The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-12-13
THE WALLER DOG is SAFE.
LAUGHS AND LET'S
HIM LIVE ON.

Makes n Joke of the Destroyer of the
sheen Industry and Poultry Inter-
cSts-One OF MIR. BInIOck's Reform
bills kiIIcd--The Expense of Dying
tn he Increased by the Passage of
MIR. CaIvin's EmbaImers' Bill.
Atlanta, Ga, Dec. ia proposition TO
levy and collect a tax upon all Georgia
dogs over the age of six months caused
a debate almost equal to that over the
school fund in the House to-day. 1t ended
ia a victory for the dog, though there
were many eloquent voices raised against
him.
The bill under consideration was the net
result of five different bills on the same
subject, which made their appearance on
the House calendar cary in the session.
1t bore the name of Mr.. Dews of Ran
dolph as author, and although that gen
tleman disavowed credit for all the Wis
dom contained in the measure, he, never
tbeless championed it as vehemently as
if he had been responsible for all five
measures.
Mr. Dews declared that there were a
quarter of a million adult dogs in the
state, 90 say the least of it, and the reve-
nue. from this source at 81 a head would
turn coupe of hundred thousand dollars
into the depleted treasury ana curtailed
school fund. Justification for the bill was
pleaded by the fact that the ''yaller dog
is a mighty slaughterer of sheep.
Mr.. Rose of Camden county, whose dig
niled presence and mellifiuous voice al
ways give great weight to anything he
saws. was an able second to Mr.. Dews in
denunciation of the 'yaller dog" He said
the bill would give a man right to Kill
dog upon which the tax had not been
paid when the dog was found guilty OF
preying upon sheep, and this clause, he be-
lieved would lead to a defamation of the
dog population. Down in his country, he
said, there was an average Of three dogs
to every colored citizen. If the past ratio
of increase was kept up, the dogs would
soon be in control of all the offices, as
well as the sheep ranches, and he, there
fore urged the passage of the bill, both
as an economic move and as a party meas
ure.
Messrs. Rose and Dews might be termed
the leaders of the dog crusade. But they
were not the only orators who were
aroused to action by the issue. There
were others. Among these was Mr.. Har-
din of Wilkes, a young man who has not
heretofore aspired TO leadership, though he
may now be placed in that class.
Mr. Speaker" he exclaimed, rising
| dramatically in his place, every time
| think on this dog bill my mind involuntar-
| lily wanders back a century to the Bos-
ton tea party. Yea, when L look into the
| faces of these distinguished gentlemen
who promote this bill, L remember the
Maine. Gentlemen are crying Peace,
peace! even peace jubilee! when, alas,
there is no peace. The dog war is now
on. The next gale that sweeps the decks
of the grand old ship of the state of
Georgia, will wait 10 ears the wall of the
statesmen out of a job. Mr.. Speaker" he
concluded. IF l was a Georgia dog, I'd
| fly my tail at half-mast to-day!'
| 1t is needless to add that the gentleman
| from Wilkes resumed his chair amid the
| applause of his colleagues.
In spite of the serious efforts of Messrs
| Rose and Dews, many would not take the
! dog bill seriously. Mr.. Howard of Chat
tahoochee proposed to amend so as to ap-
| ply the tax only to sheep-killing dogs.
| This brought the venerable farmer from
! Houston 10 his feet with the obiect.on
that such an amendment would be clearly
| unconstitutional. as it was class legsla-
| ton. Messrs Mcmillan and LaRoche
stood by the wiregrass county and voted
seriously to pass the bill. But even the
| example of such conservative gentlemen
| as these had no effect, and the bill met
an adverse fate. 1t received Go votes to 60
| against, but could not muster a constitu-
tional majority of IS, which was neces-
sary TO raise the canine to the dignity of
| poll tax.
MIR. Blalock's bill requiring a return and
registration of all notes. accounts and
other evidences of debt before being valid
| for collection under the laws of the state
was lost in the House after debate. for
! lack of a constitutional majority. This
| was one of the numerous tax reform bills
| introduced a the beginning of the session.
| The principal speeches made against it
were by Mr.. Bell of Forsythe and Messrs.
! Knowles and Brandon of Fulton MIR.
| Bell pointed out that it proposed to vioate
the obligation of existing contracts, and
was, therefore, unconstitutional, in that
respect at least
Mr. Blalock, in supporting the bill, said
it was intended to catch the tax dodgers.
| Mr.. Freeman, chairman of the commit
tee on ways and means, spoke in favor
of the bill, as did also Messrs Hail of
| Bbb Park of Greene and Woodall of Tai
bolt. The sentiment of the House was
| decidedly in favor of passing it, but the
attendance was rather small, and it lack
ed eight votes Of the necessary eighty
eight though but tifty-six were cast
| against il.
The bill by Mr.. Stone of Walton, giving
the hire of the convicts to the prison com
mission for establishing the state prison
farm, with the exception of So. 600 which
goes into the school fund. was passed
Mr.. Calvins bill, creating a state board
of embaimers similar to the state medical
examining boards, was also passed.
The Freeman resolution, authorizing the
Governor 10 borrow money to tide over
any casual deficiency between now and the
next meeting of the legislature went
through, also his bill providing for the