The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1910-02-26
Answer To Tax Payer.
St. Martinville. La, Feb, 20. 1910.

Dear Sir:-In last issue of your paper,
Tax Payer had a very touching and SEN
sational article in reply to mine of pre-
viOus issue. In fact his rhetorical art
has placed him up in the skies as one
OF the fixed stars. Fortunately for me
| have no AK to grind and my Observa-
tiOns In this and my previous article
was made by actual observation and
experience in the Atchafalaya swamp
| state again for the good of st. Martin
Parish, at large that this Inside Levee
proposition that is being advocated by
Tax Paper, is deiusiOn, dream or bet
ter still Gold Brick. handed to us by
the Levee Board.
lam not speaking for the Atchafalaya
Protective Association, in this or my
previous article. am speaking asa pri
vats citizen, and with good will to all.
and especially for the Parish of st. Mar
tin.
l am some what like Tax Payer, the
winter winds has turned his hair gray
the same wind, has blown all mine
away. but this process has left the gray
matter still In my brains which by 1.-THE
abnormal distribution of atmospheric
pressure" might have caused his to eva
pOrate.
We all know and admit that we need
protection and when l say the Atchafa-
laya Protective Association, was the Fa-
ther Of the only actual movement that
resulted in anything. This was the
movement that stopped the Levee Board
from damming the Alabama. This Tax
Payer is bound to admit not only this
they have the solemn pledge of the
Governor that We will get protection
what more can you ask. As private
citizen l say as long as they continue to
do the Parish good with their work.
which has amounted to actual recOgni-
tiOn by the Levee Board. A thing which
up to that date was never considered or
thought off.
Let Tax Paper do something and |
will take my hat off. In fact do any
thing that is better than wind jamming.
As a general rule the Farmers of our
parish have not had the opportunity to
study the situation and understand it.
For this to US is new move and should
be we'll considered in all its parts before
taking steps. They do know that they
pay for something they do not get or in
other words they are paying for some
thing that under the past system is
their ruir. Tax Payer comes out as their
Gabriel and blows his trumpet. Don't
bother yourself Bro. Tax Payer the &C
tual Farmers can and will think for
themselves aud as soon as they do they
will realize what is what. So tOot your
horn while you can.
Tax Payer is hard to understand, in
one place he says 1.-THE daming Of Old Ri
yer il farce and the laughing stock of
all we'll informed men" in another he
says "he will cooperate with us in this
Great Undertaking" Tax Payer should
be CONSTANT in his promises.
Idefy Tax Payer to bring one actual
resident in Great swamp who will ac-
knowledge that they expect no relief.
and as l infer, from his article want
more. To my certain knowledge these
people have been paying their Taxes year
by year with the hope that some day
they will get what is justly theirs and
that is protection. Tax Paper throws
them aside with the cold blOoded asser-
ton that they expect no relief. am
very glad the above assertion is Tax
Payers and not the Farmers Protective
Association.
You asks my reasons for not support
ing the back levee project. can tell in
very few words: LIST. Want OF conf
dence. In offer. 2nd. Ii undertaken
time to complete. 3rd. Gross injustice
to the tax payers who have been holding
lands for years hoping that they would
get relief. 4th. That with same mo-
ney expended and same or less time all
the lands in the Atchafalaya Basin could
be reclaimed by daming Of Old River and
diking a few OF the outlets Of the At
chafalaya. 9Th. Preventing the Mis-
sissippi from coming down the Atchafa-