The Monmouth inquirer., 1897-07-29

Counsel of the State arose and said
that there was no disposition on
part of State officers to make heavy
fines or costs when there was reason
to believe in these cases, that
there had been no deliberate inten-
tion to violate the game law. That
defendants were all respectable, law
abiding citizens and without really
knowing what the law was and in
accordance with custom he'd used a
seine; that the law did not prevent a
monopoly or party or any man, wo-
man or chi'd to fish with hook or line.
The State had expended thousands OF
dollars of the money of taxpayers to
stock fresh-water streams with food
fish. They were following the ex-
ample of other States, like New Yorl.
and Pennsylvania, whose value of
the food fish in the production had
been increased over one million of
dollars That all this money so spent
would be lost if few men with d
net or explosive could catch fish by
the wholesale, that is what the law for
bids under heavy penalty; but with
hook and line only, the fish have
chance to multiply or increase. 1t
was possible to fill orr fresh-wr ter
ponds with bass. perch, pike or trout
and so add greatly to the food or sub
sistance of the people and value OF our
ponds. In few years anybody who
had money to buy a hook and line
could 90 out and fish and get q mess
of them to eat, or he could buy
from one who could give his time
to angling. But if a few men with
capital enough to buy net or medi-
Gated drugs corld go out and scoop
up all the fish in pond, there would
/ be few or none for the great mass of
people.
Wild turkeys, deer, snipe, pigeons
and other game in our woods are
exterminated.
The gray squirrel, pheasant, and
grouse are fast following and will
soon be gone but for protection of
law Now in great cities the factor
les and pot fishers have denuded the
streams of food fish. As popula
ion increases the same result will fol-
low elsewhere unless the game laws
are enforced, not or'y against the poor
but against the rich and Influential
This law gives citizens now legal
right to fish with hook, but prohib-
its all wholesale taking of fish. Tbs
is fair, square ard right. Dr. Foulks
LeAtA OliAJ AOliC MS NAlA1y b1NtNi ctAO ~ "
tits very unpleasant to prosecute our
neighbors, yet if DIR. Foulks had over
looked the case because the defen-
dants are held to be respectable citi-
zens and then prosecuted some un-
known poor man, he would not be
fit for his position. Instead of blame
he deserves commendation and
while defendants have Violated the
letter of the law they had no inten-
tion to do so in the sense
TO monopolize all the fish in the
water around Allentown or to DEFY
the law 1t is therefore a case in
which so long as penalty, of the law
it presented and explained to such, no
increase nor expenses is put on the
defendants / think even the defen-
dants themselves will acquit Mr.. Chas.
Shriner, the Chief and his Deputies
from all charge of arvile or harsh
enforce ment of the law in such q
case as this Like the Justice Hon.
Robert Woodward, they must enforce
the law, even if they did not wish
to prosecute
The names of the four persons ar
rested were: Clark Dillatush, Pierson
Dillatush, James West and G. Palmer
West. A communication in the Tren-
ton Gazette denies that they paid one
cent of fine, but they agreed to pay
the costs as far as they had gone,
$16.66, all told