Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1885-07-24
The Cotton Levea max,

The Cotton Leves Tax.
SUNRISE, BOLIVAR Co., Miss, July 10, 1885
Editor Commercial Herald.
/ have read an article in the Dali
COMMERCIAL HERALD of the 14th o
the "The levee question" and bein
one of large majority Of this distrlc
opposed to the cotton tax, ] ask a littl
space in your paper, as this questio
is being agitated in this district and a
yet no one in Sunhower has see
proper to appear in defense Of our pc
sition.
1t seems that the idea Of the cottol
tax party is that we must have leYe
and that the money must be raised b
a tax on cotton that we must bov
submissively to the dictation of inter
ested capital. Now, sir, as this dis
trict has already issued bonds to tn
amount of half a million of dollars
the people are in favor Of going OF
with the work.
We favor speedy completion of tn
work but we oppose and will ever op
pose' the levying of any tax on cotto1
or any other product Of in
dustry. We are willing tha
an ad valorem tax shall be Levied
to cover all necessary expenses incur
red to pay the interest on all the bonds
to provide sinking fund for the liqui
dation Of the bonds at maturity, ant
to fix penalty to enforce the collec
tion Of taxes for this purpose, that the
bonds may not be at the mercy of any
one, but rest upon a secure and sub
stantial basis.
The article says that there are
| fifty miles Of substantial levees," but
there are yet fifty miles to build and
repair before we are properly pro.
tected. Now the people are in favor
Of issuing bonds to build and perfect
the whole line.
The writer says that "the name Of
Mississippi is proverbially bad in the
money markets of the country inso-
much that the name alone is sufficient
to attach suspicion to any paper bear
ing 1t, that is offered" but did not ex.
plain how or why a bond issued upon
real and personal property is worth less
in the market than one issued upor
the faith Of something that does not
exist.
He goes on to say that the levee
commissioners pledged the district in
every way that was then possible, that
the enactment by the next legisla-
tnre of a law imposing a cotton
tax throughout the district would
b. procured" Now, sir, at our county
convention, on July End, 1 did not
understand our commissioners to say he
had pledged the county, but that he
pledged his best endeavors to get the
consent of the people of this county
to submit to a tax on cotton.
This pledge he has fulfilled to the
letter, and there the matter ends II
now remains for the people to say
whether they will submit to it or not
The question of a tax on cotton,
assert, has never been submitted to the
people of this county, and no one has
ever been clothed with authority, by
any public expression of favor, to make
any pledge for the people Of this coun'
ty. Any pledge made rests only upon
personal responsibility.
If this question had ever been
sprung before, the people of this county
would have opposed 1t as they do now
The people want levee, but they
want all, whether directly or indirect
ly interested, to share in the cost of Its
constructions, and all that Is said and
written about pledges" "lack Of ap.
probation Of obligations" ETC., etc,
amounts to nothing.
The people are willing to do what is
right and just, but they want each and
every one interested to bear his pro
portionate share, and this can only be
done through an ad yalorem tax. Il
is said that capitalists will not lend
money except on bonds based upon Q
cotton tax. F
Now, sir, let us look into that a lit.
tie. understand that the charter
under which the L., N. 0. & T. Rail
road was built through this district
provided that as the State could moi
donate her land to corporation, said
corporation might enter as much State
and levee board lands as desired at two
cents per acre, and that said land and
all railroad property should be exempt
from taxation for State or county pur-
poses for term Of years.
What a princely present this to Q
corporation Of millionaires by the
horny-handed plow boys Of Mississippi
The L., N. o. & T. Company owns q
large amount Of this land which has
grown to be very valuable, being held
by the company, as l am informed, at
$3.50 to $1,000 per acre. '4
Under the present levee law this
property pays a tax Of from nine to
thirteen mills, but put the tax on cot
ton, and all this valuable property
escapes any increase Of taxation, and
this is mainly, as see 1t and as the
people see it, why capitalists will not
loan money except on the faith Of a
cotton tax.
And then sir, who is much bene-
iited by the levee? The railroad of
course.
The railroads want the levees built,
not satisfied with the princely present