The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1894-03-30
Protest Of Taxpaycrs.
CALDWELL PARISH, LA. !
March 18th, 1894. !

Editor WATCHNAN:
We, the undersigned citizens
and taxpayers Of the Parish "f
Caldwell, hereby adopt, endorse
and urge all tue reasons, facts
AMI legal objections set "tt iT Il
public protest by Our fell,,w-citi-
zens ami taxpayers, published III
your valuable paper Oh the BIRD
inst, why We should not pay the
taxes attempted t" he imposed
on It's by the Police Jury "' 'all-
we'll Parish, To build >ncl' an TX.
,,eDsiye courthouse ut this par
iicular junct'lrt., and urge III a'l.
tliti0n some other re ts0nS and
legal objections. In the first
place, even il the citizens anil
taxpayers were able to Oear such
4 burden ut this ,i,ne-and We
say they are not-tliere is II" me-
cessity for such HI expensive,
and easily courthouse, tor such u
di,minutivs parish us Caldwell,
being o.ly about 24,ni'eS square.
and whose assessment rolls are
among the lowest of the poorest
parishes Ot the State. The court
house, which we now have, was
bni;t in more pr sp"r"as times
than We now have at a cost 1T
only $1,000, all told, and whe"
new, and for u long series Of
years thereafter, a,,swere.! all the
purposes for which Il courthouse:
is needed for the ad.MiniStra' ion
of justice, and no complaint was
heard from our people as to the
siu. Of the house In their most
prosperous days. We believe
that With Al, expenditure Of FOnr
or Five Hundred dollars, ju,lici-
s,,ssly laid ont Oh our present
courthouse, it eau be strength
ene.l-ta,nl repaired )" us to make
it as good as when first c',,-
structr.l, and it will stand as long
a. any man now over II yeas III
age will live, unless blown down
by a cyclone or hnr't down, a'l'i
will answer all the purposes ut i,
courthouse for such a plain, !'ar'l
working people as W. have IN
",sr parish. Owing tOsln'rl crops,
recent Overfuws and low prices
Of cotton f,f several years past,
the farmers could hardly make
enough for a hare subsistence.
! We contend that at this time il
is unnecessary, unjust ami "p'
p,pssive to saddle tue taxpayers
with u debt vt SlO,>kN ~ b'tii.l Il
courthouse. III our opinion it il
simply ridiculous, oppressive and
unreasonable. liza new one was
necessary. it should not cost over
$4,000.
At the proper time, iftlis tx.
travagance goes on, We will show
that oil the proceedings Ut the
Police Jury aud their committee
in attempting I" saddle the tax
payers viii, y debt If $lO,(NW tn
b,ild 4 courthouse are illegal,
null aud void. The act III the
building committee, im making
= contract with u stranger before
advertising their plansan'l spes'i.
tieati0ns tor 4 courthouse, as the
Committee was required Il. d. ~
; The ordinance Oftile Police Jury,
il of itself sufficient to have, Iii
contract annnlle,l, If there were
no other illegal proceedings
| We hereby make our protest,
and give this public notice to u.
concerned that We will not pay
the tax attempted to I've Imposed
on III to build . 1lO,MM court
house, unless compelled to 10 ~
BY law.
Signed:
VA Clsunch, N H uestsr. A N"r'l
J I MrKrith.n, " Il MrKritlrn, J /
Auttrntnrry. A ] McK..itlr u. d X Nc
Keish-u, 4 l. HUMPHREYS. John Barnes
Amos Hnmphri.s, b = !,AsUw. E /
Grayson, rs Humphrtsa John Bn,tn
If F thin. Frank Horn. IA Gra,t. A "
CarrDl. ! X l. Humpl,ri' . " F Humph
lrn, J D Z4agl.r. J N Elicit. vii
Hammct,, Willy Lilly. @ F Iillry, W ]
4 :launch. Walter Within ton, ] A
B,gea. ] ! McK-ith~n, ! q Pierce. J n
Tsrver. r M Y1lnronvh. B A Hnmrh-