Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1908-01-17

proposition, even good ones, are soon
found out and legislators are driven to
extremes in a spirit of retaliation. The
wor is moving ahead. and what suf-
feed yesterday will not do for today,
unless one wants to lag in the rear.
"Wanton waste makes woefu, want"
was never truer than when applied to
our water industries. A wise admins
tration does not wait until its Golfers
are exhausted before it begins to re-
trench; neither do those who control
our water affairs wish to wait until de-
pletion is accomplished before it takes
steps to save the rocks and the fishing
grounds. 1t will then be too late; the
protection must begin sooner if results
are to be achieved. Speaking of this
hard-headI class the Maryland states
man says:
by their votes the oystermen turned
Dorchester over to the control of the
Republicans, and they boast of the fact
not all oystermen, however, for many
of them are as true to their party as
the needle is to the pole. The Demo
cratic party, from the very beginning,
has always stood ready to grant the
oystermen any reasonable legislation
asked for, and has carefully guarded
their interest, No law has ever been
| passed by the Maryland Legislature
that was INST in the direct interest of
this large class of citizens.
"a very large class of them are con-
tinually complaining about Commander
Howard and his methods of enforcing
the law. They seem to love to hate
him and let no opportunity go by to
abuse him. They curse him if he or
his deputies and inspectors enforce the
law, and they do the same thing if the
law is not enforced-that is, against
the other fellows, and not themselves.
"The writer has known Tom Howard
since his youth. While he is a brave
man, he is at the same time a gentle
man, big hearted and generous. He
has proven himself to be the best friend
the oystermen have ever had as Com
mander of the Fishery Force. When
one of them meets with misfortune.
such as being storm bound or ice bound,
as they frequently are, he hastens tc
their rescue and puts them and their
boats out of the path of danger. fire.
quently at the risk of sinking his steam.
er. He is liberal in his views about the
Gull law and does not enforce it as il
was intended to be. He has always
been generous in dealing with the oys.
termen; and yet this is the man many
of them love to hate and abuse.
what would happen if Tom Howard
were to strictly enforce the Gull law
Let his enemies ask themselves thi:
question. l answer that every da,
would be Sunday with them. To illus
trate-we have liquor law, yet mar
does not have to sell barrel before ht
If guilty of violating it-a pint or 8
drink is sufficient to send him to the
House of Correction. Neither does ar
FISHERMAN have to have 20 per cent OF
more of small oysters and shells in hi.
cargo to be guilty of violating the cul
law anything over per cent is viola.
ton. Is there any reason why the law
should apply in one case and not in the
other?
| Nov, as Tom Howard has been SC
generous towards them, and they have
shown their appreciation by deserving
their party and heaping the vilest sort
of abuse upon him. it might be well 70,
him to take the other course, not rashly,
but calmly and considerably, and en-.
force the law against violators up to the
very letter of the law. Their abuse
will be no greater and their hatred nc
more bitter, but it's dollars to dough.
nuts they will have more respect 70,
him in the future. Laws are made not
only to punish violators, but to protect
those who obey them. The men whc
Gull their oysters and otherwise ODE,
the law, are entitle to protection b,
having the small oysters left on the
bottom by others as they do, thus Civ
ing them an equal chance"