The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1883-05-30
The Levee Question.
JoNEsrowN, Mss. May % 1ss

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EDITORS CLARIoN-Since there i .
question that seems to agitate the
minds of the people of this valley
ana Will in all probability interest the
people of the whole State. | will venture
to present the matter as fully and fairly
as can, since have not seen ANYTHING
OF the sort attempted in your columns
The floods have covered us for the last
TWO springs; some persons, particularly
those near the river, have SD ffered great
~; so also have those cultivating very
low lands back in the interior. Both of
these classes of sufferers think that ruin
Is inevitable if the levees are not repaired
at once, whilst the mass of the people
within a very few miles of the river
are OF a very different opinion. Some,
and not a few, declaring the food
blessing; others think they are very lit
tie injured by it. Now, the question of
leveeing the river bank to prevent tho
hoods from pouring down upon us, is
what troubles the minds of the people
OF the valley; and as a matter of course.
those suffering most, are the strongest
advocates for calling the Legislature to-
gether Tor the purpose of having laws
passed to enable them to tax the people
to build the levees; whilst the masses
seem to he of the opiuion that some
effort should be made to contine the
waters again to the river-proyided il
can be done without bringing about
general bankruptcy, as did the last tax
alton for leyee purposes in this section.
Then they say, let us not be hastv in
the matter, but trust to the mercy and
blessings of our God to preserve rs
until we can canvass the matter fully.
and elect men upon that issue. to place
the burden upon US gently at the next
regular term of the Legislature. The
people of the valley look back with sad
hearts to the recorded fact of more than
one-half of the lands of this valley
were wrung from the hands of the orig |
maj owners to pay levee taxes, and still |
the water pOurs upon us worse than it |
did forty years ago, when we first began |
TO pay the levee tax and for nearly |
forty years we have been paying the |
annual tax Last winter we were told |
that we were paying the last instalIment. |
But alas! we hear of suit against us
for about seven hundred thousand dol
lars-(S70O,OO0), being brought against
us TO make us pay more levee claims.
There is considerable feeling the minds |
OF those dissenting to the propositiod to
call an extra session of the LEGISLATURE
against those favoring the proposition. |
because of the unfair means used to
misrepresent public sentiment. For in
stance, a meeting was called in Quit |
man county, on the 18th inst, number
OF the old planters were present. At
ii o'clock a. NJ. DR.. j +. Phelps was
called to the chair, DR.. Johnson and j 4
l.. Burlington, acting as Secretaries. A
motion was made to refuse to cooperate
with Tunica and other counties, in ask
ing the Governor to call an extra ses-
sion OF the Legislature After discus
slons, gerrymanderings denunciations. |
and other unpleasant things that drove
several sensitive and modest gentlemen
from the house, at about 5'clock p. NJ. |
the mo cooperation" ticket, (for the
vote was taken by BALLOT, was carried
by twenty to fourteen. The fourteen
being principally laborers, who were
paid $50 they say, as much for their
services in the meeting as they received
for sweating at the plow-handles. Some
of them should have been paid extra,
for they lrbored very earnestly at lob
of defamation. believe the people
are satisfied that the Governor will
thoroughly probe public sentiment on
this issue. Very truly,
J. V. c..