MEANS OF PREVENTING CRUELTY 257 



possession of the young while the mind is pliant 

 and flexible and these become habits and are 

 moulded into character, either virtuous or vicious. 

 It is the natural tendency of many children to be 

 cruel and to do all sorts of mischief ; consequently if 

 the business of an early education was more thor- 

 oughly understood and proper restraints used to 

 prevent cruelty, there would be fewer criminals to 

 contend with. 



J. W. Cottrell, general superintendent of the 

 Detective Association of America, made the follow- 

 ing statement : " With twenty-iive years' experi- 

 ence as an officer, I know of but few criminals 

 who were taught to love animals, and searching 

 for the cause of crime, I find that the lack of hu- 

 mane education is the principal one." 



George T. Angell, President of the American 

 Humane Education Society, says : " Standing be- 

 fore you as the advocate of the lower races, I de- 

 clare what I believe cannot be gainsaid, — that just 

 so soon and so far as we pour into all our schools 

 the songs, the poems and literature of mercy to- 

 wards these lower creatures, just so soon and so 

 far shall we reach the roots, not only of cruelty 

 but of crime. A thousand cases of cruelty can be 



