The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1864-12-17
About Dogs and Sheep.

The awards for sheep killed by dogs, which
is published in our advertising columns, con
tains food for reflection. The total amount
is 1864, which is just so much thrown away
The men whose sheep were killed, have,
perhaps, lost nothing pecuniarily; but Cecil
county is, nevertheless, 1864 poorer by the
transaction. Although that sum was col
lected as ''dog tax" the citizens of the
county are out of pocket that amount, and
no person is benefited. The expenditure
of 1904 for sheep killed by dogs, is of no
earthly advantage to single man, woman,
money taken from the common fund, and
thrown away.
And here the question arises. whether or
no there exists anywhere the moral and e-
gal right to impose tax for the purpose of
paying for sheep killed by dogs. To say the
least of it, the right is a questionable one ;
and carried to its fullest extent, leads to the
doctrine that the members of community
have right to keep either pet dog or a
pet devil, to ravage upon the property of
their neghbors, provided they will pay
small tax for the privilege of so doing. We
have no quarrel with the tax on dogs. We
think it proper and righteous tax. Our
objection is to the manner in which the dog
tax is expended. No man should be taxed
to pay for that which does not, in some way
benefit or advance society; and we can not
see wherein allowing dogs to kill sheep is
any especial advantage to society. If melf
must keep dogs they should be taxed for
them. And if they keep sheep killing dogs,
they should be compelled to pay for the
sheep killed by their dogs. There is no JUS
tice in a law that compels A, B and C to pay
for the sheep killed by the dogs of D, E and
f. is simply taking from Peter to pay
Paul, and is making all men pay for the
misdeeds of one mans dogs. Moreover, it
is inflicting an injury upon the community
for we contend that the 1904 appropriated
to the payment of sheep in Cecil county
should have been so expended that the
county would have derived some permanent
advantage from it.
our COUNTY is oNcrTun WITH WOrth!eSS ours,
and there is no tax paid on, at least, one
half of them; because the collectors are
too lazy or too careless to find and assess
them. And they are increasing in number
every year, because the men who loose sheep
are paid for them out of the dog tax, and
take no especial interest in killing the dogs.
If the money expended every year in paying
for the mutton destroyed by dogs, was APP
propriated 10 the encouragement of sheep
culture, we would have more, as well as
finer and better sheep and lambs in the
county. But until people begin to see that
one good sheep is Of more value to "a COM
munity than hundred worthless dogs, we
need look for but little improvement. As
soon as they realize that fact there will be
such Il change in our laws as to compel the
owners of dogs to pay for. the sheep killed
by them. In the meantime, we earnestly
advise every man who values his flock of
sheep, and wishes them properly protected,
to administer dose of strychnne or buck
shot to every dog he catches upon his prem
lses. Whoever kills useless dog is some
thing of Il public benefactor.