Justice in Death 91 



it acts through the same natural method. Animals which are 

 bred and cared for because of their usefulness to man, cattle, 

 horses, dogs, and such like, show the same action of nature 

 under the high guidance of reason. In these cases human 

 intelligence wards off a large part of nature's hostility, sup- 

 plying food and shelter and protection from enemies, yet in 

 return demanding just as nature does, the maintenance of 

 certain desired hereditary qualities of the stock unimpaired 

 and the improvement of those undesired. And to this end 

 death is the recognized agent. Those having the character 

 preferred are fostered, some good enough are permitted to 

 survive with them, and these alone continue the race, the 

 others are exterminated or allowed to exist for what little 

 time and value they can present in inferior capacity. Nor 

 can this death be called punishment or penalty. Those lives 

 were called into being and permitted because of a certain 

 need for a surplus number from which to select, for use in 

 that way, in proportion to their usefulness. And even the 

 cattle and sheep produced for food, with still smaller pros- 

 pect of living complete lives — because in their vast num- 

 bers only a few are so chosen — even these creatures enjoy a 

 span of life which would not have been at all, except for that 

 destiny which ends it. They were not of their own making, 

 with a right to a life of old age, nor were even of their clan's 

 making, with a right to nature's allotment of a span of life. 

 What number of sheep would enjoy life in this land, if men 

 ceased to eat mutton, or to clothe themselves with wool? 

 They would have had no existence at all but for man and his 

 need of them. To man they were indebted for the oppor- 

 tunity to live a short life. And between a short life or none 



