The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-06-28
Arr,cs,,snre---rhs Dogs.

Acrtcaltssre---ThsD DOES.
The season 10 getting oppressive, and Inc
seasonahle cssmor against dogs Is ra t'lrg
although We cannot see the exact reaso y :,
why It sssentd be SO; FOR, as far as our TeS-
perienee goes. the worst OF sil1 tcS DIS IT,
hydrosAob ia--is peculiar to no season fet
II ID truc that In warm weather dogs are
Iass tolerable than at other tenn per atnres;
for they move about more actively keep up
greater noise, and abtsude themselves more
ogcnsiyely In multitudinousiF T,iaees and
forms, to the inexpressIb!e dctlesta,ion OF
everybody.
So we. sec that all great cities are
strengthening their neasur es OF police 10
keep down the dogs and to, restrain them
within proper bounds. In many places
there Is evidently TO be a great waiting and
complaint amongst the canine race par
ticularly 10 New York. where rewards are
paid 10 boys of all sorts, good and bad,
white and black, for bringing dogs to be
nut in the "poun'i," where the owners
NAV redeem them; but Il not redeemed m
time, they are sent, to execution and to such
final disposition Is according to the laws
OF the :. Heaven of the dogs 'S...ss
Everybody understands those laws. The
fact is that under the great social revolution
imposed upon the nation by northern WIS
dom, guided by sky-scrapins pli's1naro-
pists, there h as been q marvellous increase
In dogs. We regret 10 be led 10 CONSIDER
that this effect has rather assisted than not
10 enlarge stnd give circumstance and con-
sequence to dng-shows. We would rather
disbelicvc this ths., not, and II anybody has
proof that it is incorrect we should like &c
hear it. .. ..
There was euce time when mans in
humanity to his feliow-man caused such
destruction OF human life that by compart-
son with man the population OF dogs be-
came alarming. and what was worse, the
amount OF human blood that dogs continu-
ally tapped SO Infatuated them that they be-
came terrible. and man was driven TO make
war upon them to promote his own safety.
This was IN the French revolution. This
feature OF the horrors Of that most horrible
OF periods we recall to mind in thinking
of.the length to which the multiplication
OF dogs has gone in this country since the
war.
Have we not been reminded OF this in
crease By the innumerable cases OF Sheep
killing which have occurred in this State
since the war? Have We not deduced from
the facts the absolute necessity to diminish
the number OF dogs for the better pro:ec-
ton OF shcep-culture And yet we have
seen that the Executive Committee OF the
State Agricultural Society has determined
to admit bench show Of dogs as part OF
The Agricultural Fair and Show upon the
next anniversary OF the Society.
We confess our surprise at reading the
statement. We regarded it inconsistent with
the understood wish OF agriculturists, and
inimical to their interests. Would bench
show Tend to- diminish the number OF dogs
in the State or increase them? Diminish
them we have no idea it would. Increase
them we think it probably would. 1t would
be encouraging the youthful mind to de-.
velep itself in line that would be liable to
the Buconian censure for unfruitfulness
and waste. A brave aud intrepid youth
with many dogs will hardly develop a great
farmer or i great statesman in land OF
poverty, and at a time OF great financial
pressure such as exists at this time, when
our Agricultural Society Is about TO embark
in the encouragement of dog-cutture.
But our noble Society will have before
them the picture Of the utility and morality
OF their own policy. Arrayed on one hand
will be the finest and most interesting breeds
OF sheep. On the other will stand their
army OF tormentors, with wistful eyes glow
ering at them, and with the ierocious In
stincts OF their nature so plainly shown that
all men may see that turn dozen OF these
bloody providers out and they would kill
every sheep Mt the fair. 1t revives the am
phitheatre where innocents were paraded
in the ring with the beasts OF prey that were
by monsters, as here, placed there to devour
them.
The bench show is indeed suggestive, and
though this Of course is extravaganza, never
theless it is not inadmissibe by any means.
Certainly we do not think anything in the
line OF dogs teleraLle in the agricultural an
nual meeting and exhibition, unless it will
help to diminish the number of dogs and
protect sheep-culture. More than this-a
question with the Agricultural Society
should he whether they would be advancing
the objects OF their Society in encouraging
any enterprise or industry which did not
positively minister 70 the advantage and i'm
provement of the great cause they have es.
poused. -
We are not an enemy OF the dog. Far
from it. We have loved dogs. But we
will not aove any more. We have had too
mueh trouble for tbesn, and this trouble has
gwen come in the form OF grief. In youth
we had a noble animal. His name was Bru-
tus, and he represented BRUFUs in his 10y
atty and undying devotion. He was intel
iigeRt, afeelionate, and firm. 1t was his
habit to atseed company OF schoolgirl in
their evening walk, aztl his demeanor on
those occasions marked bis pride as we'll as
his courtesy and dignity. One evening a
gallant gentlesan, worthy of those brightly
civil days for his gallansry and his gentle
manners, met the admrab!e procession,
and adcanced with an animated slep to
pay attention to young lady with
whom he aHas intimately acquainted. s'ru-
Ftns had his eye upon him, and without
displaying any raseness whatever quietly
advanced himself, intercepted the Young