The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1883-06-16
Extra Session.
To the Editors Of the Appeal:

To the Editors of the Appeal:
Shall the levees be built on the
front of Desoto, Tunica and Goa.
homa counties during the year
1888, or shall the people of the
greater part of the YazOo Delta
be subject to another overflow
This is question that can only be
solved by the Governor of Miss.
issippi. He has alone the right
to convene the Legislature of the
State in extra session. He alone
has the position to see and say
what is the best interest of tho
whole State during his term of adj.
ministration. What is the Yazoo
Valley, and what are its local in.
terests, compared with the State
of Mississippi Are the local in
terests sufficient to warrant the
Governor to impose upon the
whole State a tax of paying for an
extra session of the peoples re-
presentatiyes, to authorize a part
of the Yazoo Valley the privilege
of taxing themselves to build
their own leveesi These are
questions that come up promi-
nently before the public, in conse-
qnence of the recent meeting at
Jackson of a part of the Yazoo
Valley people, who want authority
to tax themselves-and nobody
else-to rebuild their levees and
protect their section from the dire
calamity of another overflow.
The Yazoo Delta is composed of a
part of Dcsoto, all of Tunica,
Coahoma, Bolivar, Washington,
Issaquena, Sharkey, Lehore, Sun
flower, Quitman, part of Pamela,
Holmes and Yazoo counties, hav.
ing a population of 10000 and
making of cotton in 1880 go.
600. bales. This is no small part
of the great State of Mississippi.
The assessable value of the Yaz0O
Valley is s2O,OOO,OOO which is not
a sum to be ignored. The idea
that the people in the hills and
prairies cannot afford to pay for
an extra session of the peoples
representatives to enable this vast
property to be protected from
another food is more than | can
understand. Bolivar, Washing.
ton, Issaquena and Sharkey had in
1880 a population Of G0,329, and
made 12l,G0i bales Of cotton.
These counties compose what is
known as District No. 2, but while
their levces are rebuilt, a part at
least of this section is liable to
overflow, because the upper
levees are not up. The idea that
the great State of Mississippi can
not afford to spend what au extra
session of her Legislature would
cost to pass a law giving so large
q portion of her people the right
to tax themselves to rebuild levees
to prevent loss of life and proper
ty is absurd. That the people in
the hills and all over the State are
opposed to this is q hard commen.
tary on their humanity. If it was
known that u great and sudden
calamity was about to occur to
ones neighbOr, and man re-
fused to arrest it at some person
al sacrifice, what would be
thought of such a man! I! 1t is q
well known fact that the levees
from Memphis to Bolivar county
line are down, and that the water
does not have to get as high by
from six to eight feet of the 1885,
or 1883 food to cause great disas
ter. tits also well known that the
regular session of the Legislature
does not meet until January, 1884,
and that the people in the va
ZOO Valley, unless an extra session
is called, are bound to run the
risk of being overfowcd in 1884
as no levees can be built during
the spring, while the water is even
with the banks. Now, | am O
strong believer in the milk of hu
man kindness, and do not believe
that the members of the present
Legislature would refuse to obi
gate themselves to meet at Jack
son, under a call Of the Governor
and pass an act to enable the peo.
pie in the Yazoo Delta to protect
themselves from an overflow, ant
adjourn without going into gener
al legislation. There is differ
ence of opinion as to the bes
method Of protection in the vale,
but all are agreed upon one poin
and that is of the necessity 0fpro
lection. SO, common Justice, and
| think public policy warrants the
call of an extra session. Tho hill
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