The evening times., 1900-01-19
Anniher Dn- Iru.ndc

/ For reasons unknOwn-or perhaps it is
/ attributable 10 the prevalence of a form
4 OF midwinter madness in certain circles of
brief authority-ihe dog has lately become
an object of attack in more than one quar-
ter. In Washington. by an august decree
nc has been sentenced to the indfgnity and
torture Of having his jaws done up in wire
or leather. or both. If certain bucolic
as5emblyman is permitted to have his way
in the New York Legislature, the Empire
State dogs, excepting in a few more en-
lightened counties where idioJic measures
are strangled at birth, will be summarily
suppressed. Not that a general execution
is proposed but the bill introduced by the
assembyman from one of the rural conn
ties of the southern tier provides that any
resident Of any community, excepting tn Sc
counties. may. upon having his nocturnal
quieUude disturbed by the barking of tie
animal in question. complain 10 a justice
a repetition of the offence confers upon
the Judicial officer the authority to seE-
tence the offending dog to determination
IN settled communities. aside from being
a conCenal domestic animal or a priced
pet. the dog has a single sphere of useful
ness. In the majority of instances he is
fed and housed because of his proclivity
for warning the resident against thieves.
If OF sufficient proportions and pugnacity
to be formidable. his duty lies in the di-
rection of a vigorous attack upon the in
for { n Hir1,ir, iu a,
the case, he Is expected to be better thf n
an automatic burglar alarm, inasmuch as
these electrical devices are not put in op-
Grafton by a suspicious sound, and the
right sort of dog is.
The bucolic New York assemblyman'
measure. however, threatens to deprive the
citizens of large part of the Empire
State of these valuable canine services. If
stamped with authority his law will pro-
vide an excellent facility for the further
ance of neighborhood feuds and the gratifi-
cation of private grudges There is woe in
store for the man who keeps dog if he
also has an enemy within earshot. for even
though a dozen masked thieves seek TO
break into his domicile and despoiI him
of his valu>Ses. the disgruntled neighbor
may easily lodge complaint with the near
est justice. pleading insomnia and secure,
upon second offence, the removal of his en-
emy's dog to the general place of execu-
tion. There may, of course be clause
in the proposed law exempting from COM
plaint and future seizure the dog who is
wise enough to distinguish between noises
that are natural and sounds that are sus-
picious. but if there is, the dispatches
have failed to note it.
There is no denying that some dogs are
nuisances and ought, in the interest of pub
lie somnolence, to be violently suppressed
But sweeping measure enjoinng silence
upon the dogs of the larger part of a
State after the curfew without discrimina-
ton is an injustice to those animals whose
judgment has frequently been demonstrated
to be almost human: and, secondarily,
is an indirect invitation to petty thieves
to come on and help themselves after the
wholesale slaughter of CANNES has been
completed
Another indefensible feature of this pro-
posed enactment is its provision of ex-
emption in favor of four counties where
the dog family is known to be represented
in large numbers. If it is right that dogs
should be forcibly suppressed in Dutchess,
there is no apparent reason why the quar-