Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1875-04-10
DOG.ON MAD.


DOG-ON MAD.
EDITORS CHRONICLE With all due
Difference to our legislative Solons and
their law-making capacity, it may be
said in the language, though little
varied, of the immortal Campbell:
.''Tis the sunset of life gave them legis'tive
And coming shadows cast their events be-
FORE"
Parallel to the accusation once made
against St. Paul on a memorable &C.
casion, certainly much learning hath
made them (dog-on) mad Being
cognizant of the fact that there exists
in the State of Tennessee an almost
innumerable number of dorgs, so much
so that it was severely taxing the in
genuity of their keepers to supply the
same with kennels or proper shelter,
and being deeply impressed with the
Importance of curtailing canine exist
ence to large extent, our everto-be
remembered representatives have. in
their incompatible wisdom, to satisfy
the demanded sheep? yes, to some
extent, but OF wolves, foxes and other
animals of nightly prey to greater,
enacted In fine, law without eXemp
ton, taxing all dogs of the masculine
gender from the lap poodle to the no.
bic New Foundlander, one dollar per
head, and all of the opposite class not
rendered unregenerative FIVE dollars
per cdput. George Washington grew
to be a great, good and useful man, but
when boy the Ratchet in his thought
less hand destroyed his fathers favor
lite fruit tree. May this not prove so
ruinous a stroke to the tree of privi-
legged fruit each little tree of which
three-fourths of the people least, feel
themselves competent to take care of
without being made to pay for it.
When the peoples little political pre-
negatives are taken away, or they are
made to pay for them, it is virtually
declaring them Incompetent to govern
or control their own affairs. Hence
they have no claim other than nomi-
nal, to democracy. We are at loss to
know how the assessment on this spe-
cies of property can or will be made
with equal justice to all. Many being
averse to the law or deeming it unjust,
will have no conscientious scruples
about its evasion, whilst others who
favor the measure will hesitate or
think it unjust that they should be as
sessed, while their neighbors, some at
least, have half dozen dogs barking
exemption night and day through the
ingenious evasive knavery oftheir own
ers. 1t will not DO to assert that in ev
cry case, the difficulty can be obviated
by requiring each one to make cath to
his assessment. Five-sixths at least
of those who feel themselves under no
moral obligation to confine themselves
to the truth, will not scruple to declare
a falsehood under legal restrictions,
provided they can see the least posi-
bic chance of escape. In this case the
chances are very much in their favor.
Again, the facilities connected with
the collection of this canine revenue
are not very palpab,e. Hence it has
been intimated that the law might be
rendered imperative. However that
may be, tine may prove the contrary
By few test cases. The sportsman
who owns a dozen good hounds may
experience much pleasure in the chase,
but will not consider that enough to
compensate him for the amount he has
to pay for the privilege of keeping and
training them, without a premium for
each wild animal Of prey. 1t is true
the man who owns two good watch
dogs may be more than sufficiently re-
munerated in the protection thereby
of his property from night thieves;
but should my dogs depredate upon
my neighbours sheep, to whom should
the amount of the depreciation belong?
1t appears to me to the owner Of the
sheep. But no, the State receives
bonus and allows me to keep a troop
Of sheep-killing ours to depredate upon
my neighbors. The retail whiskey
vendor pays license and has the ex-
elusive right, legally, of makinga as many
drunkards as he pleaseS, and should
the inebriate dash his wife's brains out
or take the life of his neighbors the
poor victims forfeit their policy and
the State gets the insurance money.
Doubtless many one of the gentlcr
sex will revolt at the idea and deem it
4 gross outrage upon the independence
of female prerogatives, to be compelled
to pay one dollar, not to say five, on
that little pet poodle whose only fault
perhaps is at times jumping into his
mistress lap with dirty paws. The
little rat terrier whose very presence
in the sight of a sheep would inspire
his woody majesty with such contempt
for the pigmy and with such butting
courage as to cause his diminutiveness
to make tracks with lightning speed,
is taxed one dollar for the privilege of
living and engaging in his profession.
Surely, owing to the large amount of
revenue accruing to the State in conse-
auence of the passage of this act, there
must have been in contemplation a
measure looking to the reduction of
taxes on other property. We are not
I informed. II not. SheFe the justice ?