The Greenville times., 1882-11-25
Matters OF Pablc Coed.
Editor GreenvilIe Times:


Editor Greenville Times:
Having recently visited your
county, venture to trouble your
readers with a few remarks on the
subjects at present under discus
sion among you. First. then, as
to welcoming the Wilson Railroad.
Can 1t be in these days, that one
section of county should get up
huge excitement q was told they
would spend $4,000 to defeat a
vote which will not saddle them
and the other four-fifths of the
county with more than s5O,OOO)
in order to defeat a project for in
viting the building of a railroad in
another section, because it may
benefit the one directly at the ex-
pense of the other indirectlyi Or
that having profted by o county
subscription to q railroad to bene-
fit their section, they should think
it just, neighbor-like, or rational,
to oppose another proposed coun.
ty subscription, because it is de-
sired to locate the line of road in
a portion of the county sadly need
ing development by railroad facili-
tiesi Can one member of the
body suffer without the rest suf.
fering with it, or conversely, will
what benefits one section of the
county fail to react benefcially on
the otheri Surely this lesson
does not need to be enlarged upon
nowadays, nor that an united in.
vitation to build a railroad is more
likely to meet with favor from cap
italists than known partial oppo
sitisn, or rival claims to profit by
such and such a direction to the
enterprise! Let the county be
united in seeking this development
for the general welfare.
Then as to the Levees. 1t must
be clear to all that our able levee
administration and the united and
answering determination Of the
tax payers to make such large sac
rifices in order to make It effective,
has favorably attracted the atten-
tion of the United States Engineer
Department, and enabled us to en-.
list their first efforts in levee bull.
ding, under the scheme of the
Mississippi River Commission, and
certainly we must congratulate
ourselves that such q liberal ex-
penditure in aid of our local funds
has thus been available this sea.
son, to enable us to repair the
ravages of the 1882 food. Does
it never occur to our people
how this is an instance of Provi
dence helping those who helr
themselvess Now If there is one
thing more than another likely tC
upset this concert of action, it Il
the making our people feel, as il
the carpet-bag days of old, thai
the funds raised by taxation ar,
to be used for purposes other thar
for the common welfare.
1t appears that in settling com
pensation for levee rights of wa,
two cases have already occurred
at Riverton and Skipwith, whicl
have developed a clear intention
to try and swindle the Leve,
Board, and so the tax payers, un
der the letter of the law, into pay
ing exorbitant charges not con
: templated by the trainers or spiri
!. of the law, as to assessments b.
}. juries. 1t has long been accepted
that no community, when building
new levees, can afford to comper
/. safe the owners whose lands ar
thrown ont for more than such a
are taken up by the levee site an
the dirt pits used or caused there
by. Now, however. We find som
, citizens SO devoid of public spiri
and having secured a jury Of !
worse spirits than themselves
claim and obtain adjudication {
such all outrageous compensate
!, for the lands and buildings throw
out as above in Bolivar, as make
public and constant protest bt
due and righteous to be expresse
! by all sound minded and well meal
ing tax payers.
Need | say that the Levee Boar
is here face to face with q mo-
serious difficultyi 1t is a dilemn
either side of which it is fatal
!. take. If they pay, the door
opened to endless monstro'
claims of a like nature, and If the
stop work on the levee at Rive
ton, the United States Enginee
will declare the contract off,