The Forrest City times., 1898-12-02
to force the board to do this work,

bonds and build the Ievee for cash.
or 60 on and issue certificates OF
Indebtedness to contractors al cx-
orbitant prices. say, IN many in
stances at double what it is WORTH
These certificates are legal
charge upon the district and must
be paid tho same as a bond. If we
are allowed 10 Issue ST50,000 in
bonds we will build the lcvee and
pay for it within the next ten years
and probably sooner, but If we are
10 90 on as we have been doing 1T
will probably take ten or fifteen
years to complete the whole sys-
tenn, and probably fifty years 20
pay the debts. 1t is an easy mat
ter to figure out how long it would
take the district to pay off bond
issue of $3.50, 900, Notwithstanding
what Mr.. Palmer says, that cit is
safe to say there is not child liv-
ing in Mississippi county today,
who would not die of old age be-
WV UNIV "puiu oCNuI uHucE tHc
present conditions" lie says,
further, that the rate of taxation
will be increased and the life of
the levee board will be extended.
How does be know that the rate
o; taxation will be increased? /
say he knows just about as little
about these matters as his argu-
ment shows he knows about other
features of the levee law and the
conditions Of the district.
He states further, In order TO
prejudice the minds of the tax
payers, that the river below will
raise higher and higher until it
will sweep away the barrier and
leave us with ruined farms and
homes, with only bonds and the
taxpayer to remind US, etc.
Now, / never started out to ar
que the levee question, but to argue
the question of the best policy for
our people TO adopt to enable us
to build the levee. want to as
sure my friend Palmer that the
levee has has come to stay, and he
knows that as well rs / do. Now
the question is how to build it the
cheapest and quickest. SO far as
the levee question is concerned,
whether it is practicable to build
and MAINTAIN levees or not, my
friend Palmer has been on every
side of that question so often that
tee people have lost respect for his
opinions upon that subject, and |
don't propose to discuss that mat
ter with HIM. The levee has come
to stay; the general government
stands committed to the levee
system and the levees are gong to
be built as fast as possible until
they are all completed and fully
tested, and if some other ano bet
ter plan can not be originated or
suggested by Bro. Palmer or some
one else equally as competent, the
levee plan will be adhered to
until something can be found to
take its place.
| want our people to look into
into the matter, fully divest it of
all outside prejudice, and look at
the facts; think for yourselves what
would or will be best. The levee
is going TO be built, now what
system will be the cheapest and
quickest Remember, you people
of Mississippi county are fully pro-
tected; you now enjoy the protec-
ton of a good levee; you see
thousands of acres of good lands
going into cultivation every year.
Your population increasing very
fast, while your good neighbors of
the lower end of the district are
being overlooked each succeeding
water. They are paying their
taxes like you do. Now is right
that they shall wait for years be-
fore they receive the benefits that
you now are enjoying, and parti-
ally at their expense, while if the
levee board was allowed to Issue
bonds they could levee the entire
district at once and for much less
money than it will cost at our pre-
sent system. One is just as bind
ing as the other, and why not
adopt the best, the cheapest and
the quickest plan.
Mr.. Palmer says further, suppose
the bonds are issued and the out
standing scrip taken up, this would
leave $4,000 for the completion
of the levee. Now, Mr.. Palmer
knows that the Board only owes
about $4,000, and by the time we
could have a bond issue the Board
would be out of debt, except what
it owed Bodkin Bros; and say that
their contract was completed,
which wouldn't and couldn't be,
suppose their contract was com.
pleted, it would not amount to over
$500, 900. This would leave $780,