Page:The Vegetarian, a monthly magazine published to advocate wholesome living (IA vegetarianmonthl00unse).pdf/12

2. Of course, we are not forgetful of the furbearing animals, but we scarcely think that any one in this connection would advocate tearing off the bleeding skins of living creatures to decorate or warm their own bodies. All readers of this paper are at least removed that far from the savage state of existence. The lower orders of mankind, savage races, and the savages which are to be found in great cities delight in bloodshed, but the constant efforts of all enlightened men have always been to restrict killing; to punish cruelty, then why not take a stand at the top at once, abolish capital punishment and leave off paying weaker intellects to kill things to enable you to satisfy the unnatural lust for feeding on flesh? How many people who eat lamb would cut the poor animal’s throat, tear out its quivering vitals, and then sit down and eat of its flesh?

The Christian believes in a future state of existence for mankind, therefore if you kill a good man you have simply sent him to heaven a little in advance of his time. If you rob a man, he must have been a particularly incompetent or incapacitated individual that would not recover from his loss in a short time, but when you rob an animal of its life you are wilfully taking from it all it has and all it ever can have to give yourself a few minutes’ satisfaction. You know that flesh is not necessary to support life, for you know, or can know, hundreds of strong and vigorous men, women and children who never pollute their bodies by eating the flesh of animals, could a man that would kill an animal kill a human being? Let us see. He would not kill any one who offended or defrauded him in a civilized country because he is afraid of the law, but we hear of many boasting of shooting at burglars because they would not be likely to be punished for it. Again we notice that it takes