Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1903-04-24
FROM HON. SYUBBS
WooDs X ROADS, VA,
April 18th, 1908.
The VIRGINIA CITIZEN:

In the issue of March 27th the
following editorial appeared, aud /
crave permission to notice it, kindly
and respectfully, but positively and
frankly, viz: sour friends of
Mathews and Gloucester are still
contending over the fish tax. Why
they cannot let well enough alone it
is hard to see. 1t is largely because
of such agltators and kickers that
we have so much trouble with the
western people over oysters and fish.
The tax on these industries is in no
case exorbitant, and the man who
protests against paying it is an enemy
to his whole section and people,"
In the past eight months our peo-
pie have been harshly criticised by
some newspaper iaterriescs, and the
General Assembly, by a resolution,
reflected on our courts as well as the
people, and the last report of the
Board of Fisheries was far from being
complimentary, for it was filed up
with unheard-of recommendations
asking the Legislature to do what
the Constitution of Virginia pro-
hibits and what our people would
protest against. And now ore in
our midst, one of the leading weeklies
IN Tidewater and In Virginia as
well, to call our people "agitators,
kickers and enemies to the whole
section and people" because they are
contendiDg over the fish tax is what
| was little SURPRISED to see. Judg-
ing from the past record of the CITI-
ZEN, l should have expected a kind
word and advice rather than be de-
nouuced as "agitators," "kickers,"
enemies, etc, the very sort of ar
tlcles our opponents (western people)
love to read and use against us with
force aud effect. | have been, and
am, counsel for the fishermen.
When the act of March 2nd, 1898,
was passed, placing license tax on
pound-nets, the fishermen of Glou.
cester and Matthews directed me to
test the law, through the courts.
Indictments were found in Mathews
county court, and the case of Com
monwealth against Morgan was tried
and defendant convicted and fined
twenty-five dollars. The circuit
court refused TO interfere with the
judgment Of county court and the
court of appeals reversed the decision
of county court on the merits of
the case, but by three TO two de-
cided the law was constitutional
Commonwealth VS.. Morgan, '9S,
Virginia, p S12). Since then some
OF the cases have beer tried and ac-
quilted. Ia Gloucester warrants
were issued against fishermen and a
test case was taken TO county court
aud circuit court and now being
prepared to take to court of appeals. |
Under the present law for taxing
pound nets have advised the fish,
ermen to pay, and hope and believe
they will do so.
Now, these fishermen have lust
been exercising their absolute and |
undeniable right to resort to the
courts, and ! can't see why such |
a howl has been raised about it. |
These men interested in this tax,
are laboring men and have small |
means; they are opposing local tax,
which they believe is onerous, griev-
GUS and illegal but can't present the
same array of legal talent and amount
of money as the Act "To provide for
The commissioners of valuation and
defining their duties had behind it,
which few years ago, the Court of |
Appeals decided to be unconstitu-
tional; then there were nineteen of
the best lawyers in Virginia (and any
amount of money! fighting that law.
But down here in Tidewater, the
fishermen could not afford to employ
one of the nineteen lawyers, but did
employ one, who has done his best, to
raise these legal questions and great
stir is made. Everything that has
been done by the fishermen has been
done through the courts, and no dis
turbance outside at all; they have
kept within their legal and constitu-
tlonal rights. Should our people have
the terms, "agitators," skickers"
"enemies" applied to them?
Our people have always been true
and loyal to Virginia and to Democ.
racy. When j use the word "loyal".
mean of course, if you love Virginia
you should be a Democrat, and if you
are Democrat you must love Vir-
ginia-Virginia and Democracy 90
hand in hand. Some portions of
Virginia off from Tidewater were
and are still Republican; when, in
other days, We needed their aid to
save Virginia from Mahoneism and
Republicanism they were with our
enemies, while Gloucester and
Mathews stood as firmly Democratic
as their sons did when they followed
the "Stars aud Bars" to Appomattox.
l know "the CITIZEN" did not
mean to do our people intentional
wrong, but the article appearing in
"the CITIZEN" aud knowing the in
fluence and ability and fairness
behind "the CITIZEN" / felt it to be
my duty. to let the readers of "the
CITIZEN" know the status of the
fishermen, and / have made this
defence, feebly, It's true, and tried to
show they are not "agitators",
"kickers" and "enemies'.
l think | can make the following
su COesfiOn to our friandS off TIA