The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-02-16
FRIDAY EVENING, FEB. 16, 1872.
HOW NOT TO DO IT.

The question of taxing dogs and proyid-
ing for their proper restraint by a proper
dog law, was again up in the House yester-
day, and the bill prepared some days ago
defeated on its passage to a third reading.
We happened to be present during part
Of the quadrangular fight in the afternoon,
and became satisfied that the question, in
the estimation of majority of the House,
was too light and trivial to be treated
seriously by them. The speeches that were
made indicated the temper of that delibera-
tive body, and the pathetic references to
"Poor Dog Tray" and the sovereign
right of each head of family" to have
and enjoy the luxury of at
least one untaxed dog, were quite
enough to stir both our sympathies
and our patriotic blood, in view of the
mighty inroads that have been made i'll the
last few years upon the inalenable rights
of the heads of families. The right to have
III ''untaxed dog" is, we have learned for
the first time, one of those sacred ones in
Virginia which no head of family can
surrender without sinking its entire man.
hood out of sight, or becoming such an OBJ
jsct of pusilanimity as to be desplsed even
b. dog.
We have referred to the debate as a
quadrangular fight. 1t was something of
the sort. There were, in the first place,
Il ID, n,t;- doc la
men and, playing off against both of
these, were those who didn't care a
a., for the dog-law, but thought everything
OF their constituents, while others were
perfectly indifferent as to dog-laws and con-
stituents both. The chief effort on the
part of the members seemed to be how
mot to do it--how to get rid of the question
by letting the question get rid of itself.
One of the colored members was for ex-
tending the provisions Of the law to two
legged dogs, and another not colored)
wanted to have CAMS major, in the heavens,
tied up either by rope or trope, so that
the vexed question of the dog-law should
not disturb the peace of the skies. One
sxpatiated on the sun as a glorious "set-
ter" on the moon and stars as splendid
"pointers,'' on Martius Ctotius as "dog-
tuner" or as figuring in some other role,
on the necessity of hounds to bay the
moon, and general constabulary force
all over the State to carry the law into eff
feet, whose motto should be, as they deal
out destruction and death to the dogs, SIC
scRper eu-cdnis
1t was with such potential weapons as
these that the gravity of the dog-law was
upset, and measure of more real import
ance to the people of the State than any
other before the House this session, was
quietly kicked out of sight as matter too
trivial for the consideration of that grave
aid imposing body.
All that we can say is, that the demands
OF the people will by and by be needed in
The halls of legislation, or else somebody
will be fearfully "hurt" at the polls before
he knows it, and good many more some
bodies than one, too. We propose to agi-
late this question right straight along, nor
let any opportunity slip of informing the
PEOPLE who the men are that trihe with
their interests, burlesque their demands,
make farce of legislation, and practically
declare their liberation of nuisance which
costs the farmers Of Virginia not less than
three million dollars year to submit to.
Keep it before the people, that sheep
raising is an interest not to be fostered by
Virginia legislation so long as two hundred
thousand worthless ours in the State can
be protected in their right to steal sheep.