The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1912-10-18
beware OF JENNINGS
PRE-ELECTION PROMISES
She Has Changed Her Mind &c.
fore and May Do It
Again.

time, when the Greeks come bear
ing gifts, beware" is worthy of all
due consideration in connection with
the apparently alluring offer that
Jennings is making OF the use Of her
city hall free to the parish for
period OF ten years Perhaps We
should be less inclined to doubt the
sincerity Of this prediction promise
If we had not precedent to guide us
and had not sat for two days in the
police jury room and witnessed the
Jennings members of that body COM
bat with consummate skill and per-
sistency every measure. that came
before that body, in which the towns
competing for the parish seat were
to be obligated to contribute some
thing for the good of the parish in
consideration of the parish seat be-
ing located in them. Mr.. Conner,
one of Jennings most brilliant lea1-
ers, opposed to the last the dona-
ton of the court house site, al
though both the other competing
towns were ready and willing to
give the site. He opposed the Or
dinance requiring Jennings, if she
should become the parish seat, to
house the parish officials for a
period Of THREE years. He opposed
the bonds of $4,000 and 100000
| demanded as a guarantee of good
faith from the town that should be
| the parish seat. Nor was he alone
| in this matter, as the day following
| the passage of these measures Jen-
| nings sent delegation to Lake
Charles to confer with THEIR legal
advisers relative to contesting this
action OF the police jury as working
an unwarranted hardship upon Jen-
nings. With this sentiment pre-
vailing in Jennings but a few short
weeks ago, what grounds can the
people of the parish have for placing
much faith in the sincerity of hel
present promises. Promises are like
pie crusts, easily broken, and Jen'
nings has been known to break them
before.
It is easily in the memory OF peo
pie now living when Jennings sub
scribed large sums of money for the
erection of Methodist college
should the Methodist church
! through it's conference, contribute
}, literally and authorize the location
of the college there. Scarcely hat
the necessary legal documents beef
! signed binding the church to thei1
part of the agreement before Jen
nings, or Jennings people, began
,, legal proceedings to have their SUB
| scriptions annulled, and after tn
matter had been carried into tn
courts they were finally annulle'
after long and expensive litigation
| upon the payment, on the part 0
the Jennings folk of small sum l
!, compromise. AMI the METH
ODIsT COLLEGE WAS NEVEl
BUILT IN JENNINGS.
Is it inconceivable that simlla
y action might be taken in this II
). stance long before ten years e'
). pired?
. However, it may be asserted tina
q this was the action Of individuals
k and not Of the town in her corporal
l. capacity. Possibly true, but Is tt
y action of the Jennings city fathe'
o infallible?
Only few years ago, when "pu
e lie pride and the sentiment OF II
|, people" seemed to demand 'hat 9
e ment walks be substituted for u
y dilapidated wooden walks that we
y disgrace to their city, the Jennln
,e c,ty council passed ordinances for
O. ing the laying of walks and the pu
u !, ting in Of curbins. This action
s. the council was vigorously q
le nounced by a large portion OF I
he citizens OF Jennings, among VINO
70 70 wss the present mayor. And
r. fore this matter was finally adjust
lie it found its way into the cour
where the action of the city coun
n was materially modified.
er Is 1t unfair to presume that t
he actisa of the present city council
u offering the free use Of the ,peopl
re. building to the parish for peri
ne O, ten years would meet q SINH
NO fate long before the ten years