Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1897-01-28
The Unanswered Dogs.

A'ooouiy ~ oo1 VI Cauiuoo OVoi
caused so much talk as the pack
which Ed Little dragged into Gov.
Leedy's message. A dog show is not
to be mentioned in the same day with
these animals for interest and noise.
The New York Tribune is especially
taken with them and remarks: Con-
corning the rhetorical force and
beauty Of the figure Of speech with
which Governor Leedy Of Kansas
closed his glowing tribute to the
"cheerful audacity" Of the "Grub
Street scribblers on a venal press,
who have been INDUCING in "puny
and presumptuous criticism" OF
Kansas, there can be but one opinion.
But after all, it has to be admitted
that in a formal public document
10000 words long the necessity for
historic accuracy, even in the use Of
illustration, metaphor and figures Of
speech, is much greater than in a
song or a sonnet issued under q poets
license or q stump speech peddled out
under politicians. So the question
will naturally arise in the minds Of
men after the momentsry admiration
for the governors rhetoric has sub
sided, Is it an actual and well-authen-
ticated historic fact that "the dogs Of
Egypt have barked at the Pyramids
unanswered for five thousand years"P
1t may be said, Of course, by the
hypercritical that, even II true, the
fact that the Pyramids made no an
swer to the dogs of Egypt that have
been barking at them for five thou
sand years furnishes no sufficient rea-
son for Governor Leedy's answering
the Grub Street scribblers who have
been barking at Kansas for not more
than three or four years. Very likely
these hypercritics will say; "If the
silence Of the silence Of the Pyramids
is SO admirable, why in the name Of
goodness didn't he initiate ltP" That,
however, is not important. All anal
ogies fall down at some point when
put to the test Of critical analysis.
No little thing like that can impair
the force of this rhetorical allusion to |
the, Pyramids and the unanswered
dogs.
The question Of Of historic accuracy |
is quite different and more important.
For, unless it can be proved by the
most irrefragable testimony that the
dogs Of Egypt have been pouring out
their interrogatory mutations to the
Pyramids habitually and persistently |
without any response from those re-
markable structures for five thousand
years, the Grub Street scribblers, as
the governor can readily see, will be
very liable to get back at him. And
the burden Of proof is on him. II the
dogs Of Egypt have been carrying on
this business for five thousand years,
urinterruptedly, there must be some
record Of it. But the Greek historian
and traveller Herodotus, who was in
Egypt in the fifth century before the
Christian era, with eyes and ears wide
open, seeing and hearing lots OF
things, some Of which were so, makes
no mention Of it, though he takes
pains to say that the Egyptians
shaved their entire bodies upon the
Heath Of the family dog. Neither
loes Sir John Wilkinson, who wrote
unanimously on Egypt, make any
mention of this curious circumstance.
The same failure may be noted on the
part OF the historian Rawlinson, in
lis treatise on Egypt; Of William c.
Prime, in his BOAT Life in Egypt and
lubia"; Of Mark Twain and all the
'ther eminent Psychologists who
lave brought the Nile regions as close
lone to us in America as Osawa-
omie is to Topeka. The absence of
my reference by historians or tray
Hers to the dogs that keep up
teady barking at the Pyramids must
necessarily excite distrust Of Govern
r Leedy's historic accuracy. And
lnless there were dogs doing this
uty daily, it follows, Of course, that
he Pyramids maintained becoming
nd dignifed reticence. OF course
he dogs were unanswered il they
eglected to 60 there and bark.
Even II they have been barking for
iva Thousand wears. IL is not so |