The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1893-05-27

ton of the levees in Arkansas, be-
tween Opossum Fork and The Louis
lana line, is critical at many points,
aud that the holding of the line has
become difficult aud doubtful; and
considering tie further fact that the
breaking OF the Arkansas ievees will
Iprobably inundate large section of
allusial Louisiana, inquiry at this time
as TO the responsibility of certain
Louisiana officials for this condition is
most o2portune.
Act. No. Sc Of 1889 created and in
corporated the Board of Commissions
ers OF The Tensas Basiu Lcvee District
defined lis duties, provided for the
raising of revenues aud donated over
one million acres of land for levee pur-
poses; declared that fne funds thus
provided sbe held and used exclusive
| ly for the construction, repair aud
maintenance of any aud all public
leyees in or out of the State, which, in
the opinion of the Board Of State En-
gineers will protect said levee district
from overflow :" and especially (section
II of the Act No. 80 Of 1850 conferred
upon the board, ''the right 10 join in
with any levee district embracing the
counties of Chicot aud Dcsha, in the
State of Arkansas. None of the
parishes of Morehouse, West Carroll,
Richland, FRANKLIN, Ouachita, Caldwell
and Catahoula, embraced iu The Ten
sas district. as your readers are well
aware, touch the Mississippi river
the overflow to which this region is
subjected must come through the Bay
Gus Macon, Boeuf and Bartholomew
and other minor streams, all of which
are wholly harmless and free from de-
struciiye tendencies Ia themselves, and
can only become dangerous when re-
inforced by the overflow waters Of the
Mississippi, through crevasses in the
Arkansas line and the upper line of
the Fifth Louisiana Lcvee District.
We assume that il will be conceded
that the Fifth Louisiana District has
done its full duty i'll the premises, and
barring unforeseen and unavoidable
of its own territory or that ofthe Ten
sas district, and that the latter is COM
paratively secure, except from the
threatened crevasses in the Arkansas
| line.
The entire length of leyees in the
Arkansas district is about ninety miles
To maintain this short line there is
now and has been available for
the past seven years, the funds
of the Tensas Basin District,
! the Arkansas district, composing
Chicot ana Desha counties, and the as
sistance rendered by the Federal gov
crnment: and yet, while the Mississip-
pi district of 2l0 miles, aud the Fifth
Louisiana District of 26O miles front
on the Mississippi river are compare
lively safe, the holding of this ninety
mile district is knownto be "difficult
aud doubtful"
That grave responsibility for sins,
both of commission and omission,
rests somewhere there can be
no doubt, and it is certainly in
order for the Tensas Basin Dis
trict to rise up and explain. Dur
ing the last sessions of the Louisiana
General Assembly serious charges
were preferred against the Levee
Board by the Representative from
Caiahoula La all open speech on
the floor of the House this member de-
clared that railroad and not levee
building had been the principle bust
ness of the board then in existence.
A concurrent resolution appointing a
committee to Investigate its affairs
passed the House on the 9Th of June,
1892, was seat to the Senate on the
same day, aud there, on motion of the
Senator from West Carroll, was refer
red to special committee, Of which
he was chairman. Although the ses-
sion lasted a month longer, the resolu-
ton was withheld until the closing
days and then reported adversely.
immediately after this disposition of
the concurrent resolution House
resolution was passed naming COM
mittee of investigation, aud the Teusas
Basin Board has refused, so it is re-
ported, to recognize its authority and
has denied this committee access to its
books and papers. The people Of the
Tensas Basin District, as well as those
of other districts affected by the acts
of this board, have legal and moral
right to inquire how it happens that a
levee line of ninety miles in length has
not been perfected when other lines of
greater length have reached COM
paratively secure standard. The Ar
kansas crevasses Of 1892 caused great
suffering, loss of property and positive
restitution 10. inhabitants of portions
of Catahoula and Concordia, and it is
by no means improbable that the dis
asters of last year are TO be repeated
in this. A suffering and impoverish-
ed people have right to demand of
those in authority All accounting of
their official acts aud to ascertain
whether levee boards are appointed to
build levees or railroads.
Certainly does this right Of inquiry
arise when it is known that the old
Board of Commissioners OF the Tensas
Basin District applied TO the building
of railway the large land grant made
to it by the State, in the face of the
statement by prominent State engi.
neer that the embankment of the pro-
posed railway would not protect the
district from overflow.
m r n ID.