Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1893-02-09

In Georgia. it is =: square issue between
mutton and monsrels.
The experiences Of Messrs. Quick and
Sprague while endcavoring to establish
sheep ranches il Georgia, ending in their
complete surrender to the dominancy OF
tic dogs. have been widely commented
upon throughout the country by leading
journals.
The comments were not. of course.
complimentary to the State and its ancient
policy of inaction against the cur dog
nuisance. On the contrary. it is puz-
zle everywhere that SO enlightened and
progressive n people as the Georgians
should longer remain under this costly
species of hound dog hypnotsm.
1t is notorious that 95 per cent Of the
dogs that lie around the farm houses and
Iaborers' cabins in this State are OF
low and measlcy type, worthless for any
purpose on earth except to bark at pass
ers-by and bay the moon. The foxes are
far between in Georgia in these days; the
coon is almost stranger and the festive
'possum is getting annually fewer. Nei-
thcr flesh nor pelts of all l:iree animals
are taken in Georgia any year equal in
value to the nocks and enterprise of
either of the gentlemen whom the sheep
killing dogs have ostracized. Theirs are
typical cases and hey warn orr legisla-
tors that valuable industries and yalua-
bic class of citizens will be barred from
settlement in Georgia so long as our laws
prefer dogs to sheep raising and woollen
factoring. It has been plainly pointed
out to us by the experiences of other
communities that the protection afforded
by the laws to destructive ours produce
four-fold injury, viz:
l. 1t prevents sheep raising upon any
general scale of enterprise and t}is
DESTROYS utterly one of the niost pros ct
i've industries that an American State can
foster.
?. 1t renders it costly and difficult to
redeem waste lands that might be easily
reclaimed to fertility through the ag2s,acy
of sheep pasturing.
3. 1t thus tends to diminish the value
of such LANDS, and makes them the pos
sessions or squatting grounds OF the
thriftlcss dog raisers, and so drives away
all desirable settlers.
!. 1t discourases enterprise upon the
part of the really industrious and pro-
sressive people of the vicinage, and thus
rclegates the community to dead level
of old processes and customs.
No argument is needed to support any
or all Of the above propositions. They
conclude the case against the bench-lcss
and bIindles. and no intelligent legislator
in this State ought to everasain raise his
voice or cast vote against the proposal
70 extcrmina;e the shcep-killcrs and
immigrant clusters.
Whatever dogs are useful or valuable
for purposes OF sport. protection or breed,
ins can be protected and can easily afford
to paw for their right to exist IN the com
munity. All ether breeds of the dog
kind tlrtt prowl and prey should be put
under the full ban OF the law. The press
and people of Georgia who are really
interested in building up our wasted
lands. peopling our farming lands. cans-
ino mills and factories TO utilize our
,bundant wafer powers and encourage
the growing OF ''the golden fleece OF thc
fortunes that lie in the wool industries
should take up this long delayed war
upon the dogs and push it to a signal
victory.