Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-03-07
"To THE LABoRIsG MEN,

Under this title specious plea has beer
issued iu opposition to the special levee ia,
on Tuesday next. Citizens should be inter
ested in city affairs, whether artisans, labor
ing men or business men. There should b
and is no distinction. This is the common
home of all. But the " laboring man " is ap
pealsd to to vote against levee Improvement
First-Because misleading and false Statements
have been put forth as to the security OF the city BY
friends OF the levee improvement.
This is untrue. al that has been said fo'
the tar is true. Every citizen knows that
when winter approaches and the heavy rains
fall, there is feeling that we are menaoed
That threat is what damages US. Go to Sar
Francisco and meet a friend in the rainy
season, and the first inquiry is as to our liza.
bility to inundstion. This must be stopped.
The way to do it is to improve our leves
system.
Second-Because the money is to be spent where
it is not necessary.
This is untrue. Every cent of it is needed
to fortify and defend the levees. They can
net all be raised at once. No one ever pro.
posed that. It is not probably needed. The
City Engineer, County Engineer, Citizens
Association, and the mass of the people have
declared that certain WORK is imperatively
necessary, and this ia what we are to vote
upon:
1. To fortify the mile gap of low ground at
the Brighton end of our system by a levee up
TO high land, fourteen feet on top and erased.
Is not that raising a leree2
2. To thicken the levee from Burns slough
to the river and face it with Bermuda grass.
8. To widen the levee from the railroad
bridge to Sixteenth street. It's thinness is its
chief weakness.
4. To repair and extend the jetty works at
Smiths gardens to aid the filling of the old
river channel. a greatly needed work.
5. To widen the levee from to Y streets,
on Front.
6. To complete Y street levee and raise the
low swale in it below the cemetery four feet
above highest backwatsr of 1873.
Read the proclamation of the Trustees and
see for yourselves.
Third-But you are told that it will improve bust
ness to refuse to appropriate the money.
Ask the 275 business men if that is true.
Their judgment should be of value in this
matter. You, however, realize the absurdity
of the plea.
Fourth-You are told the only way tobuild against
foods is to hghten the leyees.
You know, however, that slope, facing, re-
sistance to wash Of waves, thickness etc.,
have vast deal to do with 1t, to say nothing
of exterminsting levee rodents and turning
away encroaching currents.
Fifth-You are told that nothing Is to be done to
Front street; therefore, you should vote against
the tax.
Is that reason for refusing to fortify the
distant and mora exposed points It would
be well to have 100000 to expend, and
double that, if you choose; but shall we re-
fuse to do lrltat ne may do nor on remote
points, because Front street, right before US
and that may ba guarded if a food comes, is
not to be raised at once?
Why build up Front street and leave our
rear defenses, far distant, unimproved +?
What folly you are asked to indorse by voting
against the levee Improvement where NEST
needed What good will S12, 900 do us ex-
pended on Front street, il water that tops it
also crosses the swale at Brighton, as il would
do in such csse and sweeps down on the
homes east of Front street?
The lsboring man who is on the assessment
roll for $500 assesssble values will pay Of the
tax but 81 %.
Is not levee improvement worth that TO
him?
Ii his property is assessed at $500, he will
pay 81.
viii not the added security benefit the
town he lives in that much
If he is assessed at 81 600. his property is
probably worth 81, 800 at the outside, yet his
tax is but 50 80. What a bagatelle to ap.
propriate to give new and greater value to
his possessions
It is purely selfish view to tske-hut it IS
forcible-that the whole sum ID to be ex.
pended in this city and among laboring men.
pf,Ei , o. frt,,
levee system by $4,000 expenditure this
year is an earnest that hereafter it will not
be allowed to decline, but be kept up to a
high standard, and this means from Tuesday
nert on, that greater confidence will exist,
and there will be more building, mora invest
msnt, more demand for skilled and unSkilled
labor Of all kinds.
However, we do notpropose to ask working
men OF business men to vote for levee i'm
provement for personsl gain, but because the
special tax proposition is right, economic,
Il