The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1897-05-26
THE TINES AND THE BOARD.


IN the Democrat Of Thursday last the
Times endeavored TO adopt lighr
aud pleasing style, being moved there.
to by several considerations, viz: the
storm cloud contained nothing but
wind, and there was consequently
nothing to reply to. Solemn argu-
mentation on the relative merits of
fourteen honorable gentlemen was an
invidlous task, and savored nightly
of the famous dispute between Juno,
Minerva and Venus for the prize of
beauty; besides, the question had
already been quite definitely settled
by the verdict of some five hundred
men who were fairly well qualified
to judge. The TIMES fears very much
that the public is growing weary of a
discussion concerning which its mind
is already made up, and is therefore
sorry tlat its somewhat frivolous re.
joiudcr should have produced a second
eructation almost AS stupendous as
the first. There is sentence in the
article published in Mondays Demo-
crat. however, which merits serious
treatment namely;
"AssertioGs impoachlng the credit
of the Board are dangerous to the
country, inasmuch as they will tend to
destroy the power of the Board %
assist in protecting the levee district"
This is directly in liue with the fol-
lowing utterance of the TINES:
"Bitlcr criticism of the Board Is 10
be deprecated for the reason that ii il
the only iustrumentality through
which we can work out the salvation
of the levee system, but it must be re-
garded as a thing apart aud elevated
above factional or personal littlencss
The Board is not Intended to be the
personal organ of any man or clique,
1t belongs to the people of the district
TO the planters aud taxpayers, not
TO the poIiticians-'a poor thing, sir,
but 1t is mine own"
The TINES Is sincerely anxious 10
be Just. 1t has no animosity-cer-
tainly the writer eau have no shadow
Of personal feeliug-against any of its
members. 1t believes the Board to be
composed of men who are conscien-
tiously anxious to do the best they
can. 1t is the influence by which they
allow themselves TO be swayod against
which the TIMES protests,-to The
power behind the throne-the ever
busy aud pernicious force which seeks
10 render every man and every or
garizalion which it can control SUB
scryieut and tributary TO its own
boundless greed aud ambition
1t was in no spirit of gloating tht'
the IIMEs published the fact that the
bonds of the Board had not been
foated. At the time the effort was
made there we're five breaks in the
levee. The PROSPECTS of the district
we're almost desperate, and the press
throughout the country was filed with
y
accounts Of the condition of the Delta
which would naturally lead to the be-
lief that its ruin was complete aha
irremedable, The bonds are still uh'
sold; but they could have been d'S-
posed Of somo time ago, at biShc!
rate of iutertet than the Board was
w,lllng to pay. This fact, however
WAS not madc known 20 the TIMES
when it inquired, before publishing
the petition and editorial following H.
concerning the financial condition Oh
the Board. That d sufficient amount
to meet present necessities has oeen
raised will be learned with satisfaction
and relief by all the people of the dis
trict and the TINES is also gIad &c
announce, OF tie authority OF 'ht
Secretsry and Treasurer, that the
financial status of the Board is a
nreseut so far improved as 70 remo7t
tbe Immediate slrain aud give fa'l
promise Of successful torm'ua''0N =
its assments,