Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1891-10-01
rHE AnEaIcAzs oYsrzR EDrroa1An


The Baltimore ADerseaBs editorial o.
the Oyster Question 90 which we above
refer, follows
There Is butone certain way 70 preserve
the oyster beds Of the Chesapeake and Is
tributaries and make them sufficiently pre-
ductive 70 meet the needs OF the pubic,
and that il % lease them 20 private parties
wherever practicable. For the people 60
hold property in common is very attractive
TO some minds, but il is q giitfering deiu-
sion. AL experience il against IL. and in
this country we have had numerous proofs
Of its fallacious character The Indians
furnish continuous object lesson. Where
their lands have been divided up among
the Individuals OF tribe they are cultivat-
ed and their owners are industrious and
thrifty; but where they are held in COM
mon as has been very general until recent
ly, the lands are covered with weeds and
scrub, and the Indians are worthless. The
experiment has been repeatedly made BY
white persons TO hold lands in common for
the benefit of the whole community, with
the unvarying result that in very brief
| time the lands have gone TO waste and the
community has disbanded.
No sound reason can be urged for max
| eng a discrimination in favor Of Land
covered with water, and the experience Of
those States where oyster culture has been
adopted il so absolutely in favor Of leasing
the grounds to private parties that the
opponents of the system are compelled %
resort TO the demsgogic plea Of an effort q
deprive the oystefmen OF their livelihood
Nor is the pretense that the Culling law
will remedy the evil of wasted beds and
scare and inferior oysters Of any more
value. The Culline law was passed BY the
last Legislature, and was in far~ -. win
ter for theyfirst time.--kk afHe epletionU u
the beds, II was natural 70 expect that Il
would be enforced with more enthusiasm
and regularity, on the principle that "a new
broom sweeps clean;" but the spoliatiun Of
the beds continued Just as before the
Cuiling law was passed, and there were the
old complaints of scarcity and inieriority
The oyster navy is the same as last year
with the same commander and the same
| deputies, and there is no more reason q
expect benefit from the enforcement of The
law in the future than in the past. The
law is dismal failure, as all laws will b
so long as the beds are the common pro
perry and the prey Of an irresponsible
public.
What is all mems business is no mans
business, and the indiscriminate plundel
of the oyster beds will continue until there
are no oysters to be taken. Nor is this 9
remote contingency. At the rapid rate O
decrease during the last few years the beds
will be practically exhausted in two OF
three years at most The oysters do moi
belong solely to the dredgers and tongers
but to the people of Maryland, and the in
terest of those who are not engaged in the
oyster business is, by reason OF their great
er numbers, far more important than the
interest of those who are. But by adopt.
ing the lease system the interests OF all viii
be conserved. The law can be so worded
that no individual will be allowed to lease
more than a few acres, so that there will
be nothing TO prevent a tonger or dredg'
or from leasing and cultivating his oystei
farm, and producing twenty oysters where
now there is one. and of such superior
quality as will command double the price
which the inferior oysters now bring in the
market The only way to meet the emer
gency is to remove the oyster question from
politics, and apply the rules of common
sense and study the enlightened interests
of the public in its adjustment.
Will any of our local statesmen have the
courag toe rise to the occasion Y-Balti.
more American.