The evening light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1881-1883, 1882-02-11
Appeal to the Public.
II we're paying taxes,
Do we wish to know
What with all our money
Honaet politicionS do9

A corrupt government is ruination and
disgrace to state, and the duty of every hon
est citizen is to place before the public such
points for consideration as disclose fraud on
the part of those appointed or elected to emp
ty or assist in empying the public crib of the
state. A remarkable point in this direction
might well be the provisioning of those de-
prived of their liberty and held behind the
being unjustly incarcerated, without any
cause-on a mere prejudicial and disgraceful
and sneaking operation behind their back, and
others being not guilty of any offence or crime
against the law of the state until their cases
are finally settled by fair and proper proceed
ings of the law, made by the people for that
purpose through their representatives,
and, thus bring the will of the people
But no matter, convicted or not, every citi-
zen shall and must be given fair trial. all are
human beings, and the law as well as the
civilization Of the 10Th century demand that
all are provisioned and treated as human be-
ings and not as brutes. The state allows for
the feeding of prisoners, at least So per
capita monthly, for two meals to consist Of
sufficient quantity and variety of wholesome
food, such as the human system requires; said
amount allowed and paid by the state for the
provisioning of prisoners is equal in proper
ton to restaurant or boarding house charges,
which establishments. from the amount paid
by the dozen boarders they may have, pay
their taxes, house rent employees, ETC., and
furnish a variety of wholesome food and
sufficient quantity of it.
Why, let me ask, cannot contractors for
feeding of prisoners furnish also sufficient
quantity and variety of such provisions as the
human system requires?
If the state pays for the feeding of custo-
dams, it is the solemn duty of the state au-
thorities to see that the amounts of money
paid to contractors for this purpose are not
only drawn by some party or parties under the
false pretence of having furnished provisions
to prisoners. The drawing of money by such
parties from the public Crib under false pre-
tence is fraud, and as such crime under the
law of the state and grand juries should find
corresponding bills against the guilty parties,
and county commissioners should not permit
themselves to load guilt upon them of being
implicated in such frauds by paying no atten-
ton to it and by their non interference, en-
couraging it. They should see that such par
ties are at once removed and the feeding of
prisoners turned over to upright and honest
citizens who are able to mind their own bust
ness.
Seguin, for instance, has held dozen and
more in Jail, as an average, and day after day
from morning until night, nothing has been
heard but the constant cry was: We are in star
vation; and the time is well known and yet
fresh in memory when they were fighting for
a piece of bread, for nothing enrages the geo.
logical world more than starvation. And is
this a just cry? Were the complaints in this
direction, frequently made to grand juries and
the county commissioners, justified by facts ?
Was the complaint made few days ago to
the county Judge to this effect? We are all
in starvation justified by facts? OF course
they were, but not the slightest attention has
heen paid to it. What do the two meals CON-
sist of for which the contraction never fails or
neglects to draw over $Ioc per month from
the public crib? Both meals are alike with
out change. and consist of 3 bites of corn
bread, poorest quality, of course, such as will
sicken dog, and a small quantity of dry
beef. at times, all bones or in such condition |
that not even dog would eat it as facts J
proved, and nothing was furnished in place of
it.
Such are the complete and regular meals, !
day after day, and no warm spoon ever |
touches the lips of the suffering creatures, and
such relic as spoon they know not what it /
is. In such manner are human beings tor
tured by starvation. Fingers are their forks
teeth their knives, and thus they are actually