The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1889-02-09
oysters and Politics.

oyster farming, private ownership 1.-THE oyster
beds instead of State ownership, taxes and
tariffs, glue and glass bottles, machine poll
tics and registration laws, improved modern
agricultural machinery and pauper labor, the
principles of Adam Smith, as laid down III
his Wealth of Nations, the views of Cob
den. Bright, David A. Wells, and other
writers upon the principles of finance and
political economy. In short we cannot pre-
tend to follow the learned writer in the pre-
sentation Of his medley of subjects muttorm
and mixed.
His object appeared to be to present the
oyster question to his readers in Ineligible
form, for which purpose he quoted largely
from the report of Professor Brooks to the
MARYLAND Legislature in 1884, in which the
subject is very intelligently and thoroughly
treated.
We must give Mr.. Cowen credit for sinceri-
ty of purpose. He is a reformer, and would
not have things as they are, but as he wants
them. Seemingly the mantle of Governor
Hamilton has fallen upon his shoulders, and
he would reform everything within the con
6res of the State He means well, no doubt,
else why should he return to reform TOPICS
at this time, when the public mind IS enjoying
a respite from questions of State policy. But
he is still haunted by the nightmare OF ma
chine politics" which stick to him ike the
Old Man of the Sea- He is morbidly excited
upon this subject, and finds cause for denun'
I
citation of the machine, in every failure OF
the State Legislature TO shape its legislation
according to his pattern, whether II be the
nrotection Of oysters or the ballot. Conse-
| ouentlv he deuounces machine politics as the
cause of the failure TO protect the oyster beds
of the State. which are in danger Of exhaus-
ton from alleged Encouragement. de adopts
Prot. Brooks theory as the true one tor the
preservation Of the oyster interests OF the
State. That theory may be the true one.
Saecinctly stated, il is-that prirate property
in land is the basis Of all land cultivation, and
that the principle is as applicable to land
under the water where oysters grow, as to
land above the water where corn, wheat aud
po,stoes grow. That the State should confer
proprietary rights to these lands for proper
consideration, that they should be surveyed,
bounded. mapped and b1oyed, and cultivated
by their owners al the year roaaS rs farms
on dry land. This system has been adopted
IN New York. New Jersey, Connecticut and
Rhode Island. where the oyster beds have
passed from State ownership 70 individual
ownership, and the result has been that the
oyster production has been vastly increased
and become a source Of immense wealth.
MARYLAND has about $4,000 acres Of oyster
land Or lard under water, sud 10000 acres
Of natural beds These 10000 acres could
all be made to yield oysters under proper
culture. as has been done in the States above
named. giving largely increased supply q
this desirable God end increased employment
to labor. The oyster nasy woEle ihea be =
useless appendage, oysters would increase IN
stead Of diminish, as now and the revenge
ofths State be greatly increased. We suhjoiu
an extrse, from this paper, which viii be
read with interest
"A Connecs;cut writer gives the following
account Of tie result Of three years % oyster
! farming under the wise laws in that State
Fifty thousand acres of entirely barren
ground covered thirty. forty and hfiy feet
deep By the waters Of Long Island Sound have
| been made into productive oyster eesis, ana
hare multiplied b. az hapadrca field the pro-
duction Of ustivs oysters. leu years ago lens
I Of thousands Of bushels Of oysters Seen in.
ported from New York. NeE Jersey and
/ Rhode Island, and nov hundreds Of thou
sands Of bushels are yearly exported 20 these
States and TO Massachusetts. Millions Of dol
+ lars are now invested IN the industry, ihoa-
I sands Of men aud womea are employed. Mi.
lions OF bushels are in growing crops ard
hnt,dFeas OF thousands Of dollars yearly come
mao tbe. Statp as proceeds Of exported oys.
ters. The oyster aaIhefisies have paid more
than 6fty thousand dollars % the towns aHe
TO the State for grounds 70 eal'.Sa'e, and pay
q yearly tax 10 q large amount
'sThe establishment 81 an oyster farming
/ industry IN our waters would soon double TIE
productive area Of Maryland Is Eoaid rap,
idIy increase the wealth aud prosperity II
onr neople; Il would soon remove al danger
OF the loss Of oar oysters, and Il Eoald ultl-
mately, by taxation, relieve tie people OF the
/ interior % most Of the burden Of the support
Of our State government
.srhe only obstacle il the way Of the deEel-
opment of such an industry among % Is the
I eTistenee 81 the sentiment that STAGE the oys.
ter grounds belong 10 the Whole people they
/ are not a proper held for private laRoE and
i industry. Sea fishes have aisays been re-
/ gaFded as common properly, because : . noi
within the power Of individuals % improve
I them or increase their numbers or values bat
/ this is not true OF oysters An oyster Is -
subject 70 Improvement BY cultivation ~
/ potato, and the cultivation Of oysters is,
( therefore, perfectly proper and legitimate
empioyment Tor labor and capital, and the
common right TO the beds must in time give
/ way 10 private enterprise, jasi Is sareiy IS
/ the common right to the natural products Of
/ the soil has gwen way before the progress OF
civilization.
Under our present policy our beds have
Z Welded about ten mili].a hashels OF oysters
year from grounds Whlch are eapsbls Of yield
/ ing over i've hundred million bushels IA
nually.
's0ur present policy has resulted in the de-
structioE of some OF our most valuable beds
and in the serious injury Of all Of them, while
other States have greatly increased the value
4 Of their beds, at the same time that they have
I increased instead Of restricted the fishing.
ID has paid profit Of less than 100 per
( cent Annually upon the capital invested 10
{ the business, while money thus invested IN
other States has paid az annual interest Of
more than 200 per cent.
st has given employment TO about MY
thousand OF our people for part Of the year,
I while our grounds should give profitable en-
ployueHt 10 i've hundred thousand people Tor
The whole year.
..H has paid our oystermen about two
million dollars year, although our grounds
/ should pay to their aultigaiors over sixty
million dollars q year.
/ ,sOur six hundred thousand acres OF oyster
ground has paid to the State treasury about
1 ifty thousand dollars a year, and II has paid
about ten thousand dollars = year 70 the
school fund, while the Governor Of Rhode
Island reports that his State will this year
receive . revenue OF over eleven thousand
dollars from eleven hundred acres OF oyster
ground. none Of which il so valuable as that
Of our State. On the same basis egr revenue
should be more than six million dollars .
year.
The Samoan Question.
p.;,,c. R;e,oarck has djsavowed the acts