The evening light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1881-1883, 1882-03-30
The Bond Question.

uncertainty of opinion and determination m re-
gard to the bond compromise question, to be
voted on next Saturday. This is due largely
to the character of the claim attempted to be
enforced, and also to the manner in which it is
urged upon our tax payers by the press OF the
city; the LIGHT, We believe, being the only
journal which has not urged the people to
favor the compromise.
No pretence is made that this is an honest
claim, or Just debt, but our citizens are urged
to vote for it because the failure to endorse
the compromise would place them at the mercy
of the judgment holders, and the infection OF
still greater damage than that proposed. II
this were SO we should ha We no hesitency in
urging our citizens to accept it, as the best
that could be done, but is it so? Would
not these holders of the judgments en-
force them to the last cent if they
could? Is there any one SO simple
as to believe that the legal gentlemen who are
the benefciaries have abated these claims out
Of any consideration for our citizens; not a.
all. 1t is because there is difficulty in enforc-
ing these judgments that they consent to COM
promise; and the fact is they had but just
reached the difficulty when they agreed to COM
promise. The resistance on the part of the
city council and commissioners was not Of
that kind to scare determined lawyer,-t
was the people they were afraid of, after all,
because the council and commissioners could
be manipulated.
We believe there is certain way to defeat
this swindle being enforced, but it lies in the
resistance of the people, the stubborn, deter
mined resistance of the entire community
such a resistance that would cause even a
venal press to bend to the will of the
people, - that would force officials to
stand firm "a resistance that would
make it extremely unpopular for even
an attorney to be engaged in fleeing the COM
munity in which he makes his home. Such
resistance would make it impossible for a
federal court to enforce a mandate founded on
so nefarious claim.
Resistance has paid, and resistance will pay
still. We do not believe the bondholders can
realize cent if resisted.
Suppose the people refuse to vote the COM
promise, in what position does it leave the
question? In our mind it leaves it in very
bad position for the judgment holders
| Such a decision would amount to a deter
mination of the people not to even compromise
at As cents on the dollar, and city council
that would attempt to become party to en-
forcing these judgments would be recreant te
their duty to the people.
But taking it for granted that the council i:
too weak to resist the judgment holders, ane
too anxious to hold on to their little place:
rather than resign to defeat the enforcement
of the mandate of the court, and that they &C
tually proceed to levy a tax to pay these
judgments, the trouble of the bondholder:
have Just begun, and resistance could be made
eAectual through the collectors Office. The
people can refuse to pay the tax and
it could not be collected. Now we may bt
wrong in this view of the matter, but we be-
lieve a refusal to pay and a failure to collect
would place the judgment holders in very
bad fix; and this is the reason they are willing
to compromise.
Let the people bear in mind the points il
this question:
Ist. There was never anything given fol
these bonds.
end. They have been declared null and
void by the supreme court Of our state.
grid. They were repudiated by the city be
fore the war, and the reputation acquiescet
in by all parties interested.
4th The claims were Struggled into tn,
hands of parties outside the state in order to
| get them into the U. S. court, VIGOROUSLY fav
| orable to bondholders.
9Th. They are altogether speculative ven
lures on the part of the lawyers representing
the so-called claimants.
Now, had the lawyers been satisfied with
fifty thousand dollars for county and city
which is fifty thousand more than it ought to
be-why, then, we should have said let it 60,
it is dear price for peace, but we shall be
done with it; but when nothing short of hun
dred thousand dollars will do then we are
strongly inclined to say. get it if you can.
We see but one point to be gained by voting
r. ~ T.