The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1907-03-22

season until the proposed law is
written upon the statute books.
Changed conditions under the new
law will of necessity bear heavily on
few, at least during the period of
transition, and here is where the sell
fish demagogue gctsin his small poll
tics. He directs his sympathetic Ell
ergy to these victims, inhames their
passions and rides into power OH the
promise to protect their interests.
The above line of conduct applies
with unusual force to the tidewater
politicians of Maryland, who have
for upwards Of twenty years been
bringing ruin to our oyster indus
tries.
Not until the last session of the
Legislature was it possible to over
come the carping cunning Of these
politicians and enact a law for the
cultivation Of oysters, couched in
terms so moderate that it would
seem impossible to raise opposition
to ii; yet today we learn that sys-
tematic efforts are being made to
bring about its repeal next winter.
Suth INSCRIPTIONS men have fertile
field in which to act; the vast army
of oystermen is noted for its size, its
ignorance and its unanimity in
standing for the undisputed right to
despoil our oyster bottoms of their
natural treasures, and at the same
time stubbornly resist all efforts to
increase the crop by artificial means.
The net result has been to make
the oyster luxury for the poor in
stead of delicious food within the
reach of all.
Against this policy of unrest and
ruin we respectfully urge an aggres-
sive war throughout the State. The
people of a state are entitled to such
laws as the majority desire, provided
they are morally right, and there is
no question but what the bulk of
our citizens not only desire the con-
tinuation of the Hannah law, but are
feeling keenly the sting of not having
had an oyster planting law for many
years past Not even the specious
plea of economy can be brought
against it, because the cost of its en-
forcement is light and revenue from
leases will soon begin to flow. As
wise would it be to decry the plant
ing of grain because a golden harvest
did not at once follow, as to attempt
the repeal of this law before a mod
crate amount of our barren bottoms
have been leased and farmed for a
period of not less than six or eight
years so as to demonstrate their
productiveness.
AS Hartford has held a unique posi-
ton on the subject in the past, it will
be her duty and we believe her high
pleasure to continue her former
aggressive course.
From its inception on her soil she
has stood between the tidewater
and the upland counties as Il great
arbiter for the cause of wise legisla-
ton, and nothing has added more
lustre to the record of some of her
best representatives at Annapolis
than their aggressive, resistless fight
for oyster culture.
Today she furnishes the legal ad-
wiser of the Shellhsh Commission,
and the president of the organization
recently called into existence to resist
the repeal of the law.
Our representatives at the next
session of the General Assembly will
probably have on their hands the
fight of their lives to prevent the re-
peal Of the existing law, and we feel
assured in advance that Hartford will
protect the States interests again as
she has done in this matter in the
past.