The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-12-11
z44N Il HI AZ H. III
BEHOLD The DOG!
He Is Too Much Favored. Says
Secretary J. L. BOtkin-
Allowed More Privileges Than
Man or Other Beast.
NOBODY HAS ANY RIGHTS
That Even a MOngreI Cur Is
Bound to Respect
Plans to Garry His Grievance
to the Legislature.
NOBODY HAS ANY RIGHTS

Dogs have TOO many privileges IN
der the constitution and laws of, the
state, according to J. t. Bot1In. sec
rotary Of state \ dog can do things
that no other animal can do and the
owner Of the dog is exalted and held
in high esteem Il a hog or L vaIu-
able COW took the liberties that are
naturally accorded 4 ten-cent speckIed
cur there would be a public uprising
and the owner of the COW or hog
would go TO jail
Botkin Is certain there l. some
thing wrong with the trend of pub
lie sentiment when the dog is eIe-
waited in the public mind and other
valuable domestic animals are re-
stricred and infrfnged upon \ dog
may tear up three acres of flower
beds and spring gardens and eat a
child or two and no one starts an agi-
tatIon against the canine family Yet
L $500 horse OF pediEreed COW
walks across a mans lawn there Is
a ueighborhOod feId until the owuer
OF the animal makes amends. That
Is Just an inLaHcs- BOtkin's soul Is
fun ard overdowIng with examples
living and past where the dog went
free and chicken was killed and the
owner of 4 fat hog or well bred COW
was condemned
Sometime ago Secretary and Mrs
BoCk1u went TO California to attend
the fair When they came home. they
found a morgreB pup burying a bone
N the front yard and tndustrtousIy
digging up Mrs Botkin's pet rose.
Had to Coax Him Away
There wasn't thing to do, but
Just coax that doggte TO please run
away said BOtIxin- IF Z had shot
the dog I would have been referred
10 as tuhUman and a brute Yet when
4 Iock OF chickens worth T5c each
begins 10 Craze on i mans lawn. he
may Kill half dozen OF them and no
one says anything about it
TAKE the matter Of dogs running
at large urged BOtl1in- Why its a
sin No one thinks of IetEf1- MS
cows and horses and pigs roam the
streets II a mans chickens Cross
the road he Is hailed before the court
and fined Try 20 euro the rf--Ilr- -
4 dog though. and see what happens
20 you Once IN awhile they eat a
child or bite Il man or woman. But
there IS aIvTa vs. Z defense Tor me hog
even sorrow and pIty-in the public
mind [ know of 4 half Joxen chill
dreu who have been bitten BY mad
dogs during the time have lived IN
E0DeA.l- Try to take away one OF the
dogs rights, though, and the whole
community viii take arms l<aiIis- YOU I
His Rights Are Paramount
W by, Just 4 few years a-r0 the
state legislature passed i law about
protection by merchants of their side
walk displays against the dogs No
matter how valuable the display
space = merchant vas curbe,i II his
rights The dog had to have the
righr-Of-Way and no one in tn Iegis-
lature ever considered restricting
some Of the privileges OF the Jog The
merchant could TAR better move hrs
potatoes and prUnes and peas ard
let the dog have free range
That isn't the only thing. though
The other night three dogs kept me
awake nearly the entire night II II
had been A cat. I would have ASA ss5- +
mated it without fear Of my ueIEIlbors Z
II Il bunch Of hogs worth S58 4 head
had crawIad under nv porch and be
gun such an upr0ar as these dogs
started, I could have gone to any
length and no one would condemn OF
criticise ne But d dog WIS different F
II dog wanted TO DO voice culture
under my window at midnight. he
had the right and Z WIS L mere citi-
zen on FOOT without the FiEhE or power
to interfere
There are lot Of things which the .
legislature has done IN the past which .
I cant entirely endorse There IS
much that should be done. But L I
can enlist the men and women who .
have felt their rights imposed upon (
by the dog. maybe We can get 4 hear
ing at the next session AMI put the F
dog on the social footing th-A- he de-