The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1910-08-26

The editor of the Jennings Herald,
the official journal of Jennings, says;
"Just why our esteemed brother OF
the Welsh Journal concludes that
Jennings will be the parish seat when
theIparish is DIVIDED, is little hard TO
understand. There is no town, even
twice the size of Welsh, that contains
as many live, wide-awake business
men nor is there a town that gets
what it goes after oftener than our
neiphbor." Thanks, Bro. Davis, for
the compliment to Welsh, and her
wide.awake citizens. And now for a
few reasons that lead to the conclu-
sion that Jennings would not only he
the parish seat of the proposed parish
of left Davis, but would have abso'
Lutte political control of the entire
parish. in case division should carry
on the present lines. la the first
place Jennings, as the prime mover IN
the parish division movements, or
which there has been several, has al
WAYS drawn the lines in such man
ner as to throw the majority vote OF
the entire parish, within the territory
closely tributary to herself. Again,
some two years ago, the divisionists
OF Jennings, sent delegation to
Welsh to see if an amicable agree
ment could not be reached so that
Welsh could join in the division move
ment. This delegation was ready to
promise Welsh any and all the polltl-
cal offices she might want, after the
parish should be divided, but when
the questions of Encouragement OF the
proposed parish lines, was taken up
the visitors shut up like clans. Anc
now, in the case of the proposed di
vision, the lines of which no ONT
doubts Jennings politics dictated, th
new parish extends practically hal
way across the parish OF Calcasleu
from north to south, but from east t.
west it extends but little over one
fourth the way across the Old parish
thus again gerrymanderlng the line
81 as to give to Jennings the absolut
control OF the political affairs OF til
new parish. Furthermore, in the rt
cent prohibition campaign, in whic
practi cally a full vote was pollet
Jennings poled 426, Lake Arthur, |:
aud Elton 50 votes, making a total
$40 votes. practically all OF While
would be cast 10 favor of Jenning
in case a parish seat cOntroVerS
arose between Welsh and .Jenning
Against this vote Welsh cast 229, L
Bleu A, Joplin Is and Hayes II, n
"A to exceed half of which latter yo
would be in the new parish, making
total OF AGA votes in the entire +
mainder of the parish. And finall
as conclusive proof that Jennin!
would not only secure the parish sea
If voted upon in 1911, but could co
troll all parish legislation Of whatev
kind, as we'll as fill all political Off
es in the new parish, is the fact, tn
of the entire number of poll taxes pa
within the confines of the propos
parish of jeff Davis, in the year 100
which is the measure of the Yoti
strength of the parish in the We
1911, the voting precinct of Jennin
alone has an absolute majority or
the entire remainder of the paris
These are few of the reasons II
lead, not only the citizens Of Wells
but of goodly portion Of the rema
der of the proposed new parish,
believe that jennings would not OF
secure the parish seat, in case of
vision, but would become the absol'
political dictator of the entire paris
Welsh is not constitutionally oppos
to parish division, but we are mi
emphaticallv opposed to any divisi
that will give to any one cOmmun
the absolute control of the ent
parish.