The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1886-01-22
LETTEU FROM MARION co.
MARION Co., MISS, Jan. II, 1896.


Correspondence Democrat-Star.
"W. n. o. has not forty men in
buckram, and not unlike the geuu-
Inc Falstaff he comes with words
OF fearful import "to the Masses
Pearl county like Banquo's ghost
will not down, but like an army
with banners her people come but
to conquer, rule or ruin, that is the
theory of "W. Y. or Now let MS,
in the first place, make due allow
ance for our Representatives IN the
Legislature assembled, believing
they are gifted with common sense
to recognize right from wrong.
Admitting Peaal county restored,
it is not on record that sour little
town. would have the Courthouse,
though we believe certain sold
gentlemen and lots of others beside
would, Shy long gap7 prefer Pur-
Wis, PoplarVille, Piatona or Derby
to either Bay st. Louis or COlum-
bia. Should Pearl county ever be
revived she would he represented
by a representative of her very
own. The chances are, in that
event, we would have two Demo
cratic conntieS certain where we
now have Que sure Democratic
and one--doubtful. wonder where
"W. N. O." got the authority to say
Pearl county was in debt, etc. I
We have it from reliable informa-
tion, that the sO-called defunet
Pearl county paid into the treasu-
ries of Marion and Hancock cOun-
ties a pro rata share of about one
thousand dollars, beside the assess
ment roll of considerable uncollect-
ed taxes. This, too, at time when
the old counties were in serious
straits from acts of defauIting taX-
collectors. CIV. N. O." also gives
us some curious arithmetic, which
shows he has looked through the
hole in the grindStOne, and proves
that fggers are figgerS, whether
they be facts or not. He says that
taxes are 124 mills in Hancock cOun-
ty on an assessment of about "a
million dollarS.0 HIt is easy to see
that were it two million instead,
the rate would only be halt what it
is, or five mills" etc, etc.
Now aint that splendid 7 Accord
ing 10 these "fggers," which are not
real facts, we wOald 60 OIL so, that
were our assessment four million
dollars We would not have to pay
any taxes at all. Now, "W. n. o."
if your figures are facts, let's unite
all our Coast counties in one, and
not pay any taxes. Now that's "A
stunner on Pearl. Levity aside.
Let us get at some words in sup
port of our unquestiOnable rights
in the case, and here let me say
that the re-eStablishmpnt of Pearl
county is only question Of time.
OF this, there is 40 reasonable
doubt. The area OF old Pearl coun-
ty was nearly l20 square miles, or
49,, 800 acres of land; let us allow
that One.third of this or 153, 600
acres TO be government land,
would leave 307 200 acres OF taxa
Dle land, which if assessed at gov.
ernment price, would give us in
rOund figures the neat SUN OF
$3S4,000. Now, suppose we were
to place the assessment ut 16 mills,
this alone would place on our land
roll an aggregate amount OF
Sc, ,144 lsix thousand, one hundred
and torty.four dOllars). In addi-
tion to this we have in one town
alone, or in "Our little town" in
personal and realty about one hun
dred thousand dollars. In few
years more the Northeastern rail
road would pay on about 20 miles
of road, State and county, at the
rate of $50 per mile, or about eight
hundred dollars into Pearl county.
The assessment of old Pearl county
was about $4,000 all told.
1t is a self-evident fact if the
people representing a majority of
old Pearl county desire its restora-
ton, no one has an equal right to
deprive them of it. There are
many other reasons in support OF
this question, but my letter is al
ready too long, l fear.
PEARL COUNTY.