The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1904-05-27
CITIZENS VIGOROUSLY PROTEST.
nVlo Mass Meeting and Pass ResOiu-
unions DenOuncing Parish Division

or discussing the plan of cutting off a
small hunk of Calcasieu as a means OF
eievatlne Jennings was attended by a
NUMBER OF representative business
men and citizens who we're enthusiasts
tic in their denunciation of the promo
sltlon to divide Calcasieu parish
along the lines as set forth in the bill
introduced by Representative Carver.
OF Acadia. DIR. J. n, Cooper called
the meeting to order and Frank Cot
ton was made chairman. Several
talks were made including one
by K. r. Stone, a prominent youn ?
attorney and member of the Lake
Charles board of trade, who cited tn at
the scheme was only the selfish mo.
tlves OF Office seekers residing in Jen-
n1ngs, and besides being wholly un-
ralr, In the event of division would
necessarily cucumber heavy expense
ana an increased tax rate on our peo-
pie.
Mayor L. E. Robinson, who, by the
way, Is chairman of the Republican
committee of this, the seventh con.
gress1onal district, and one of the
leading Republicans in Southwest
Louisiana, said that from a political
standpoint he was in favor of the di
vision as it would be a Republican
parish, the only one in the State. but
at the rate the new one would come at
he thought Republican parishes were
quoted little too high. Mr.. Robin
son expires sed himself as favoring a
division along equitable lines, but
was blt.e:ly opposed to the unfair
ness exercised by the Jennings parish
siashers in choosing boundary lines
for new parish without even consult
ing the wishes of those embraced with !
in the lines.
The following delegation was Sc |
lected to go to Baton Rouge to pro-
test against the division: Fl. A. Da-
vldson, y. Fulton, L. E. Robinson,
DR.. J. Fl. Cooper, w. w. Welsh,
Chas. P. Martin, Sam'l Blackford
and f. D. Calkins Messrs. Welsh.
Calkins and Blackford were unable to
go and j. w. Armstrong, Frank Cot
ton and Philip Miller were substitu-
ted. The delegation left Sunday.
.. Fulton, L. e. Robinson and DIR.
cooper were appointed to draft reso-
iutlops which were read and adopted
as follows:
We the people of Welsh in mass
meeting assembled do Solemnly pro-
test against the division of Caicasieu
parish, La, for the following reasons
5owit:
First-Whereas bill has been in
PRODUCED in the legislature now in
session at Baton Rouge to create a
2ew parish out of a. small portion of
ne southeast part of the parish of
JaIcaS1eu and the town of Welsh
would be included in the territory to
'e cut OFF into the new parish and all {
II our people being vitality interested {
n the above proposed legislation, we {
therefore, deem it advisable and prop '
r that our opinion and reasons there
or be publicly expressed, therefore
e it t
Resolved, That as citizens and tax
ayers of the town of Welsh and sur
ounding country in mass meeting as =
embed on this 21st day of Nav, 1904 G
First, we are unalterably opposed
, any division of the parish of Cal :,
asleu at the present time and more b
articularly to the proposed division q
; recited in the Carver bill for the O.
reasons; Al
BY reference to the map showing r
he boundary to the proposed new b
arish it is clearly an unfair, unjust .,
nd unreasonable division of the d:
reat parish of Calcasieu as out of W
re total area of the present parish of m
bout 100 townships the new parish ST
ould contain about eighteen and OF
lese, too, arrangednot with any refer sd
ice to the convenience of the people st
the new parish or accessibility in ST
'aching the proposed parish seat as ST.
IN be clearly seen by reference to Or
e map, but arranged solely with a re
ew of centering the political infiu- q,
ice in and around the town selected he
the parish seat which is situated de
one line of railroad and with n ~
ur miles of the eastern boundary OF to
e proposed new parish.
Second. -The citizens residing in at i;
asst two thirds of the territory of the oil
opposed new parish can reach the Di
esent parish seat, Lake Charles, at ar
/ seasons of the year, with greater Pc
Sc than they could reach the pro- I'M
sed new parish seat as evidenced by Ct
blic expression of opinion of citi- ms
ms residing in every important place of
the proposed new parish outside of du
? town of Jennings. u
are now paying in ad ac'
ton to the regular State and par ssI
] taxes a special tax for the public oil
ads and a special for the mainte- 9fp
nee of the public schools, and we
e opposed to the additional tax nee era
Sary for the organization of new an al
IRISH, the building of public build an
gs and the maintenance of another Pr
of officers when there are no COM t ubr
nsating conveniences or advantages VIII
ising therefrom. Th
Fourth. We are opposed to the di- tor
sion of Calcasieu parish for the ha
ason of the state of confusion to the by by,
les of the real estate situa ted in the thi