LAVf FOR THE FARMER. 303 



the tender-hearted shed, the great sympathy that was aroused by 

 ministers of the Gospel, sometimes called "political preachers," — 

 it was tliese which finally blotted out slavery in this country. But 

 here is another question, that of cruelty to animals. Other States, 

 even New York, the g-re«,t emporium of western commerce, the 

 great commercial light of the occidental world, yet being the wick- 

 edest place on God's earth, has been subjected to a law somewhat 

 similar in its character to the law which has been enacted in this 

 State to prevent cruelty to animals. I wish I had the power to 

 make you feel just as I feel in relation to all species of cruelty. 

 There is difficulty in enforcing these laws, because when you see 

 an act of cruelty committed, others may think it is not cruelty, and 

 they like the excitement. -I wish the people of the State of Maine 

 were all educated up to this act. It is so like the New Testament 

 I must read it to you. In Bangor they have a Society for the Pre- 

 vention of Cruelty to Animals, and there thi^lawis enforced ; and 

 so in other large places in this State, men and women are giving 

 their attention to this subject. I cannot make you feel as I feel, 

 but I am happy to read to you the embodiment of the wisdom of 

 our Legislature. If that Legislature never did another act that 

 was worth copying, if it did a great many foolish things, (as I 

 know it did some) that act alone, I think, is worth more than the 

 loftiest monument of marble that could be erected to their memory. 

 Here it is : 



" Sect. 1. Whoever shall overdrive, overload, overwork, torture, 

 torment, deprive of necessary sustenance, cruelly beat, mutilate 

 or kill, or cause or procure to be so overdriven, overloaded, over- 

 worked, tortured, tormented, deprived of sustenance, cruelly 

 beaten, mutilated or killed, any horse, ox, or other animal, and 

 whoever having the charge or custody of any such animal, either 

 as owner or otherwise, shall unnecessarily fail to provide such 

 animal with proper food, drink, and shelter or protection from the 

 weather, shall for every such offence be punished by imprisonment 

 in the jail not exceeding one year, or by fine not exceeding two 

 hundred dollars, or by both such fine and imprisonment. 



" Sect. 2. Every owner of or person having the charge or cus- 

 tody of any horse, ox, or other animal, who shall knowingly and 

 wilfully authorize, or permit the same to be subjected to or suffer 

 unnecessary torture or cruelty, shall be punished for every such 

 ofience in the manner provided in section one. 



