The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1897-12-25
Vol MorIied Praise A Grand Purpose.

To the Qualified Electors of the
Bird Congressional District of
Mississippi:
In the approval of the levee all
lotments for the year of 1897 by
the secretary of war of the United
States, at the institution of the
Mississippi River Commission, we
have the final and complete yindl-
cation of Gen. Catchings, as the
very ablest leader that could have
possibly been chosen by the peo-
pic of the 3rd congressional dis
trict of Mississippi 10 represent
them in the 53rd congress.
No other congressional district
Of Mississippi is situated like the
Bird congressional district in the
utter subservience of every other
political issue to its one great
question of protecting our alluylal
lands from overflow by the Missi'-
sippi river. For every other con
gressioual district in the Union it
might be said, the silver issue was
and is, the paramount issue Of.
the day.
The vote of the congressman of
the Bird congressional district of
Mississippi was worth but one in
the extra session of the 54th con
gress on the silver issue, and that
vote was instructed for silver but
it was worth four hundred votes
on the levee question, in that ii
carried withit sufficient weight to |
influence and decide the action of |
congress on lcvee matters.
The interest of every agricul-
tural man in the Yazoo delta, and
as an auxiliary incident thereto
the business interest of every bust
ness man of Vickshurg, Greenville,
Greenwood, Rosedale and other
Of the Hazoo delta,
demand that no chances be taken
in securing from congress appro-
Driations for'levee purposes at its
very session, until the result is
attained of United States govern
nent support and control of the
Mississippi river leyee system, rs
he only safeguard against an an
lual inundation.
The agricultural people who
,wn landed estates in the Yazoo
Ielta that are taxed over three per I
ent. on valuation, have no earth
y hope of ultimate relief from
urdens that amount almost to
onfscation, other than by com
lete control of the floods of the
Mississippi river by a thorough
Jnited States leyee system. t
Other political leaders there may !
e in the Bird congressional dis ;
riot of Mississippi, of high per
onal preferment as to mental al
who might by individ- .
al popularity and house to house
anvass secure an election to the
Jnited States congress; but never |
4 the history of the Bird congress i
ional district of Mississippi will h
$ electors succeed in electing a 7
ian to the National House of Rep \
ssentatives, who in twenty years a
, come will attain the influence
nd position that is held today by o
EN-. T. c. Catchings in congress t
D the levee clause Of the River |;
nd Harbor appropriations. And n
lat this is true has been instanced s
the case of Blanchard, of Louis e
ma, who experienced the effort d
prestige and seniority in con j
'ess, when he went from the
ational House of Representatives,
here he was or had been chair "
an of the River and Harbor com f,
ittee, into the United States :,
,nate, to find that he could not y
-en secure a membership on the IL
committee of the Unit it
States Senate that deals with W
Iver and Harbor measures. 10
Shall the agricultural men of the ,l
lzoo delta and their commercial rs
for the sake of pursuing az
e mere whim and delusion Of ra
'lstering up the political ambi- sr
ms of some party friends, on cd
count of the ties of individual
eferment, go after other gods,
zen there are none other that can
liver them in their hour of need :,
d trial! vi vi
Shall said people for the sake of Co
y other political issue leopard E1
that one vital question of levee ne
election onthe Mississippi river, o us,
zen it is an admitted fact that no
loss of an appropriation for sun
zee purposes in one single con Ing
,ss may forever kill levee meas me me
IS as a question of national at XII
nment, and forever doom tho as
;ieuitlral interests of the agri- rec
tura, men Of the Yazoo Delta S tee
a servitude of debt that will in
tably lead to ultimate confsca-
NJ
great national issue, the pro-
ton of life and property on the
ssissippi river, is on the eve of
Apply fruition, when the wall of 40,
stressed people will find re- dec
nsiye echo in the hearts of their lett
ntrymen all over the Union. est,