New-York tribune., 1871-12-26
TILE PHILADELPHIA W.1R

Our Philadelphia friends assuredly have the
gift of persistence. Some years ago we no
ticed that they found an exciting subject of
interest and dispute in their dogs, the doctors
insisting or dissccting them alive and the
ladies equally vehement in their desire to
build costly hospital where all friendless
ours without legitimate means of support
could find shelter. Since then, the Prussian
war, the burning of Chicago, and other such
national matters drove this difficulty from our
minds; but Oh again turning our attention to
our ncighbOrs We find them still engrOssed in
il. the quarrel not having apparently made an
inch of progress. In spite of the fact that
there is no municipal provision for the thou
sands of homeless children in Philadelphia.
that lOathsomc epidemic has been raging i'll
her toni streets and alleys for months. carry
ing with it unwOncd suffering and need OF
aid. the ladies have remained firm in their
purpose of obtaining, first of all, help for their
canine favoritcs in which they sue
ccedcd, at first. under prctense of pro-
curing means for putting them to an
easy death, instead of killing them with
brckbats, as had hitherto been the genial
practice Of tho Quaker police, an object alto
gcther cOmmendable and proper; bnt after
ward the Home for Dogs was built, and still
remains the pet charity of these noble women
Directors, who duly hold meetings and publish
reports, while cranky philanthrOpists have ell
dOwcd it with legacies ia in POpcs day they
would have done a college or a cut. No
sooner had the dogs found shelter within this
fortress, however, than the men Of science
arose in body and demanded them out
again, alive or dead. The combat deepens.
1t bids fair to equal the siege of Troy in dura-
ton and ferocity; indeed, it already bears
curious resemblance to that memorable strug-
gle, the dogs having been stolen like unto the
fair Helen, their defenders guarding them
and invoking vengeance by turns as SO many
IIcctOrs and Cassandras; while among the
attacking doctors, lancets in hand, doubtless
we could find enough Achilles and NestOrs to
make our similc good.
The siege, n9 d0gbt, will appear to outside
observers q puerile matter, but such would not
be their opinion were they near enough to
hear the din of conflict or the cries Of the
cOmbatants The physicians who claim to have
some discoveries i'll nerve diseases (On which
human safety and life may depend), waiting
for animals on which to experiment, cry out
for dogs as erst did Richard in his dire e1-
tlemity for saddle horse; from the women
we learn, however, that the animals blood,
when shed in vivisectOn, not only kills dogs,
but "quenches all heaven-bOrn qualities in
doctors y and as if that were not gloomy
enough prospect, that Balaam's ass has taken
recent part in the dispute, and that the cries
of pigeons and kittens, robbed of their brains
in stable-lofts, "nOt only have been heard by
"the Lord Of SabaOth, but have brought the
"pOlicc down on the vivisectOrs."
The matter, we confess, lies out of our ken,
and becomes too mighty for u.s. We con-
gratulate Philadelphia on her possession of
this wholly domestic feud, which she can use,
if need be. as an irritating plaster, to- rouse
her from her sometimes too peaceful condition.
"Ther 3 nothin'," says the IO'Shaughnessy,
Like shindy wild the shillalahs, to keep the
"ten,per sweetn