St. Tammany farmer., 1907-03-30
st GAt'1ttrantJ farmer
March 80, 1907.
lSit MaliciOusneSS or an
lngrained Habit

devoting itself to the upbuilding of
the town the News should persist
emily antagonize the very element
1t claims to need in alignment for
a successful battle for improve.
ments? Is 1t lack of discernment,
weakness of the perceptives, or
an inward knowledge of its lmpo-
tency?
Wherefore all this carping about
"perfect storm of thought, crlt;-
cism and condemnation of the city
fathers who would not give water
works and fire protection?" Is not
the News cognizant of the inability
of the Council to build waterworks,
until it shall have been petitioEed
by one-third of the qualified prop
erty-holders for an election to issue
bonds for that purpose? The
Mayor and members of the Town
Council have individually, both in
public and in the Council chamber,
not only announced a willingness to
assist in such project, but an ear.
nest desire for Its coDsummation {;
and long before the present agita-
tion Mayor Williams used his best
efforts In that direction, which re-
suited in proposition from Coun-
Gilman Frederick, in behalf of the
present Waterworks Company, to
furnish the needed supply with aid
Of the people. The Council stands
ready. It Is up to the people.
Is it not enough that the battle
should be against the unwisdom of
a misinformed public? Is this
knocking the echo of an earnest de-
sire for the betterment of our con.
dition, or is it the force of an in.
grained habit, acquired through a
longing for political influence and
to take the bad taste from the
mouth of defeat? Yet, more could
hardly be expected from sheet
that glorles in the title of 'knocker"
and finds sweet solace and euphone-
GUS sound in it's pronunciation.
No opportunity is lest to cast
aspersions upon the administration !;
no pretext too trivial, no founda-
tion TOO light upon which to erect
huge structures of suggestive
charges that are tackled together
with narrow-miudedness and per.
sonal motives.
If it is conservatism you are
knocking, then commend US to that
conservative wisdom that carries US
over the rocks and shoals into safe
harbor.
There are no more able nor sue
cessful business men in our COM
munlty than will be found among
the members of the Council, and
their reelection, together with our
Mayor, if they so desire, is as easy
Of accomplishment to-day as it has
been in the past, when the defeat
of the opposition has shown it to be
SO ridiculously weak that it seemed
like au unnecessary expense 10 bold
an election.
Mayor Williams is as popular
with the people to. day as when he
first stepped into the Office by ar
overwhelming majority. His in
tegruy ana honesty OF purpose vii
not be questioned even by his enc
mics, and his ability as "a tinanciel
cannot be better evidenced than BY
The fact that he has been at the
head of al institution since It's birtt
That entered into business with
capital of fifteen thousand dollars
and to-day has assets amounting
to nearly five hundred thousan(
dollars and capital Of one hundred
Thousand dollars. This institution
is probably at the head of ANYTHING
in it's class in the Florida parishes
and was brought into existence at
time when it was very much doubted
il fsuch q venture would prove profit
able. We refer to the CoviDgto
Bank and Trust Company. 1t !
to-day the pride of our buslnes
community and the custodian OF tn
narish and town funds. The Presl
dent of this bank is the man tn
News wishes to teach how to toa
$40. 500 in bonds Of the town. Ar
in this connection we wish to ad
ina, the sale of these bonds was ao
vertised in the FARMER, the Ne'
orleans Picayune and the Manu-
sactnrers' Record, of Baltimore
and that only two bids were re
ceiyed. 1t is an impressive fax
that the lowest of these was from
local man. Why did not some c
those who value them SO highly
an investment bid on them! l
serial form the interest saved NOR
than equals the discount.