Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1892-05-28

PLANTATION of things that may have
appeared strange to him and that
may require investigation or-de-
fense. Indeed, have suspected that
he has noticed my strange conduct.
OF late observe that he finds an ex
cuse for accompanying me to court
and seeks my companionship more
than formerly.
MY misfortune arose in this way;
When a young lawyer. was elected
to the New York assembly during
the reform revolt of 1874 that swept
1Ilden into the governorship. The
session of 1974-5 was an eventful one.
Everybody will recall the great
struggle with the canal ring, in
which bore prominent part. Near
the close of the session was asked
to introduce a bill. 1t came from
one of my constituents and was
framed in the interests of the wool
growing farmers in the center of the
state. 1t authorized the killing of
all vagrant dogs in counties north of
the Harlem river presented it
without proper consideration, and
when the bill came up for final pas
sage found myself committed in its
favor.
Horace Burning, of a Hudson
river district, rose when the bill was
called up, and in order to secure the
floor moved to strike out the enact
ing clause. Then he made one Of
the most attractive speeches | ever
listened to, though every word was a
reproach and a humiliation to me.
Every sentence of it was so burned
into my heart that am able to re-
produce it now. He spoke with deep
feeling;
Gentlemen-Th bill must not
pass. | rise here in my place to OPP
pose it-seriously, stubbolnly to the
last limit of my parliamentary rights
because | have left q friend at
home who is vitally interested. In
my absence he is the guardian Of
my family, the companion of my
wife and children. He is sleepless in
my interests. trust him and he is
worthy of any mans supreme conf
dence. AS comrade, he never has
faltered in his devotion to me. Now
that | am honored with a seat in
your distinguished body he is no
prouder of me than when | was a
struggling lawyer seeking my first
case. He'd give his life for mine
at any moment. Though a devoted
slave to me he's peer of the realm.
He's dog, noble specimen of his
race.
81 love him. And l say he must
not die by the hand of mani
Recall the dogs of history.
Have you forgotten Jewellers grand
Gelertl Is gone from us all memory
of the immortal Barry, of the great st.
Bernard, for whom stately monu-
ment is reared at Bern2 Are we not
told that Ketmir, faithful guardian
of the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus
was admitted into Paradise by Mo
hammedl Can we, as lawmakers,
overlook the glorious Judicial combat
to the death between the devoted
dog of Aubrey and the murderer of
his master2 Do we forget that By
ron, the prince royal of our English
tongue, made for himself grave at
Newstead abbey by the side of his
beloved mastiff, Boatswain9 And
Maera, too, descended from the no
blest dogs of all antiquity, was trans
lated to the heavens to become dog
star of the northern sky
"'Oh, men among you, hang
your heads in shamel
1.-The dog has shone in song and
story since the world began-no liv-
ing creature SO nearly allied to man.
Indeed, It's said he learned to bark
by hearl1ening to human speech. His
dream of life is to serve mankind.
His masters heart is the only heaven
he knows
mo temptation can corrupt him.
Friends prove false, but his fidelity
endures through life And if mis-
fortune dire o'ertakes the master the
dog alone does not desert. Ali when
comes the end that last sad scene OF
all-friends, family, home, all gone,
this faithful comrade follows the
body to an unmarked grave in pot
ter's field, where prone upon the
soft, dark mound he walls requiem
and dies.
This speech had magical effect
1t put me in a false position. / loved
the dog as well as he, but my un
fortunate attitude as sponsor for the
bill compelled me to defend it. But
| was sorry when it passed by q
small majority.
"A few nights after when l came
home to my apartments, l found q
great, black dog stretched upon the
white bearsl1in before my fire.
He raised his head and his great,
brown eyes stared me full in the
face. His was a sympathetic look,
but to my imagination, distorted by
long brooding on the subject, he had
come to reproach me for my act
The animal was sorry for me.
Naturally, resented this and
ordered him to leave; he lay quite
motionless and his great, brown eyes
continued to follow me about. be
came infuriated and kicked at him
viciously. The dog, unmoved still
lay unhurt before me.
II had kicked spectral dogl
las ! rose upright saw the
glossy black and clearly outlined