The Republican journal., 1909-05-13
"Or Dog"

To THE EDITOR OF The JOURNAL:
Since the Maine newspaper press gen
orally regards it as being worth while to
remark the admirable enactment of the
74th legislature relating to the licensing
of dogs and the better protection of
sheep, owners of dogs may be pardoned
for wishing to call attention to the be-
lated recognition which that body also
wisely granted them, by amending the
law in regard to malicious mischief.
That the Maine dog stands in fair
way of ranking with the liquor question
and the fish and game law as subject
for infinite legislative elaboration, we
may all smilingly agree; but while it has
become a habit, with the decadence of
the stove-pipe and mother-in-law jokes,
to discover abundant humor in the work
of State lawmakers, there has never
been anything especially amusing to the
dog owner in the manner in which, until
the present year, the dog has been made
an outlaw.
When a farmer finds the dog-slaugh-
tered remains of some of his highly
priced all-wool sheep, it is small wonder
that he sees red, and wishes that all the
ours in the country We're wired for cleo
5rocution. with his hand upon the fatal
switch. 1t may be said in passing that
undoubtedly his emotions are similar
when one of them suddenly drives an
automobile past him at express train
speed. as he is quietly jogging along the
public highway with his family.
Nevertheless. in every community there
iwels an appreciabe number of people
who appear to be fully entitled to the
respect. confidence anG consideration of
manner is so free from eccentricities of
thought and action that no alienist would
question their sanity, and yet these peo
pie quite unbushingly confess to love
for dogs. and find much pleasure in own
ing and occasionally breeding them.
But dog of incalculable value to its
owner. and worth hundreds of dollars if
offered for sale. has always had less-o
standing in law than a three-year-old hen
With the pip. And any degenerate candi-
date for perdition might wantonly kill a
dog. and all the outraged owner could do
about il was to bring civil suit to recover
its value But if he shot a pigeon in the
street he was liable to arrest. Very for
turately indeed, this matter was not so
understood generally.
Do not cypically ask what dog is good
tori surely do not know. Neither do |
know what diamonds and jewelry and
yachts and race-horses and teddy bears,
and a whole lot of other things, are good
for. ! only know that they go with all
the rest to make up the game which we
rights of Others we are all privileged to
pursue happiness according to individual
fancy. and are entitled to legal protec-
zion in our course.
FL Martin, Esq, of Bangor, a promi-
nent lawyer and fancier of mastiffs, la
bored vainly with the preceding legisla-
ture. while a member of that body This
wear however, dog lovers have the salts
faction of knowing that measure of
protection has been accorded to them by
the insertion of the words cor dog" in
Section /, Chapter 1913, of the Revised
Statutes, so that the section now reads:
Section L Whoever wilfully or mali
ciously kills, wounds maims disfgures or
poisons any domestic animal, or dog, or
exposes any poisonous substance with in
tent that the life of such animal should be
destroyed thereby, shall be punished by
Imprisonment for not more than four years.
or by fine not exceeding five hundred dol
lars. - Approved April 3.
In countless ways. from fireworks to
photographs. the pleasures of one man
NAV be the annoyances of his neighbors.
and dog may easily become an intoler-
able nuisance without killing sheep or
assau.ting persons; but, while justly en-
titlel 10 more cog owners have reason
10 Re thankful for the little which they
hav- received at the hands of the 18th
legislature. E. s.
ROCkLAND BOOMING.