Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1860-07-14
roo municated

THE Doc LAWN. Editor IL no.
tice in your issue Of last week short afti-
Gle on the subject of the Dog law, which
seems to favor it. | oppose the law as be-
ing unjust, unconstitutional, tyranical and
oppressive, and uncalled for by the people
at this time. We learn from history both
sacred and profane, that the dog has been
cherished in all ages Of the world, and in
all countries, and held as a useful animal,
and we know that in many instances they
have been faithful life-guards to their own
ers and to families; aud it is a new idea to
me that dogs me nor considered property
or that we have no protection for them in
law Why, that would be putting them
down as low as Chief Justics fancy puts
the niqgerst had thought that every
animal from the canary bird in its cage to
the elephant in his stall, when IN our right
full possession, was our property and under
the protection of the law, that il is our
privilege to place such value on them as
we think proper, and that we are response
bic to all other persons, for injuries done
to their persons or property, 10y those ami
mails, when running at large on highways
or commons, not belonging to ourselves
and hold that it is our inalienable right to
own and hold in our possession in common
with other animals and property, dogs, be-
| inr responsible to all other persons for in
iuries done to their persons or property
BY them, and that too, without drumming
ii the door of some city officer to pur-
chase a license at high rate for the priv
ilege Of doing so. 1t anything is to pay
for them let it be tax in proportion to
their value the same as other animals or
prcperty. What, let me ask, has given rise
to the enactment of such an arbitrary and
oppressive law 4! This question is easily an
swepd. Some of our farmers have sheep,
and they appear to think that sheep require
but little care; they let them run at large
or in open fields; wolves are very plenty,
and it is well known, or at least generally
believed that they are fond ofmutton, they
find the farmers sheep without cover or
protection in the commons or open fields,
in the night time, and two 81 three OF those
animals together will make a slaughter IN
flock of sheep, and after feasting them
selves sufficiently, they make good their re-
treat before day; the sagacious dogs of the
neighboihood smell the fresh blood and by
their scent are attracted to the place Of
slaughter, and while endeayoring to make
scanty meal out Of the fragments left by
the wolves, the frlner after finishing his
slumbert, comes forth and finds his sheep
slaughtered and the dogs picking The bones,
and without Judge OF Jury condemns them
@ death. Or ii the dog should fail to find
the fragments The FIRST night, the second
night, trap is set by the farmer, and the
wo.ves having made full meal do not re-
turn for several nights, when some sagac-
ions bat unfortunate dog. is attracted to the
place. sets his foot in the trap, ana The far
ner condemns him to eternal damnation,
and dispatches HIM at once.
Now this is what gave rise to this ini-l
quitous dog law although, the law itself
came from the east from the regions that
gave birth to the Blue Laws Of Connecti-
cut. The law Is unconstitutional becssss =