The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1883-12-29

80 AAAHAO btNalutan. Let US
take gratefully whatsoever of
help or cheer the outside world
may east us, but let Us bottom our
hopes and our dependence upon
our own intelligence and our own
Efforts. Yoa will readily under.
stand that | favor one levee dis.
trict, in which wsuld be embraced
every inch of land from Memphis
to Nicksburg and from the Missis-
sippi river to the base of the hills.
that is liable to overflow from the
Mississippi river. The presen.
condition of the delta and of pop.
ular opinion in it upon this sub
ject are both somewhat curious.
From the Tennessee line down
along the fronts of Desoto, Tuni.
ca and Coahoms, the levee system
is wreck, the line of levees torn
and rent, inviting the resistless
ontpour of the Mississippi when
in flood aud pouring it do wn upon
the devoted inhabitants of TaIla-
hatchie, Lehore, Holmes, Suuflow.
er and Yazoo, and a part of the
Mississippi Levee District. The
old Levee Board of the upper dis.
trict bankrupted and was abolish
ed. From Coahoma county down
along the fronts of Bolivar, Wash
ington and Issaquena counties,
there is standing today, in splen.
did condition, the best line Of lev.
ee ever constructed on the Mis-.
sissippi river. The result Of the
combined effort of the three coun.
ties last named and Sharkey coun-
ty, acting through their organiza-
tion, the Board Of Mississippi Lev.
eo Commissioners. Their debt is
insignificant; their bonds are ca.
gerly sought at l02. How account
for the differencei | reply, in the
one instance, cooperative effort,
intelligent organization; in the
other, the lack ofthese. / said that
public opinion was in q curious
condition. In the Mississippi Lev.
ee District most men say we have
gotten along finely as we arc; our
lovees are in fine condition; our
Levee Board, composed Of our
own citizens, works to suit us; we
have come from experience thor
oughly to understand the busi-
ness; we are accustomed to the
tax that is lowed; We distrust tho
wisdom Of going into an extended
district; we dislike the idea, just
as the levees on our front are
completed, Of going into a district
that shall embrace Coahoma, Tu-
nica and Dcsoto, and necessarily
for the next two years devote the
larger part Of the revenr es col.
lected from us to making tight
and strong their fronts; we are
afraid of "entangling alliances
In Desoto, Tunica and Coahoma,
many reason that 1t in best to
have two districts, because, al.
though much of present help
would be gotten from the Missis.
sippi Levee District, II we are all
in one, both in revenue and cred.
1t, yet this 10 compensated by the
fact that our front is only abont
one-third OF the whole front, and
our district will be 80 formed as
to take In all of the back counties
down TO the mouth Of the Yazoo
river, who will be willing to pay
over the whole of their revenues
to be expended on our fronts; be.
cause, although equally dependent
on the front of the Mississippi
Levoe District, yet they have ev
cry faith that that district single
handed will not only protect itself
but them. Many in the back coun
ties reason thus: These fellows
IN THE MISSISSIPPI LEvEE DIS
have plenty of grit, they will fght
to the last ditch for their own pro
lection, and our protection is al
incident to theirs. We get all o
the benefit of their long line o
levee without paying cent for it
This other line is much shortei
and cheaper, even If the credit o
, that section is at q discount, al,
above all and what is chief con
, sideration, If we only have two ri
parian counties and a small piec,
of another and all the back coun
ties in one district, why the latte
, will necessarily predominant il
the Board of Levee Commission
} ers, and, though not in the fore
/. front of battle, will be masters o
/ the situation; hence We favor tw'
/ districts. Now all of this is rad
) cally vicious in principle it is ur
, patriotic, unwise, selfish, and, be
!. cause selfish, it is shortsighted
t II this reasoning is to prevail,
J. requires no prophet to foretel
3 the conflicts of the rival districts
If a government appropriation
80 r. Al = 4