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

that my dog was one of those engaged
in it. | saw those sheep mangled AMI
torn in as cruel and blood thirsty II
manner as any tiger OF lion or any wild
beast could have done it. That dog
went back to the wild in that encoun-
ter. he became as dangerous to the
prosperity Of the community as the
wolf from which he sprang.
| This is a business proposition az well
as one calling for sympathy. Last SUM
NOR as one Of the municipal officers in
my town | was called to where sheep
| had been killed. Suppose the owner of
the sheep had killed one of those dogs
there and this protection had been
placed around that dog The most Of
| these dogs are worthless ours and if
| they are declared to lie domestic ami
mails any man is liable for killing or
| injurin9 one that may be running over
| his place anywhere or anyhow | sub
nit it becomes d question Of hard prac-
tIcal dollars, and cents. l say. let the
Edoe stay Just where he is We may lose
our Individual dog but he is a descen-
dant from the wolf, a wild beast with
thiood-thirsty instincts. Let the dog
stay where he is. (AprlauseD
Mr. TI1COMB of Termination: I
presume l like dogs as well as The gen
tlenlan from Bangor. Peary said he
could get along on dogs all right If he
had enough Of them; but if You prefer
| mutton. don't vote to make the dog \
| domestic animal. Npplause.)
Mr.. MOORE of Saco: I wish TO say
! just a word for the dog. 1t may be true
that the gentleman from Brooks had a
mnrdorOuS dog in his family We have
| he'd murderOus members of the com
| nIunity throughout this State; but the
members Of this Legislature or the cit
| liens Of this state are not classified as
wild Indians because murder has been
committed by some of our citizens.
| App!auSc) Why. then. should the dog
| be 50 classified? 1t was an incident OF
my youth to see 4 man gor"d to death
| hy bull. but the statutes of this State
protect those animals as domestic an
| imnls. And why not dogs? This bill is
| simply dEclaratOrv of 2 fact that has
| existed down through the a"ons of his
tory, beyond the founders of this State.
| beyond the landing of the Pilgrims at
| Plymouth Rock, yes, Mr.. Speaker, down
to the time when old Noah nursed or
| his haarthStOnc in the ark the dog that
was his friend and wiped from his
| shaggy coat the waters Of the flood Mr..
! Speaker, [ shall vote for the dog. CAP
pl1uge)
| Mr.. MCKINNEY Of BridGton: I ap-
| prcciatc the admirable traits of the
| dog and all that is good in him, yet |
am pronounced in this House as the
enemy to the dog and as one who de-
| e.i,, LOT To 90
| the earth But want to ask a question
| IF tho dog is domestic animal he
then becomes n recognized piece of
property. does he not?
Mr.. MARTIN: He is property now by
| tho statutes of the state.
Mr. MCKINNEY: We have law that
requires al property to be taxed equal
| ". We have a law which says the dog
shall be taxed a certain amount. That
| law must be unconstitutional, must it
not? [ am not the enemy of the dog.
| but in my opinion the best thing you
can 90 with the dog is just what you
| do with every other domestic animal
in this state. and that is, make the
| owner take care Of him and sec that he
does not run at large. / am afraid if
you pass this law you will go very far
with doing away with that protection
that the farmers Of this State have
asked this Legislature to give them
with regard to their property.
Mr. PERKINS of Alfred: When
saw this innocent looking bill I noticed
that the gentleman from Bangor had
introduced Bill 122 just afterwards. He
introduced 153 just after that. But this
bill was the corner stone of those other
two. Now I haven't anything against
the dog. Keeping the dog as he is has
ben the corner stone of protection that
the farmer has had. 1t seems to me that
the matter of taxation should be con-
sidered This proposed law upsets every
bit of legislation we have had so far
as the dog is concerned and think We
should be careful how we upset the
long years of legislation we have had.
If we make the dog domestic animal
we open the whole door. He is all right
where he is. and we should not take
away all the protection the farmer has
by saying that the dog is a domestic
animal.
Mr. LIBBY of Amity: Two years ago
| started in to increase my flock of
sheep, paying high prices, until 1 had