The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1899-08-05
OUR LEVEE INTEREST AND OUR
CANDIDATE FOR CONGRESS.

The Monroe Daily Star Of Tuesday
last publishes Tho following communi-
cation from . "Lsvee Democrat" OIL
Hon. JOS. e. Ransdell and why be
should be The choice of The District for
Congress. The Star endorses the
article aud says Mr.. Ransdell is the
man and that Ouachi,a will give him
a majority. "Levoe Democrat" says:
at is my desire to impress upon your
readers aud the voters of this congress
sioual district the great importance OF
having congressman who is thor
oughly identified with the levee inter-
ests, for 10 my mind that Is by far the
most vital local interest of the district.
The four eastern parishes bordering
on the Mississippi river, East Carroll.
Concordia, Madison and Tensss, pay
levee tax of one dollar per bale on cot
ton, five cents per acre on land, and
ten mills al yalorem on the assessed
valuation; the parishes of West Carroll,
franklin, Ca,ahouls, Caldwell, More
house, Ouachita and Riciland pay
leyce tax Of five mills Oh all the over
flowing area which is very consider
able, and every dollars worth of prop
er,y in the district pays lavee tax Of
Que mill which Ia included in the ak
mill tax paid to the state, of which one
mill Is set aside for levees. 1t neces-
sarily follows that every portion ofthe
district is deeply interested in the
Ievee question for If the national gov
eminent assumes control Of the levees
as II should, the state and the leyee
district could refrain from collecting
the present levee taxes. Careful COM
putatious show that at the present
lime the one mill tax for lovees Oh
property in this district amounts aunu-
ally to aoou, $4,000; that the five mill
special leyee tax on properly Ia the
Tensas basin levee district amounts
annually to about $4,000, and that
the levee tax in the fifth levea district
amounts 10 about $4,000, or a total
annual leyee tax for this congressional
| district of $226,00O. Now when we
consider that all the property IN the
district Is assessed at only Sl9, 393,625
! is win be seen that the above sum oil
| S226,000 for leyees 10 heavy per GEN.
/ .age' thereon. If that cum or even
oue-half OF it could be devoted annual.
ly TO the public schools, or In eslab-
fishing cotton factories, or other en-
terprises throughout the district, the
benefit would DO incnlculable. But
now il is cast Into the greedy jaws o.
the Mississippi, and even with tha'
enormous expenditure the levae pro
lection is imperfect. The burden Ii
too great Tor the people Of Louisiana
TO bear. Congress has shown very
friendly spirit in the past 10 levees anC
the recent senatorial commission ap
pointed to examine into the causes o
floods in the Mississippi river and ID,
means OF preventing same has made
favorable report, In which tho leve'
system is empbatically endorsed, ant
in which it is stated that an expendi
turs Of from SIS, 100000 to $50 ,0O0, 0O
would complete aud perfect The sys
TEN from Cairo 10 the passes and urg
ing congress 10 aid the riparian states
| as the burden is TOO great for them t
bear. II would seem thai this repor
would almost commit the se0ate q
least to give additional aid TO I'd
: great work. The times have neye
, been so favorable ss now for nations
aid to southern matters. The SPANS
war has obliiernled sectional lines an
made US one united people, and II W
but appeal TO our generous brother