The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-06-14

It appears that measures have been
taken in St Louis for the determination
Of masterless and untaxed dogs. and
the st Louis star protests against
such action as follows:
The dog is Erumsnity's trueSt, most faithful,
honest, and loving friend; he did not come into
this world OF his own yoliti0n; he Is not
quainted with law and should not, therefore. BE
made to suffer for the neglect Of those to whom
he has the right to look for protection It may
he all right IN the matter OF revenue 70 tax the
dog. but 1t IS not right TO make him responsible
under penalty Of his lie Tor the Hon-ayIr ent o.
the tax
This is piece Of sentiment which
suggests that the silly season-not to
say the dog days-has already begun
It starts a train of logic which comes
I'D against fence after a short course,
with violent and disheartening bump
If the untaxed dogs for which nobody
Is responsible are to be allowed to run
at large, what, pray, IS the use Of any
I dog tax at all? Are the dogs for which
( their masters have failed to provide d
( tag to be boarded Indefinitely at the
/ public expense. together with the ami
mails that never had any masters?
/ It is quite true that on occasion the
/ dog can be q true and loving friend"
10 the master whom he happens to
I choose OF by whom he has been chosen
as q companion. But that is positively
the only excuse for his existence. II he
! belongs to nobody he IS not only useless,
/ but detrimental 10 society, and not par
! ticUlarly comfortable himself. Any
/ one who sees the homeless, NANCY.
: 5yT1
/ ours that stink and pr0wI about the al
Ieys and back yards Of any large city is
not likely to regard them as of any
great benefit to humanity or them
selves. All they are good for is to catch
hydrophobia now and then and perDet-
uate the race of od-for-nOthing mon
grels- It might be q work Of phiIan-
thropy to take all these canine unfor-
/ Inmates and transport them TO some
good place in the country where they
/ could be provided with homes, or run
wild in case Of homeIessness; but so
long as there are innumeTabIe human
beings in practically the same predica-
ment, reduced TO preying upon society
in ways infinitely more dangerous than
any animal depredatiOns, it seems as
if it would be better to defer starting
dog mission and take care Of the pee
pie IN the alleys They did not come
here Of their own voIition' either. and
most Of them are not acquainted with
any more law than they learn hap
fazcTd in the police court. Most sensi-
bic people VIII agree that the best plan
to follow IN case Of the dog population
Of any city IS to make a reasonable dog
law and enforce II, and kill of the ours
for which there are TO visible means Of
support
Whether such a course is philan-
thropic or not, what else is it possible
10 90? Does the st Louis Star" sug-
gest that the city shall collect in the
pound all the untagged dogs within It's
limits and feed them until they die OF
are adopted into good homes? Such q
course would be rather expensive, and
the result would probably be far from
satisfactory Or IS it proposed that the
city shall follow the plan Of Constant
n5pIe, and let all dogs live and run
loose, whether they have any masters
OF not? In the Turkish capital the dogs
/ are the most striking and not the most
attractive features Of the place They
act as scaveugers, doing the work
somewhat imperfectIy, but at least bet
ter than nothing at all.