Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1894-03-24
Letters From the People.

EDITOR PENINSULA ENTERPRISE:
The people of Chincoteague, ever
ready to accord praise to whom it is
due, feel that they are under debt
of gratitude, to those in and out OF
office who have been untiring in their
efforts, to relieve them in part of the
grievous burdens they have had to
bear for years past. Of course they
are interested in the oyster question;
that constitutes their chief means of
living, and an unnecessary tax upon
their means of living is at once an
imposition and oppression. So little
has been done for them by legislators
in the past, that the active and I'M
firing efforts OF our senator, DIR. Geo.
w, LeCato, to reduce the rental of
the oyster lands. to twenty-five cents
per acre, entities him to their lasting
gratitude and praise. Baited by the
cry of revenue, the people outside of
the oyster counties of Virginia, who
know little of the troubles of oyster
men, and seem to care less, would if
they could, impose all the burdens OF
taxation upon oysters, and oyster
men. In view of this fact. our able
senator had to fight against big odds.
but to his honor be it said, won a
complete victory, for which from our
hearts we thank him. We had pre-
dicted for him career of usefulness
and honor, but had not supposed
that he would go through one ses
sion of the General Assembly of Vir-
ginia, with so little criticism. Only
ability of q high order, unbending
integrity, calm judgment and shrewd
political sagacity, could have accom-
plished such results. Verify Acco-
mac county never had an ADLER or
better representative in the Senate
of Virginia. With him also we de
sire to thank DIR. Charles Smith, of
Northampton, and Major Baker P
Lee, of Elizabeth City county,
for their valuable assistance in Sc
curing the passage of the bill
to reduce the rental on oyster
grounds. But this is not all. Sena-
tor LeCato deserves much credit for
his entire course in his present posi-
ton, not the least among which are
the bills to protect sheep and game.
This last bill, as we take it, is either
much misunderstood or very much
misrepresented, so far as it applies to
non residents. Under its terms, as
we understand it, non-residents have
all the privileges of hunting here, by
joining the "Game Protective Asso-
ciation," which they can do by pay
ing an entrance fee of two dollars
and one dollar per year dues. This
will bar no one who wishes to gun
here, and much as it may be said
that every bird or duck they kill
costs them several dollars, we are
frank to say, that any resident
who desires to hunt our game and
refuses to pay three dollars q year
for the privilege, has no business
coming here for that purpose. Be
sides, the money derived from this
source may, and doubtless will be,
used in stocking our county with
game. But to the oyster question
again. While thanking our public
servants for their active efforts in
our behalf, too much praise cannot
be accorded some Of our own citizens
in private life, who did so much to
help tie passage of the bill above
named. Notably among these may
be named, Mr.. J. A, NJ. Wheaton,
who drew the petition which was
sent on to the General Assembly"
setting forth all the facts, and secur-
ed SO many signers to it, and 0. Nj.
Jones, who by his clear ana concise
letters to the Richmond papers,
made our position so plain. These
two honest, straightforward, old
fashioned Democrats are ever alive,
not only to the interests of the peo--
pie here, but ever active in the in
terests of the Democratic party.
With them at the helm, and our in
terests respected, Democracy will
grow stronger here. Pardon the
length of this, for the people here
who SO largely subscribe for your
valuable paper.feel that they have q
right to be heard through its col
umns upon questions in which they
are so deeply interested.
JUSTICE.
Chincoteague, Va, March 10th, 1894.