Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-04-01
UNION AND AMERICAN.
Farm AND GARDEN.
TIE DOC LAW.

growing, but known-'for short AS
the Dog Law. As a general thing the
law is disapproved both by the press
and people; but. there are always two
sides to a question, and the side We
present to-day is that taken by a mar
of no less prominence and ability thar
Judge E. L. Gardenbire, Representa-.
tive from White county, who voted fol
the oil:
1. Whatever may be said, the keeping o.
a dog is a luxury, and not a necessity. o.
social life. We are in debt, and every Other
means of increasing the revenue is TesOrted
to except taxing dogs. Houses and lands
horses and cattle, jewels and furniture, aIe
all taxed-Thy not dogs? If a hundred
thousand dollars are raised by tax on
DOGS, It takes of that amount from lands
and other property. If am TO pay ten
dollars tax, il would seem to matter very
little whether pay the amount on a lot Of
dogs or on a four thousand dollar farm.
Houses and lands are taxed, and no CON-
plant is made; the necesSaries Of life are
taxed, and 10 murmuT is heard; but touch
the dogs, aud howl is heard through the
land by some.
Every man ought 10 contribute 10 the
support Of his government. There is a
certain class thai pays little or nothing.
Each Of that class has from three to five
dogs. They may stint or deny themselves
coffee and sugar. They are spsring in the
use of salt and -four, but they viii not
deny themselves the luxury Of few savage
dogs; and it Is evidence Of high merit if be
has only bitten some person.
The adages which pass current among
the people have much wisdom in them. We
hear often Of killing two birds with one
stone. If one will do, the use Of two is ex-
travagant. Then if we can raise revenue,
and rid the country Of worthless Whelps,
we have accomplished much.
The cost of dogs is enormous. Let US
look TO figures a little. We have a pOpu-
latiOn Of 100000. None, 1 suppose, win
doubt but that there is ole dog for every
six persons, which makes 20S,333l in the
State. Il viii require al least ten dollars
per head to feed each dog, or 8, OS5.33O to
feed our dogs. This IS more than the
whole revenue collected last year. The
revenue collected last year was only
S1,S09 45I.4S. The food for Your dogs, last
year. cost YOU S2T3, S9S.52 more than that.
Col. hIllebTeW, il his great work entitled
the Resources Of Tennessee, after
speaking Of the cost OF feeding
dogs, saws: GBut the losses do mol
stop here. Not less than 10000 sheep
are killed annually by these pests, worth,
say each, two dollars, which will be
$4,000. Add to this the disC0uTagements
of sheep raising, In all countries where
sheep raising is protected and the climate
is suited to this branch of husbandry, there
should be a. least two sheep for each per
son. The population Of Tennessee, by the
last census, was 1.25S,520; multiply this
by two and the resulting number, 5l7,-
O4O-should represent the number Of sheep
in the State. But the actual number is
,7S3. Deduct this from the number
that in all probability would be raised if
proper protection were given, and the loss,
properly chargeable to the presence Of dogs,
will be l,G9O,2I7, worth al least $685.
434.
but further still. There are innumer-
able streams now wasting their strength,
against their rocky banks, that might be
handsome and made 10 work up their wool
into valuable stuff, if the supply OF wool
was regular and constant. Ten millions Of
pounds Of wool could be grown every year
IN Tennessee, without interfering in the
least with other industries. Allow this 10
be worth 40 cents per pound or SI,OoO,OOO,
and that manufacturing establishments
could realize 10 per cent. clear profit, which
With the advantages here offered, would be
exceedingly reasonable, and here we may
enter loss Of 100000
''Stll further: There are in the State not
fewer than 10000 women and an equal
number of children, who can find no profit
able employment Oh the farm or in our
work shops. This labor is lost 20 the
State, and this class Of persons is . burden
10 the communities in which they reside.
Take what they now cost from the profits
Of productive industry, and add to ii the
profits which they swOuld make the State
by laborinC in wooden mills, and the
amount would not fall short Of so for
each person, or S2,OOD,OOU annually.
oNOw, let us sum up the actual cOnstruc-
tive loss 10 the State from this negative pro
lection 10 dogs and positive Encouragement
10 sheep raising.
Loss on feeding 8 -51J, 900
Sheep hi ed by dogs annually-.....-... bl,ut1
Value Of sheep that would be ralscd...- asa-1,ls4
Profits OF wool factories. 90. ..-.-....... JjtU11
Losses on iabor.......-.-..--...---- -,VV'v9D
Ag-res aie-...sss.. ..s...-...-.-.ss.-e'sOao'
This large sum would build a nice little
white church In every civil district from
Carter tO Shelby. Ii would build a neat
and comfortable sCh0ol-h0Gse in every
school district in the state, and pay a first
class teacher 10 educate every child in the
State. Il would pay your entire debt In
three years, valid and invalid, and start
sou on a new cancer Of prosperity and
power.
We deny ourselves these splendid things,
for the luxury Of keeping whelps. But
one says they keep off varmeuts and pro
tect our stock. But really they protect one
sheep and devouv three. We must do
without mutton chops, and our children
must shiver with cDld, that negroes and
other irresponsible persons may possess
gangs of ferocioUs ours, ever ready 10 LAGER
ate the flesh Of other animals. Is il not
luxury for a Christian man TO behold one
Of these incarnate fignds tearing the flesh
Of other anima s. The blood flows 50 free
~ aud the torture seems So CNcTuCiatiug
that the heart Of humanity is made glad.
II he bites human being, his merits stand
higher He is then GiguiGaa iutu real
watchdog, when the on neT lES LJl Hll-
ling TO watch. If hydrophobis occasional
" follows, with loss of human life, the
matter is small, and IS 10 great extent
compensated by an agreeable excitement
when the CRY of mad dog flies from house
to house, and from village 10 village
We have now, according 90 Mr. kiile-
brew. 100000 dogs. We probably have al
least that number, ore hundred aud fifty
thousand Of which are worse than useless.
4 tax viii clear the State Of them, aud
leave no more than one hundred thousand.
The food Of every dog is worth ten dollars.
What be eats, if fed to a hog. viii make
30 pounds of pork worth ten dollars In
this one item we save Sl,jOO,OOl. Then we
tax the remaining dogs one dollar each, ana
The revenue from dogs is..........-.-.S 100000
suppose the loss of sheep killed CulN
half, and itwOuld certainly he much
less; then we save....-...... -. $1,000
II We estimate our loss ONE hall, Uu
the sheep that wCuil bee raised. wc
haN. "a saving Of ,............-....- l.H0,2I7
One. a't profits on wool Factories. $4,000
llH the loss on labor, and we
savc................................... 100000