Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1885-05-16
Sheep Versus Dogs.

passed only by the hog: in reasoning
faculties only by the mule. 1t can
run faster than COW, and has longer
teeth than sheep. 1t is more grace
full than an emanciatcd steer, and more
digni6ed than Plymouth Rock roos-
ter. 1t is thing of beauty and JOY
forever. 1t has more patience than
Job, and will snooze itself away to
everlasting bliss, though tormented by
thousand ticks and ten flies. The
value of its services to man cannot be
computed. In will drive a hog a mile
in the wrong direction when it feels
funny. 1t will make it hot for cats,
and therefore is a self.instituted and
vigilant protector or birds. 1t will
kill mice and young rats when it has
time and will labor hard for halt day
to bury beef bone. And to prevent
the heat of the stove from radiating too
suddenly and overcoming the baby it
will lie hour after hour behind the
kitchen stove in the noble endeavor to
absorb the heat. Such being its noble
qualities, and its useful services, it is
not strange that it is highly priced by
man and that the Legislature of the
great State of Indiana, the wisdom of
the State gathered from all sources
within its bounds, should see fit and
proper to protect it by law l have
known men to let the baby cry in the
cradle and pick up the dog and fondle
it. | once saw man returning from
his days work. AS he entered the
yard his little girl ran out to meet him,
with a smile on her sweet face, mutely
asking for cares, He showed her
aside and stopped down to pat the head
of his "yaller dog" that ran out to
meet him. This is a fact and shows
how dear the dog is to the heart Of
man. / know of another man whose
tax this year was Sc 16. Five dollars
was dog tax, and the balance personal
property tax. His children had nc
shoes, but you could not have bought
those dogs for five Dollars a piece. A
dog will eat as much as two children,
and have known men to keep two
fat dogs, while their children were
hungry and half clothed. / believe
there is many man who would rather
lose his wife than his dog. And yet in
the face of all these facts there are
persons ready to blame the Legislature
of Indiana for passing a law to protect
the dogs-those valuable members Of
society and beloved members the family
in their life, liberty and pursuit Of
sheep. Those who oppose this law dc
so because it protects dogs in their
favorite pastime OF killing sheep. II
is certainly strange that any one should
object to this service of the dogs.
No act of their life is more replete
with more skill, and executed with
more daring and bravery, than mid
night raid upon flock of the fierce
and rayenous sheep. 1t is true that
dogs kill few million dollars worth
of sheep each year; but this gives g
stimulus to the sheep industry, healthy
exercise to the dogs and healthy tone
to the canine system. He is certainly
a heartiess wretch who would deprive
the dogs OF this healthtul and lnvigora
ting passtime, and if he had the OPP
portun!ty would be more tyrannica
despot than the Gar of all the Bus
slams. 1t is further urged in objection
to this law that it was made to indi'
rectly benefit the sportsmen of this
State. | do not deny this. That it il
true is apparent. But do not these
sportsmen need something for theil
benefit? Should they not be fostered
by the Slater Certainly they should
and when they are no longer able tc
throw a mans fence down and scare
half his cattle out of months growth
the State ought to pension them. Nc
gentlemen, you ought not to object tC
this law. The sportsmen and their do
ings must be protected, if every burned
sheep in the State goes to the dogs.
In passenger train that recently
left Liverpool for London there was
darkey who kept putting his head