Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-03-20

| 20, and two dogs got into my pasture
in broad daylight and tore one of
| those sheep to pieces and entirely
spoiled the whole flock, so today 1 am
without a sheep. Now draw your own
conclusions. (Applause.)
Mr. HILL of Machias: 1t seems to
me that the dog is all right under the
present arrangement. They are suffi-
GENTLY numerous. If we leave
| the law as it stands today don't thinl:
| it is hurting the dog any. 1 think it is
well to go slow in this matter 1 don't
see that there is any necessity for pass
ing this act, and I hope we won't do
anything rash or foolish in the matter
Mr.. DOW of Brooks: In regard 10
the case where the poison was left on
| the highway, I would ask the gentle
man if those dogs are not protected ny
the criminal law today if it can be
proved who did that thing
Mir MARTIN: suppose he had shot
the dogs instead of poisoning them,
where is your criminal remedy?
Mr.. DOW: l don't know as | Gan an
sWcr that. The gentleman from Saco
refers to the bulll.eing a domestic ami
NAL. I would ask ii the owner OF that
ctillltlsti ftll'Ncu lfill Dlle I)fI from HIS
own promises. and if he was found On
another mans land if his owner would
Mt hr liable for any damages commit
ted" | submit If the dog is to be heIg-
CT around with the protection of being
declared Il domestic animal he should
have the same restrictions as others;
lie should not be allowed away from his
masters premises except under the
control Of his owner. If he is to be a
domestic animal to be protected where
ever he goes, just so he should be sub
jcct to any penalties he may incur.
Mr. BLANCHARD Of Auburn: |
have as much respect fer the dog as
any one but respect the horny-handed
sons of toll who are today laboring on
| the hills of our State, and | believe thai
every friend Of agriculture in the
House VIII vote in favor o. maintaining
the law as it now is.
Mr.. MARTIN: | want this House
when they vote upon this question to
have clearly in mind just what the is
sue it. The issue here is whether the
| dog is domestic animal, which means
merely tame-whethcr he is a tame an
imal or a wild one: and all this talk
about dogs killing sheep and the pro-
| lection Of sheep and the sheep industry
has no bearing upon this case The gen.
tleman from Bridgton says if we make
The dog n domestic animal we must
| tax him like other animalS. That very
question arose i'll the supreme court of
| massachusetts that it would be uncon-
Stitutional to impose n license on dogs,
they being domestic animals, that thcv
| must be taxed like other animals, and
| the supreme court Of that State held
| that the State in the exercise of it's no
| lice powers could impose such rcgula-
ti0nS upon dogs or any other domestic,
animal as they deemed wise: and thar
takes care Of that argument. And this
| talk about upSctting the legisla ton Of
the State for half a century-this bill
has no bearing on that. The only effect
| of it vii, ne to enable man who OWLS
dog that some miserable sneak NAV
shoot may have a right to go into court
and have him punished for it. There
IS no statute in the State that will pun-
ish a man for shooting your dog. If you
have a dog that is an inmate Of your
household and Some man shoots him
unjuStilably 7 want to know if Won
want a statute the same as they hav.
in every other state in the Union that
he may be punished for his dastardIy
act; and that is all there is to the ques-
ton.
The question being on the motion to
Indefinitely postpone the bill. a division
Mas had and the motion was lost by a
vote If IS to 60.
The bill then received its second read
ing, and on motion by Mr.. Martin the
rules We're suspended the bill received
its third reading and was passed to be
engrosSed.