The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1907-01-26
An Emphatic Protest.

The people of Assump tion parish
are much exercised over the condition
OF Bayou Lafourche and the seeming
Indifference of the Atchafalaya and
Lafourche levee boards, or majority
of the members thereof, relative to the
Importance and urgency of the obliga-
ton resting upon those bodies to re-
| place the dam at the head of the bayou
with lock and thus relieve the situa-
ton of it's main antages. In
order to afford an opportunity for an
expression of public opinion on the
subject, mass meeting was held at
Napoleonville courthouse on the 18th
instant under the auspices of the As
sumption immigration and Progress
i've League, and after general dis
cussion, the following resolutions were
presented and unanimously adopted:
Whereas the conditions in and around Bayou
Lafoufche have become intolerable, due to the
fact that this important waterway has now be-
come a stagnant ditch with salty deposits
| therein. making it unfit for purposes of stream
or irrigation; and,
Of, in addition to the above disadvantages, are
deprived of the competitive shipping facilities
once afforded by it in open navigation with the
river. and are thereby cut off from the many
advantages they were entitled and had been ac-
Gus omed to; and,
Whereas, permission was granted for the con-
struction OF the dam at Donaldsonville to the
| joint levee boards IN charge of said bayou only
as temporary relief from previous conditions
and upon the expressed condition and stipula-
| tion that said dam would be replaced at the
very earliest by system of locks which would
] remove from said bayou the disadvantages emu
merated above and restore it TO its once pros
porous and important position in the public
waterways of Louisiana j; and,
| Whereas, the joint levee boards and the con-
| stituted authorities in charge of same, regard
| less of their agreements have become slow and
| indifferent 10 their solution of this very impor-
! tant problem and have done little if anything
! towards the construction of the said locks
| now, therefore.
Be it resolved by the citizens of the parish of
Assumption and the members of the Assump-
| ton immigration and Progressive League, in
mass meeting assembled. that the conditions
enumerated above can not continue any longer,
1 but must cease at the very earliest; and with
| that purpose in view, be it further
Resolved That the president of the said As
sumption Immigration and Progressive League
| be and is hereby authorized and directed to APP
| point committee of five citizens from the
| ranks of the said league, and to invite the par
/ ishes of Lafourche, Ascension ana TeTrebonne
/ to appoint each a like committee of five to
meet this committee at the earliest date posi-
4
| committees to constitute joint committee to
| devise ways and means to bring about at the
/ very earliest the construction of the promised
/ locks at DonaldsonvllIe, said committee being
hereby authorized and directed to do any and
| all things that may be requisite and necessary
for the purposes aforesaid, and when its iabors
shall have been completed to call mass meet
iug OF the citizens of said parishes. and report
/ to them the results secured. Be it further
| Resolved, That copy of this resolution be
sent TO the governor of the state, to the mayors
| of the various towns interested, and TO the Of
| hcers of the progressive leagues OF the said
parishes OF Lafourche, Terrebonne and Aseen-
| ICED can be appointed to meet this committee
for the purpose aforesaid.
President E. Sundberry appointed as
the committee Of five provided form the
resolutions, G. G. Barton, E. L. Mon
not, r. ]. LEG ardeur, r. G. Martin,
ST., and Louis Corde, and the meeting
fixed Napoleonville, February 2, 1907,
at 2 O'Clock p. M, as the place and
time for the assembling of the joint
committee representing the four par
ishes of the Lafourche valley to take
such further action as may be deemed
advisable towards promoting the OBJ
/ ject in vieW-the substitution as soon
as practicable of lock for the present
dam that shuts off Bayou Lafourche
from its natural connection with the
Mississippi river.
Mayor Charles Maurin of Donald
sonvil1e, who is also ranking officer
of the local progressive league, has
appointed Messrs. E. N. Sims, G. A.
Gondran, E. N. Pugh, Walter Le-
mann, W. D. Park, S. Goette, A. D.
Vega, Sr., Meyer Meter, Michael
Tobias and J. r. Duke to represent
Ascension parish at the Napoleonville
meeting, and is understood to have
received the promise of all these gem
tlemen that they will be in attend ance
and give their earnest attention to the
work in hand.
This movement to have the senti-
ment and wishes Of the people made
known and carried into effect will tend
to emphasize the necessity for prompt
and unequiVocal action on the part of
the levee boards. The proposition to
furnish haf-million dollars towards
defraying the cost of the work and to
relegate the latter to the general gov
eminent, is all right if the concurrence
Of the federal authorities can be OBJ
tanned. Otherwise, the levee boards
must undertake the task themselves,
in accordance with their voluntary
promise, pledge and agreement, and
the citizens committees may prove an
invaluable adjunct in promoting and
encouraging such course of pro-
cedure.
Tillman Gets Tr0uncing.
Senator Tillman of South Carolina
received well-earned tongue-lashing
from Senator Spooner of Wisconsin
on Wednesday of last week, in the
course of speech made by the Wis
consin senator in defense of President
Roosevelt's dismissal of the negro