The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-02-11
THE Home and FARM

Oy an dItIClc HAiSAI oPPe>
ed in the rps under n name
OF Edwin Markham. It was q vicious
and unreasonable attack on the Dog.
The article was not written by Mr.
Markham, but was q QuDtaIlon 1Ioin
Mr.. Ambrose Bierce's book: The
Shadow On The Dial" 1t Ex1oenty
had the Endorsement of Mr.
be. ter than this from the author OIL
THE Man With The Hoe" not"1tn-
standing the fact that the man with
the hoe" is now practically a dead
issue"
The mar with the hoe is doing toll
cradle well nowadays whatever may
have been his sad plight at the time
when Mr.. Markham was inspired TO
write his famous poem under thar
title. And the dog, We might say. Is
no worse than he was then.
This attack on the dog is so vicious
and full OF Misrepresentation that
one might easily imagine that the man
who wrote 1t was himself afflicted
with mental hydrophcbia-
1t admits the underlying friendship
OF the dog for his master but declares
that such friendship is based only on
the dogs desire to be fed. and that
he is indiScriminate in the bestoWd4
OF his affections. The same thing can
be said to be true to a great extent or
xnen and ONE
Says this c~alumniatoF Of our canine
friends, the dog Is without morals .
manners" This is not the dogs fault.
There is no record Of any code OF
morals ever having beer set up for
dogs to govern themselves by. The5
! are just what nature made the9a-no
worse. no better. unless
they are taught better. / have known
| dogs who a better morals and man
| ners than their masters.
The article referred to goes On to
| say that no man loves dogs: that he
loves only his oWn dog, a that ne
insults the woman he loves by doing
| that. This statement alone is enough
to discredit the whole article. Men
! differ in their tastes in this respect as
| be truthfHlly said that h man who
loves aninaa3a Including dogs, will
make a better husband than the n
| who does not. There r plenty OF
men who love dogs. who. for good and
sufficient reasons. nave none OF their
own. I can't recall q single case OF
where a woman regarded herself as
insulted because her husband had a
kindly feeling for the canine EAce, or
where she became Jealous OF a deg.
In the consideration OF this subject
we should not forget that there are
dogs and dogs, Just as there are women
and women and men and men. There
are exceptions and some dogs are
worthless. and ought to be summary
dealt with. but the a. still reznains
that the human race, especially the
men and boy part OF it. has a kindly
feeling for the dog Tace.
The charge Of laziness - i'll found
ed. Naturally the dog IS OF IA active
and strenuous nature. Ask any herds
man about the value OF a trained col
lie and he will tell you that he Is
worth three or four men. Every
ifarmer who has q good watch dog,
or a dog trained In any line for useful
work. will testify to his value. As q
hunter q dog will work to the point
Of exhaustion. The dog Is subject 10
training and he Is about what you
make out OF him. The statement than
not one in a thousand earn their keep
Many people keep 4 dog for his com
l~panionship. If they think ne Is
worthy OF his keep for that purpose !
SEQ no reason why they should no
own Onc
The dog is here to stay. He hould
probably be Regulated so as not to
infringe upon the rights OF others. but
that ia about as far as public sentd-
ment will go towards any plan f0r
his extinction.
About thirty-five or forty years ago
the Legislature OF one OF the Southern
: States passed a dog-tax law. The PEG
Dle rose up in revolt against it. and Al
the ensuing election the repeal Of tina,
law became the paramount issue
The vote was Overwhelmingly against
J the law and 1t WAS repealed by the
2 following session.
= I have owned dogs ali my life aRC
know their good and bad habits. ]
am glad TO come to their defense II
a man wants TO pick a quarrel with
me and get himself in trouble let hin
tgo Ito klckin' nay daHg
One OF the most eloquent tributes
ever paid to the dog was delivered by
Senator Vest, of Missouri, some year.
taeo. He Was attending court in
country town, and while waiting 70,
the trial OF q case in which he wa.