The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-04-15
A Tennessee Picture shat Will Answer
for Virginia.
THE DOG-LAW.

rerom a Chattanooga letter 10 the Cincinnati
Commercial.1
THE DoG-LAW.
TIE hest act put on The books by the Legs
lature il the doe-law. Dogs are taxed one
dollar each. and the feminine branch OF the
dog family FIVE dollars. Such law has been
long needed, but no previous Leglsiature
has had the spunk to put It on the DOCKS.
The poverty of the State to-day is due 10 no
small degree TO the multitude of worthless
cnrs. which consume as much as the hogs
and cost as much as the schools, ana proouce
nothing.
In the rural districts there are nearly as
many dogs as people, showing of itself state
OF civilization not the highest. Not long sgo
a plaintive appeal was sent to Nash'ilie from
one hundred and forty-three coiored people
of Rutherford county saying that last years
dry weather cut off the crop, and that they
we're in starving condition. Some one went
through one of the poyerty-strIcken distrlcts
of that county. and bis business being 10
enumerate the population he enumerated
the dogs also, and found more dogs than peo-
ple, What was fed the dogs would have TAT
tened enough hogs 10 have furnlshed the
incubation with a reasonable amount OF
meat. But instead of raising enough meat
for home consumption they scrape up "nat
few remaining dollars remain in the country
from last years Gotten crop ana send II
| North for bacon.
Curse the worthless dogs! Wherever you
find them in greatest numbers you ind the
people CORRESPONDENCE poor and the coun'
try wretched. I wish the tax was twenty
FIVE dollars on each dog, and the proceeds
given to encouraging the raising OF sneep'
Here is great central State, adapted by ma
lure to the production Of wool, and WOOL,
too, of such superior quality that 1t has taken
the premium more than once at the Worlo' 5
Fair, vet on account of the myriads of worth
less ours which prey upon the sheep tnere
is not one quarter enough WOOL proCuceo
for home consumption, and the country Is
drained of money to seDu TO more civH,zeo
and prosperous communities to purchase
wool and woolleu clothing. And the people
complain of being poor. Yes. they are poor,
and how can they expect to be otherwise IN
State where the dogs cost six times more
than the schools, and where there is nothing
to sell and everything to buy.
In twenty -s.veu counties OF this Stale
average countes-the dogs last year Killed
II 400 sheep. In the one county OF dles
they got away with 1,7aO.
A northern farmer who settled 10 Co!1Te
county was telling me few days ago oil the
fine location be bad for sheer-ralslDS as COIL
pared with the North. 1t cost only one
quarter as much 10 winter sheep here as 10
the North. The cold weather never killed
his lambs, no matter what month OF The year
they were born. But there was one draw
| back that spoied all that was promising and
fine. The worthless dogs killed bis sheep
and DESTROYED all the profits of wool-groW-
ing. He was poweress to remedy the MAJ
ter. The country was fairly alive with dogs,
every family having from two to dozen, the
poorer and more wretcbed and ignorant and
worthless the family the more dogs they kept.
The other day l was reading card from
Asa Faulkner, one Of the most useful cili-
zens OF Tennessee. His lie has been spent
| in warfare against ignorance, idIeneSs, and
dogs they all 20 together). and in building
I'D the manufac. turing interests of the State.
He has family worthy of the man. They
take hold with their hands, and county full
ofsueh would in few years become worth Il
whole congressional district of the average
population. He said that TWO Of bis sons
had established wooIlen flctory in Warren
county. They utilized the water-poWer,
with which nature has so abundantly pre-
vided every section of the State, and gave
work to fifteen hands-no small item
where very large Per cent of the popula-
lion are without regular employment. This
little woolen mill saved the country $4,000
annually; that is, kept that amount OF me-
ney at home, which would have been other
wise sent out of the country for woolien
c othing. But the mill had 70 stop, and
why? Because the worthless dogs ard
there seems 10 be about million in Warren
county killed the sheep, and thus cut OF
the supply OF wool.
All honor to the Tennessee Legislature for
passing the Gog-'aw. 1t is IN important step
IN the direction Of progress and civilization.
Looking over into dog-cursed Georgia we
lind the wool interests PROSTATE from the
same causes which operate here; but the
Legislature have not got up to the point OF
passing dog-'aw. They will work up to il
after awhile, mean time buying their wool
and woollen goods in Other sections, aud
com plaiuiug dlily that there is ''no money
in the country" No, there is no money in
the country, but plenty OF dogs.
In twenty-five counties Of Georgia, rs
shown BY the late census, the negroes own
and feed 4,211 dogs, and but go sheep, or
about fifteen dogs to one sheep. Healthy
condition of things! Vigorous community!
Great inducements to emigration!
II. V. R.
Isn't il little SINGULAR" inquired Mr.