Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-06-25
GREENWOOD. MISS.
LeHore County Defended I'm Its Posi-
ton of OppOsttiOn 10 Levee
Taxing-District.
To the Editors of the Appeal. ]

To the Editors of the Appeal
GREENWOOD, June 23.-ln your issue of the
18th instant, a correspondent from Greenville,
Miss, over the signature as" takes occasion
to comment on the action OF Le1ore county
in regard to the levee convention called to
meet at Greenville On the 18th instant. This
correspondent means to invite you to edito-
rial comment on the position of this county,
and as his comments are made from false
premises in part and not justified by any
thing contained in our resolutions, we would
ask the favor of a little space in your col
umns to reply to his structures. He says one
of the objects of the convention "was the col
lection of facts and data upon which the
whole delta can be heard from, every part
and section,in the report OF the convention and
through the convention. Such appeal shall be
made to the general government as will secure
the aid required in improving the navIga-
lion of the rivers and building the levees."
How and where your correspondent learned
that zone OF the objects was above stated,
we are at loss to determine, and we confess
it il the first time We have heard OF such an
''obiect." The call issued inviting us to par
ticipate, stated the object TO be the forna-
ton of this Delta into ''tdring-district," and
an appeal to the governor to convene the
Legislature in extra session that law light
be passed to that effect. Those who issued
the call assumed that this delta was able 10
build and maintain levees. Sad experience
has proven our inability, hence we declined
to participate in the convention on that as
sumption. Had the call issued expressed the
object to be as s." assumes, we would have
been pleased to participate. The quasi OPP
position of Lefore," as he calls it, ia based
on an experience for many years, and a sad
experience to many. For instance, planter
on / allahstchie river stated few days ago,
that he ha1 paid in the last eleven years the
sum OF Sl1 900, and yet he had been over
flowed the same if there had been no
levees. 49," admits that "local measures
alone are wholly inadequate to the
work." Yet he intimates that we
take a narrow and sehsh view" because we
believe the same and decline hastily to at
tempt it. Taxation necessary to build and
maintain levees sufficient TO give protection
will certainly result in the conf5cation OF
the lands of the delta. AS stated in our
resolutions, we still deem it unwise and
useless for this delta relying on its own re-
sources" to attempt to do this work. We
are tired of throwing up dirt that it may be
washed away at each recurring flood. IS"
presumes that the convention can furnish
data that might induce the government to
grant aid. That may be true, but we are in
clined to think that from the report of the
Mississippi River Commission and the
many speeches in Congress on that subject,
tOSetner Win the IreslueutS SpSCidI mes
sage, that the government is very we'll in
formed. The passage of the river and har-
Dor bill through the House on the 17Ih
instant leads US to believe the government is
fully advised and that protection will not
long be withheld" as IS" says. When We
have a reasonable assurance that by submit
ting to taxation we will get permanent pro-
toction, and then fail to do our duty, we may
then subject ourselves to the uncalled-for
comments that IS" is disposed to make at
this time. He admits we are unable, vet it
seems that he would have US launch out at
once and make the effort solitary and alone
in the face of that admission. Our apology
for asking space for this communication is
that the many intelligent readers of your
valuable journal in Mississippi may not
have a false impression in regard to US
LEFLORE.