Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-03-19
THE Doc LAW.

what n Giles County Ex-Candidate
Thinks AbOat It ana the Legislature
Dog Skins as Legal Tender, and n
Sausage Factory &C Pay or slie state
Debt.
In view Of the passaee Of the House dog
bill, yesterday, by the Senate, the follow
ing letter from a 6iles county "originaln
to the Pictorial Representative from Giles
and Lincoln is spicy reading:
The following letter was read at the ses-
sion Of the House Of Representatives We'd
nesday night:
ELKTON, GILES COUNTY, March II,
1oI5.-Dr. James Bowers-Dear Sir: l
learn from the papers that the Legislature
has passed a dog law. Now, Doctor, wish
to know if the dog tax is a property tax or
poll tax. If 1t is property tax, wish
to know i it is not unconstitutional. be-
cause you have no right to tax property for
cOntiscation. But l am told that the tax
collector will kill the dog if the tax is not
! paid. Then the State ought to establish a
tannery and make dOg-skins a legal tender
to pay the interest on its bonds, and 10 start
a button factory, make buttons Of the dogs
| bones, make bologna sausage out Of the
flesh, and send the intestines to soap fac
| tory.
But, if it is poll tax, then the dogs will
| have right to vote, aud some of them will
be candidates at the nsxt election, and will
run like Old Scratch. You may bet some
good man will get beat at this internal
fOolishness, as the d;Tkey who was about
being baptized said when the parsOn
strangled him.
I
nearly seyenty-fve days and has actually
passed dog law. It's action puts me in
mind Of the Abbotts' iamily, whom l once
/ knew in Georgia. There were twenty of
/ them and they all went coon hunting, and,
/ having freed a coon, cut the tree down. It
fell on one Of the party and killed him.
| One of the survivors cried out, ''there,
| now, we have killed one of our besi
brothers" The Oihers yelled out
''Blast it! man, never mind what
| the trees done; don't you
lei them dogs tear the coon skim" The
Legislature has been engaged in the con-
sideTatiOn Oftrifing bills, while the State
| owes twenty-five million dollars, and the
people will be destitute Of the means TO
make their crops unlass you start your sau-
| sage factory right off
Inc Jog law gives One-nalI OF the TAX 70
/ the State and the other half to the man
that has his sheep killed. Now, Doctor, 1
will bet you a fine piug-hat that there will
be more sheep claims presented during the
next year than there are sheep in Ten
| neSSee.
The dog law says t is 10 encourage wool
| growing and for other purposes. Now, a
/ tax Of one dollar on a mans dog will make
sheep wool grow ke blazes. l supposed
that the assembled wisdom Of the State had
! got enough wool in the Civil Rights act,
/ and that it would grow some faster.
Doctor, was Of the opinion last Janua-
~, when they bea. me. for DOOr-keeper,
/ that there were but fur sensible men in that
bOdy, and have had no evidence since
! tina, time to make me change my opinion.
/ l would be glad for you TO get a bill passed
/ TO give me a pension, az my great grand
! fathers uncle was a coroner, and his wife
| sold cakes and beer on election days. You
1 had better repeal the tax on jackasses, or
/ majority Of your body will catch thunder
when the Revenue Collector comes around.
Respectfully your friend,
r. II. WYNNE.