Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1899-07-08
To My Fellow Citizens.


to represent you, can only reaffirm
NV pledge to serve the best interest
OF all the people, honestly and fear
lessly.
My official record as a representa-
tive is before the public. BY that
record 1 am willing to be judged.
Whether or not l have stood con-
stantly at my post, to guard the in
terest of the people from vicious leg
islation, and to promote in every
possible way the welfare of my con-
stituents, that record will show, and
to it the public is respectfully referr-
ed 1t is well known that during the
last session of the Assembly a serious
and ever dangerous crisis was reach
ed in the concerns of our oyster and
fishing nterests-interests that EN-
brace perhaps third of our county
population, and a third of our prop
erty values. This period reached the
danger point when an attempt was
made to lease out to syndicate of
ten men for $50, 900 for term of fifty
years so, 900 acres of our public rocks;
to open our planting grounds to nom
| residents; to increase the rental-tax
on the sea side from 25 cents to $1.00
per acre, and to tax all fish. net di-
vices from $1,000 to $4,000, measures
which earnestly opposed and helped
to defeat.
While it is evident that no full de-
tail OF my official service can be pre-
sented here, I may be permitted,
however, among several bills of spec
ial interest to our people, to refer to
a few. with which / was more or less
actively concerned:
The new oyster law, now APP
parently giving universal satisfaction
TO the State; and which, without in
creasipg the burden of taxation upon
our oystermen, is yielding a hand
some net revenue to the treasury;has
satisfied the sectional demands OF the
western counties, and removed the
oyster question for long time we
hope from local and State politics.
bill which received my active and
hearty support in the House.
.. The Standard Barrel Bill; in
troduced by me at the request of the
farmers; designed, as is well known,
to secure the sorely needed benefits
OF uniform and standard package
for our trucks, to restore our lost
standing and reputation in the mar
kets and to remove in measure all
excuse on the part of commission
men for unfair and unsatisfactory re
Turns for our shipments.
3. A bill amending the I'd hand
clothing act, by reducing the license
TAX on dealers from $500 to 500; is
considered not unfair to cur mer-
chants, and as simple act Of justice
to many poor people of the county
desiring TO avail themselves of cheap
clothing.
I. a bill introduced by me to COM
pc! railroads to fence their tracks, or
pay for stock killed or injured; a law,
the want OF which, heretofore has
given rise to most expensive law suits
and which has been sore hardship
10 our farmers; and may add, law
which seems to be working well.
). 1t is doubtless we'll known that
gave my hearty support to joint
resolution directing the Attorney
General to institute the suit to recover
certain oyster and grabbing ground
adjacent to Fox Island, and which
mas heretofore contributed for years
TO the support OF our bay-side oys~
termen and crabbers. AS to the mat
ter Of State patronage coming to
! Accomach land in the efforts to Sc
cure which, as your representative,
my earnest endeavors were joined
with those of my colleagues | Iced
hardly refer.
1t is well known that our present
circuit judgeship now filled by Judge
John w. Il. Blackstone, the chair
manship of the State Board of Fish
cries now held by DR.. Frank Fletch'
er, the clerkship of the Board of Ed
ucation filled now by Frank P. Brent,
Esq, and representation on State
prison force, all of these have been
given to this county, are evidences
of the activity and influence Of your
representatives.
That have to regret my inability
to measure up to the wishes and de-
mands of all my constituents, must
go without saying.
Some requests made of Legislators,
reasonable enough in themselves, are
not always practicable, at least for
the moment. The enactment of such
legislation as that pertaining to
dredging oysters on private grounds,
aud other new ideas or theories in
regard to such matters are still sub
ject, for the present, to careful con
sideration. They are experiments to
which the Legislature has hesitated
to connect itself without further de-
liberation. Moreover, have even to
admit, that, as happens to most men
in public life striving for the greatest
good to the greatest number, l have
made enemies of former friends, and
must now confront the opposition of
respectable and influential gentlemen
whose measures l could not endorse,
and whose wishes l could not serve,
without Injury in my opinion to pub
lie interests.
The situation il perhaps in no wise
uncommon; and can only trust to a