The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-02-12
THE DOG LAW AGAIN.

While we call upon the people to bear
in mind the continuing outrage upon their
rights, by the legislative suflerance of two
hundred thousand or more worthless ours
to run at large and prey with impunity
upon the sheep-folds of the State, let us
remind, with equal solicitude, the members
of the Legislature, now in session, that the
people-the great body Of those scattered
over the farming districts of Virginia, and
constituting very large majority of her
voting population-will hold them response
BILE for the neglect Of remedy in their
behalf, should they adjourn without pass
ing a stringent and effective Dog law.
We repeat it--and, if need be, will
repeat again and again-that there
is no one subject before that body in
which the farmers of Virginia take a deeper
or more vital interest than in having a
judiciously-framed and well-guarded law
for the protection of their sheep. AS the
law is now, sheep-raising is practically for
hidden to our people, and one Of their
ehiei sources of wealth, if not their chiefest,
entirely cut off. No shilly-shally, trihing,
or halfway law will answer their purpose.
1t must be one designed by the Legislature
to give the protection needed. There must
be per capita dog tax of not less than one
dollar, and it must be collected out of the
owner Of the dog, or taken out of the ras-
cally ours hide.
We are no enemy to dogs. We recog-
nize in them--the pure bloods and not the
mopgrels-some of the highest and noblest
traits Of character belonging to the brute
creation. But dogs, like men, must be under
law; be held amenable for their offenses.
They must have some honest avocation-
be properly provided for by themselves or
their masters; be well-fed, well-kept, we'll
kenneled, and especially well-kitcd if they
don't mind their legitimate business as
dogs. All itinerant, worthless, loafing
ours should have their hides strung on the
fence, for the moral effect it will have on
the rising generation of dogs. A dog that
Can't honestly look sheep in the face,
should die for sheep have just as good and
legitimate right to live as dogs, and the
canine rascal that refuses to recognize this
much of political axiom for the sheepfold,
should have his neck in a hempen string be-
fore night. All this is true
on general principles. 1t is Meth
o n hinn1- thirpfr Droo1,,,,>
spirit or letter, and we insist upon it that
the law we proposed few days ago is
none too stringent q one for the times.-
For the times are sadly out of joint in the
canine world. 1t can be seen even in the
streets of Richmond. There is not one
honest looking dog in ten you meet. They
are thieving, marauding, night-howling
set of fellows. We doubt if there is one in
a hundred of them who would not, if he
had the ghost of chance, steal meat
And those in the country-the rustic fell
lows that ought to be unsophisticated in
rascality-look still worse. They all have
hang-dog look about them that shows what
they are, and what they would be up to, ii
they had chance. The moral atmosphere
in dogdem wants purifying. The people
demand it at the hands of this Legislature.
Away, then, with all pretenses, subter-
flu ,es, devices for evsding the enactment OF
the right kind ola dog law. Comply W tn
the demands Of the people. If you do not
accord what they ask, you may rest as
sured that you wiU not be asked the second
time. The old rule that the 'third time is
an out" is only played by boys, and men
who have triiing interests at stake. With
those who are resolute and in earnest the
"tirst time is an out" always-and pretty
effectual Sqaelcting out, too, in politics,
where the mark is not toed, according to
the strict requirements of the people. Toe
the mark, then, gentlemen! and dogmatize
as no more dogmatisms on dog-laws that
do not go to the root of effectually exter
Ininating the dog-sYil.