The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-08-07
Ghe1nteIligenesr.


Among tho many recorded cssea Of a.
thgriEsd brutality which have come to
our kngWledge through the medium Of
the newspapers, none, igf utter nseleas-
ness, eIceeda hat d the wholesale EianEh-
ter 81 dogl At Louisville, Ky, by order 6I
the city government Three hundred Of
these animals, brought 10 by boys and
pJlicenen-the laTgeFnumber stolen from
their OW1erl iDr the sake Of the premium
Gisred by the city-mAny d them YAlla.
bic, and probably not tenth part CON.
Ing under the head Oi STRAY" or worth.
less" dOgs, were enclosed IN PEG and
two S,AlWATt butcher boys, armed with
light sledge hammers, Commissioned 20
enter the enclosure and destroy them
This job was executed under the direct
eye Of some Of the representatives u the
local government, who sat AlOil and en-.
lJyed tho struggles Of the poor bTutcs very
much AS We may imagine the old empeT.
ofs Of heather Rome enjoyed the cOmbats
of the glGdlALofs OF the daughter Of
Christians by wild beasts. Not more than
hall the Wretched animals we're Killed
outright, some Of them WTiIhing RDd
moaning l1r hours alIeTwATd, apparently
In intense suffering.
We A6hOr cruelty In all Us shapes;
d01bly, when exercised toward dumb an.
imAlA There Is not the shadow oi an
excuse Tor this outrage upon the right VI
life, against which the victims had no
power 10 proteat As well might the
city board have issued an ordinance au.
IhOriZlng tAe summary seizure and
slaughter In the public streets Of all the
little children 70 be found. Lest they might
grow up TO be murdorerA and criminals.
The case Is q perfectly analogous one,
only At the present stage Of civilization
human hle alone Ia looked upon Us sacred
and human rights only a. worthy Of re.
spect.
The mad dog mania, which TAgts an
nually throughout the country, Is one Of
the most absurd and senseless tGuoTs
with which society has ever been cursed
according 10 the statement Of one Of the
Oldest and best known physicians In the
country, not more than iour Wtll.Ruihen.
tiCALed cases Of hydrOphobia from the
bite Of dogs have been known in the
United States. These, OF course, do not
include the fits and spasms Of nervous
and CredulOus people, who will Insist up.
on having hydfOphoblAi bitten by sur!y
or provoked dogs, though with no more
lawful title 70 1t than II they had been
bitten by sheep. Every few days we
meet in some OF our exchanges stories as
10 some man having died most excruci.
atingly painful death from the effects Of a
bite received from a dog ten, twenty, or
even fifteen years before. These cases
are always located ain Kentucky" or
Minnesota or more commonly "Out
West" They are certain TO be so distant
or 80 ObScurely located that nobody would
ever think OF looking them up, IL they
ever thought oil doubling their truth.
How many people have ever thought
how utterly absurd was the idea that an
active and virulent poison could remain
dormant In the system for score Of
years, or even six months2 Who knows
OF u case where flea bite has appeared
years AFTER the extinction OF the offending
flea by the finger and thumb? Is there
any well authenticated fact OF person
carrying about dose Of strychnino In his
stomach for years, and then suldenly
curling up on the floor" from It's elects I?
And again, how many of our readers ever
actually saw a case OF hydrophObia; or
how many ever knew, beyond doubt or
question, OF OnG2 We do not take into
account what Jones's wiie's mother has
heard. or what a man who formerly lived
out West has said, but such testimony
only as would be received in court Of
justice. Brought TO this point, We Opine
people would begin to question whether
hydrophObia was rs common as measles,
and whether II would not be Just as well
to let every harmless dog have his day
Boston Gl05e.