The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1904-10-15
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
Praise for the City Council.
New Orleans, La. Oct. u. 1901.

, Eultor sea Coast Echo:--
read the Progress reproduction O
your article and its comments on tn,
| Cow Ordinance" and the wonder to M
is that both Bay st. Louis papers ar
concentrating on such triflos.
am neither In favor nor against tn,
cows running at large, but cannot re-
irain from saying that Bay ST. LouiI
has been struggling for years TO affair
the dignity belonging 10 those publ,
congregations denominated as cities ant
now far IL has realized its day dream car
be told better by those who are now Iiyinr
within its boundaries.
AS 10 the action OF the City Council
there Is no room for criticism that body
snrmising that they had been placed II,
charge OF the affairs OF the people anc
governing city, and not a country town,
very wisely, and reasonably let me add
adopted "a measure which all cities have
enforced from time immemorial. and
therefore, the Progress should not have
assailed the Echo In thoss terms stating
that the remarks on the COW ordinance
were insults that would be resented. The
Echo's insults are really no greater than
thUse OF the Progress when insinuatinp
that number OF newcomers we're vJic-
ing their opinions upon that famous or
alnance. III nothing else, speaking OF
tnose recent additions TO the population
OF Bay 81. Louis tells OF a spirit lacking
OF that hospitality, that element that en-
courages outsiders to invest and reside.
and help build towns. God knowsl Bay
St. LOUIS, Notwithstanding It's many and
superior natural advantages, has bean
alilng with the disease OF unprogress!ye
ness which has kept it in the old ruts in
winch II made its mud pies in its early
lie. III newcomers are to become mum
fnies by not expressing their views upon
puolic questions, then, gentlemen, there
| is no hope for the future of your old
town. Old ideas are so numerous at the
Bay that new one seems to create a
stampede,if we may Judge from the Pro-
gress and Echo's writings,
Now, the gentlemen Of both papers are
friends OF mine, and, although | have
long since "Passed the stone that marks
the turning point on life's highway"
am still young in my ideas and am with
you boys" in pushing the old boat
ahead. II being newcomer is ban
against meddling in public questions.
both OF you had better Just hush when
you hear my horn blow, because was a
citizen Of Bay st. Louis for Is years be-
fore you were born; helped to bring it
out OF the desert in which il was started :
chung to the old place during the four
| years OF the civil war and ate many a
pone OF that good old corn bread made
without salt and leavening, after having
suffered for half day wrestline with a
40-year old cornmill in the effort to grind
the corn, which could meyer reach de-
gree OF fineness greater than ahoe hom-
iny"-1ust such cornbread, dipped in
to hot solution Of wild coffee bean, or
parched sweet potatoes, sugarless, was
the menu at the feast when we laid the
cornerstone Of the old town In which
both OF you young men are enjoying the
possibilities OF two banks and other com
mercial institutions. Then passing
through those awful days OF reconstruct
| tion-thoae awful times when most of
the prominent Democrats we're courting
the negro ballots and would keep silent
on any question which might have an
tagonized politically the negro voters,
i Gentlemen, there Is veil oyer all those
things OF the past. Let II remain cover
ing history which | would not want to
see unveiled.
When you gentlemen journalists lack
subject to fill the columns OF your pa
pers, mean one having tho tone OF lead
erShip for the public good, please leave
that "old COW question" in its stall,
where 1T belongs, Notwithstanding that |
feel humanely towards that four-hoofed
lady whose popularity has so faded that
! 1--we business men--an up-to-date City
| Council want to modernize tnat old thing
OF the past which made Hancock coun-
ty famous and left her as an inheritance
! the intellectual name of "Cow County. :"
Really, if dared express an honest
opinion without the risk OF antagonizing
both the editors of the Progress and Echo
| would say that had there been less
| COWS upon which to rely for a livelihood
and more ,plows and fenced-in ground !;
more bitches TO drain them, and more
energy expended in that line which
would nave turned the COW pastures into
| productive orchards and fields OF grain,
and your population today would be what
| it is not.
Poor COW! You must go, just as sure
ly as the lightwood knot as an illumina-
VIZ hNS 3chV w NiloS hASdullpb5 utdbn III
| the great cemetery in which today rest
the ashes of primitive ideas. Cows,
horses, goats, shell roads and electric
| lights, wealthy banks and express trains
will never make perfect picture howey-
er deftly they are blended.
Your city council acted with much
conservatism and met the inevitable hall
way by designating that COWS must be
kept in their pastures and stalls between
the hours Of sunset and sunrise. We'll
done, gentlemen, ,far-reaching medium,
guided no doubtin doing so BY the know
ledge that all extremes hurt. At all
events, gentlemen, your motive was an
honest one, and If you are never better
! rewarded, you have my undivided res
pect for trying to do your duty, so much
wanting in so many officers, and humble
as the source from which comes these
congratulations, it is an honest one from
an old-timer and
TAXPAYER.
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LETTER TO w. l.. BOURGEOIS.
Bay st. Louis, Miss.