Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1904-01-15
lCommunicated.I
OYSTERMEN'S PROTECTIVE
UNION.
EDITOR CITIZEN:

UNlUNs
EDITOR CITIZEN:
Will you let me have little space
to correct some erroneous impressions
that have gotten out in regard to
the Oystermen's Protection Union
which are being pushed for all they
are worth by our opponents to try tc
split the order and create public
sentiment against us? l wish to say
that the object of our organization
is, 1st, To save the oyster rocks for
our people; 2nd, 3rd and last, Tc
save the oyster rocks for our people.
1t is necessary to have some rules,
laws and plans to do the work for
which we are organized. Brother
Meekins and myself, in our organiza-
ton in upper Lancaster last week,
tried with all the power that we
possessed TO impress upon the minds
of the people that if we thought
there was the least chance that this
organization which we had the honor
to represent would ever advocate a
law or principle that would deprive
any man, woman or child of any
moral, social, political, religious, or
any other legal right, we would 60
back home and repudiate the whole
shooting match" With Just as
much earnestLess We tried to impress
them that we demanded only for the
union the privilege of exercising the
same rights and privileges that the
law of the land and the law of God
gave us; and that we demanded of
them-If there was any thing unjust
in that?
Now, let us look into this boycott
question that is raising such hula.
baloo here. The Oystermen's Pro-
tective Union is on the lines of re.
form. We demand:
That the State of Virginia Off We
be citizens of the State) protect us in
our rights as much as she does any
other citizen.
We demand of the planter oi
Tidewater that he pay on the 1S0, 0,OOC
acres of bottom, that he has alread,
leased from the State, 100000 in.
stead of $4,000, that being the
amount paid last year. And that he
pay at any rate more than $5.47 rev.
enue from planted oysters and shells
which was reported for Lancaster
county last year. And we demand
that the State of Virginia put men
in office that will collect the tax
along that line little more econom.
ically, so that it will not cost the
State $120,000 to collect $4,000
We further ask the State not to lease
out the 16S,750 acres of natural
bottom that Mr.. Jordan wants leased
out to this same crowd, which, ac.
cording to the collections on that
already leased out, would bring in
only about $41, 900, and would cost
over $4,000 to collect. The State
otherwise would derive only about
$S1 900 from her leased bottoms OF
32S.750 acres, that should bring in
the like amount of dollars.
Now, again we demand, and will
seek to enforce what we demand,
that the oysterman Gull his oysters
in. conformity with what the law
requires. We will be the greatest
power that ever was in this State for
the good and prosperity of the State
by demanding and enforcing obedi-
ence to the law. Nine out of every ten
tongmen have the desire to be honest.
The tenth will catch every little
oyster thrown over, make double per
day that thenine do, and, like drop
of coal oil in barrel of sugar, will
spoil the whole barrel. The one
man will ruin the other nine. The
results from our enforcement will
also be one of the greatest things
that ever happened in advancing the
Kingdom of God; for the nine tong.
men may be church members and
the law of God says, "Thou shall
not steal," and a violation of the
law of the land is q violation of
the law of God, and no man can
violate the law of Virginia and be a
Christian. Hence, it is natural we
are making it easy for the nine men
to be Christians by making the one
man obey the law.
Now, | might go and show other
reforms that would come from this
Union but have not space and only
throw out these thoughts for the on r.
pose of calling the peoples attention
to the fact that We are BODY of men
organized and standing together as a
unit advocating the upholding and
upbuilding of the law of the land
and the law of God. Is it reason
able, is it sensible that, doing all of
that, We will turn right about face
and violate the law ourselves in de-
ciarlng a boycott in direct violation
OF that law? No; / declare. without
fear OF successful contradiction. we
have not anything in our law that
lntlmates such a thing. Twill ex-
plain how we work this thing. We
are banded together, as have said
to uphold thelaw of the land, TO save
the natural oyster beds, to respect
the laws of God. This being SO. Won
will concede that it is the duty of
every planter, tonger, packer, BUYER.