less were required of them. Well, of course it would be the easier and pleasanter plan to make no severe demands upon anyone's conscience, and, instead of telling disagreeable truths of the causes of juvenile cruelty, to be content with the usual pious platitudes about the "thoughtlessness" of children, ending with a general recommendation to preach and practise "kindness to animals "-under conditions where consistent kindness is impossible. But what would be the profit of once more repeating what has already been so often preached in vain? Let it be freely admitted that the reforms here advocated can at present be only partially carried out; still it is better and more practical to face the problem fairly, even with no immediate result, than to potter benevolently over mere formulas and trivialities, which, however they are treated, must still leave the essential issues untouched. And as a matter of fact, a good deal can be done, even at the present time, by the small minority who feel the truth of what has been said. Individual teachers, by personal example and precept, can appreciably influence for the better the general tone and attitude of their pupils towards the lower animals; and by more and more introducing such subjects into the course of instruction, can help to give a definiteness and reality to the departmental notice above quoted. We have already the Government permission that such teaching may be given; what is needed is the insistence that no education shall be considered sufficient without it. Still easier would it be for the principals and assistant-masters of public and private schools to do something towards a reform, by making the treatment of animals a subject of frequent reference in the pulpit and elsewhere. Hundreds of addresses and exhortations are annually given to schoolboys, by those who have charge of their moral and spiritual welfare; yet it is rare indeed to hear a word spoken in protest against the worst of all human vices-inhumanity. Although, for reasons already stated, the inculcation of gentleness by means of prizes is to be regarded with some suspicion, there is no doubt that the system of essaywriting out of school hours has certain distinct advantages. It sets boys and girls thinking on subjects which perhaps would otherwise be overlooked; and not unfrequently when the competitors are day-scholars and write the essays at home, the whole family becomes interested in the work, and the awakening of one mind to humane ideas causes the awakening of many. Thus the "mercy" writing, like the quality of mercy itself, "is twice blest; It blesseth him that gives and him that takes." That still more excellent results might be obtained from a systematic instruction of children in the duty of humanity to animals, may be judged from the success which has attended the efforts of the few pioneers in this cause, as for example M. de Sailly, a French schoolmaster in Algiers. I quote a portion of his own record of the experiment.1 "I have long been convinced that kindness to animals is productive of great results, and that it is not only the most powerful cause of material prosperity, but also the beginning of moral perfection. I therefore began my work in 1851, and at the same time introduced agriculture into my school; for I saw the close connection between the doctrine of kindness to animals and the important science of agriculture, since there can be no profitable farming unless animals are well kept, well fed, and well treated. And, besides, how can children better learn the pleasures of country life than by understanding the importance of agriculture, the methods in use in their own country and the profit which may be derived from intelligent farming and kind treatment of animals? Do they not become attached to country life? Do they not feel kindly towards all dumb creatures ? Do they not receive ideas of order and domestic economy? Do they not love Mother Earth, who pays us so freely and so generously for our work? And does not this love tend to check the growing evil of emigration from the country to the city. "My method of teaching kindness to animals has the advantage of in no way interfering with the regular routine of my school. Two days in the week all our lessons are conducted with reference to this subject. For instance, in the reading class, I choose a book upon animals, and always find time for useful instruction and good advice. My "copies" for writing are facts in natural history, and impress upon the pupils ideas of justice and kindness towards useful animals. "In written exercises, in spelling and composition, I teach the good care which should be taken of domestic animals, and the kindness which should be shown them. I prove that by not overworking them, and by keeping them in clean and roomy stables, feeding them well, and treating them kindly and gently, a greater profit and larger crops may be obtained 1 From Our Dumb Animals, the organ of the Massachusetts S.P.C.A. than by abusing them. I also speak, in this connection, of certain small animals which, although in a wild state, are very useful to farmers. "The results of my instruction have been, and are, exceedingly satisfactory. My ideas have deeply impressed my pupils, and have exercised the best influence upon their lives and characters. Ever since I introduced the subject into my school I have found the children less disorderly, but, instead, more gentle and affectionate towards each other. They feel more and more kindly towards animals, and have entirely given up the cruel practice of robbing nests and killing small birds. They are touched by the suffering and misery of animals, and the pain which they feel when they see them cruelly used has been the means of exciting other persons to pity and compassion." The central principle which should be steadily kept in view in all humane education is that which the Humanitarian League has made the basis of its Manifesto-that "it is iniquitous to inflict suffering on any sentient being, except when self-defence or absolute necessity can be justly pleaded." It cannot be difficult to teach children to distinguish between necessary suffering and unnecessary; yet in this distinction (so often forgotten by our opponents), and in its practical application to the details of life, lies the whole ethic of humanitarianism. The idea that humanitarians are "sentimentalists" is the very reverse of the truth. We fully recognise that it is often a stern necessity to inflict pain or death. Let us do so, when we are satisfied that the necessity exists, with as few words as possible, and not shrink from any action that is rightly incumbent on us. But to hurt or kill for mere caprice, or fashion, or amusement; to cage animals when they need not be caged; to hunt them when there is no necessity for such hunting; to torture them in the supposed interests of a barren and futile "science"; to treat them, when domesticated, with an insensate rough |