The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1877-02-01
THE DOG LAW.
Should it be Repealed by the
Legislature?
II. V. Redford's Nashville Letter to tie Gin
cinnati Enquirer.

| clnnAu Enquirer.
Without exception the best law
enacted in the State since the war
the one most conducive to material
interests-is that taxing dogs. And
that there is a clamor against it
upon the part of those, mainly, who
have the most dogs and least of
anything else, and that the Legislass
ture may heed the clamor, is one of
the discouraging features of the
day. If the law was allowed to
stand two years longer, its results
would be so wholesome that the
wisdom of its enactment would be
acknowledged by many of those
who now favor its repeal.
Here is a State with all the adj
vantages necessary to successful
sheep husbandry, possessing hun
dreds of thousands of acres of the
best land adapted to the purpose
and to that alone; State which
produces wool which took the pre-.
MUM over the wool of all the world
at the Worlds Fairs in Paris and
London, and which wool to-day de-
mands a higher price in the Boston
market than the wool of Pennsylva-
MIA or Ohio, yet with all these adj
vantages we are brought face to
face with the humiliatlng fact that
there is not enough produced in the
State to clothe one-fifth of the pop
ulationl If the Legislature of to-
day, who propose to repeal the dog
law, we're stripped of all clothing
except what was made from wool
grown in Tennessee, they would
be in a very uncomfortable condi-
tion for this severe weather. Their
money has gone to other States for
wooden goods made from wool
raised upon soil less adapted to it
than Tennessee, and what have we
to bring the money back? Wool
always commands cash. With the
dog law enforced, it will be but
few years until this State will ex-
port enough wool to turn the bai
ance of trade, so far as clothing is
concerned, in her favor. Sheep
husbandry since the law passed, has
been more stimulated than in all
previous time. Thoughtful men,
who had waited weary years to see
the balance of trade turned in favor
of Tennessee, took heart and were
encouraged. To repeal the law will
be the deadliest blow ever struck at
the material interests of the State.
Let the law stand, encourage sheep
husbandry, export wool and NUT
ton, and it will be but a few years
until the complaint that 'sthere is
no money in the country" will have
less foundation in fact than now.
"A farmer near Chattanooga ships
his wool to Boston--over a thou
sand miles-and gets better price
for it than Ohio or Michigan wool
commands. This one farmer, if the
myriads of worthless ours which
prey upon his flock were extermi-
mated, taxed out of existence, will
soon be bringing several thousands
of dollars yearly into the State.
The good work of turning the bal
ance of trade in favor of Tennessee |
has been notable since the dog law
passed. From this and two ada
cent counties nearly one hundred |
thousand dollars worth of spring |
lambs have been shipped to Cincin
natl and Northern markets. They |
come into market so much earlier
here that they command the tor
prices. In Memphis the city has
been supplied for the first time
from the surrounding country.
know Ohio wool growers complain
of dogs, but they cannot realize the
of the nuisance in this
State. From statistics gathered
since the dog law passed, and TAX
ing the population of the two States
as n basis of comparison, we find
that there are nine dogs in Tennes-
see to one in Ohiol In Ohio there
is but one dog to every twenty-seven
people, and as for sheep, there are
forty six sheep in that State to one
dogi The Ohio farmers annually
receive over twelve million of dol
lars for their wool and mutton.
Think of it, What fine wave of
wealth is rolling into their lap. On
an average the farmers Of every
county of Ohio receive over one
hundred thousand dollars cash an
nually for their surplus wool and
For a sheep is both food
and clothing. / wish some of the
advocates of dog culture had to live
and clothe themselves upon dog
products for week. They would
soon be willing to exchange for
wool and mutton.
Now if Tennessee would produce
only ten per cent. of the wool and
mutton that Ohio produces, the re-
viving effects would be instantly
But before that can be
done the dogs must be in part got
rid of. Nobody should object to
paying one dollar tax on a good
log, in order to rid the State of
the tens of thousands of worthless,
sheep destroying ours, which are a
blight upon industry, hindrance
10 immigration. and a tax upon
abor.
L have been often applied to by
hose who wish to engage in sheep
lusbandry in Tennessee,i if / th hought
he law would be repealed. say
20 such, wait and see. If it is, all
thought of that business in this
State must be abandoned. A gen.
.leman in Ohio writes me that in
fery many instances the sons Of
armers there, skillful sheep raisers,
want to come South, enticed by the
nild winters and high price which
tennessee wool commands. They '
AN winter sheep here at one-fifth
# the cost there. But all idea OF
sheep husbandry in Ten
lessee must be abandoned II this
aw is repealed. A State very many
# the counties of which were shown
vhen the law went into effect, TO
lave more dogs than voters, is not ,
cheerful place to engage in sheep
aising. In
The truly progressive class accept
ruth wherever they find it, and re-
ect nothing because of its source.