San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-02-01
THE KING ARRAIGNED.
FUSiLADE OF RED-HOT SHOT
FROM THE REFORM CLUB.
The Shortcomings Of the Present
Administration Shown Up
In Its True Light.

The SHORTCOMINGS Of the Present
Administration Shown Up
In Its True Light.
At the meeting of the Young Mems Reform
club, which wi Il be held tn is evening. the fol-
lowing address will be read:
To the Citizens OF San Antonio:
We, the Young Mems Reform club, herewith
submit to you few OF the unpleasant no'ori-
Gus acts of the present city administration
that have compelled US TO organic .or IN, he
purpose OF attempting to once more give the
city OF San Antonio-where our homes are
and upon whose prosperity or d. cadence our
ana your success or failure so much depehuS
"a resp, ctable, dIsInterested and an hohes
admins tr ati n of it's business. We feel COZ n
dent that If every one who reads this VIII take
the time and trouble, rs we nave done, 10 III
yestigate for themselves the truth oil what we
ay that they will, if they possess any ratri, t
il I'm AT all vote to Gust II ON official power the
administration which has been To say the
least-so criminaly negligent as regards the
interests o. our city. And we desire TO say ~
behalf of our club that WE are not prohibition
club. Neither do we desire or intend To at
tempt in any way 10 interfere with the rights
of our fellow citizens. either upon the ran
chise question or any other, ana lastly, We are
not an adjunct of nor acting IN favor OF or
against any party or parties whatsoever but
are working solely for the interest of the c ty
in which we live and have our 1omes. Some
unprincipled men nave been circulating SIAN
derous reports against our CLUB upo tn &c
points, and we warn our fellow cltlZens tnal
the men who wi stOop To malicious and will
full 1aIs. hood for the sake OF ga ming Office,
will just as easily, Will in othce, stoOp 10 is
honesty for the sake of gaining ricnes, tor
these men seek Office for the money there is
in it, and he VINO s vile enough to lie, Is vile
enouy h to steal ii he thinks he can do IL with
out being caught. The difference in the eyes
of such men between the two acts IS I in
the morality, but in the nsequences. aud il
is Ouly necessary to Increase the temptatlO s
10 the last act To induce them to disregard
their fear OF the consequences.
When the present mayor of San Antonio
was elected ne came into office under the fol
lowing conditions: The city had just come
To the end of a perid during winch it had
increased rapidly and greatly in Population
and wealth. II was the general feeling among
the Intelligent portion OF the population that
pubic improvements should be made that
would be commensurate wi h the new i'm
portance of the city ana W. uid keep pace with
It's growth; to this end. during the asst term of
JAS H. French's admin stratioI Immediately
preceding the present incumbents first adj
mInistratiOn) the city charter had been SO
amended a to permit the increase of the sum
of $1,000 to S5O,UUO borrowed by the city tor
the purpose of general Improvement, The
plans even for the improvement of the
schools and streets had been drawn up and
approved. Thus, thanks to these circum-
stances, Mr.. Calaghan came mo office in
the year 1885 tn the power of acquiring
the control over S5O,OOO perry ear for general
provement OF the streets aud schools, aud
with people so filled with the spirit of p~O-
gress that they would have rejoiced at the
expenditure of double the am unit 50 long as
it yielded al adequate return. To crafty this
spirit of progress, Mr.. Callaghan promised, il
elected, that ne would institute and trry out
the improvements already discussed and APP
proved of; that he would use every effO IT TO
inaugurate aud carry out every Otner i'm
provement that would increase the health aud
attrac iveness OF the city; that he would en-
deavor to procure for the city and the C items
at large, cheaper water rates; that he would
be more economical III the actual running eX-
pense- of the city than his predecessor; that
he would administer the duties of his Office
impArtially; that he would enforce the Ordi
nances of the city without fear or favor, an
that he would surround hi self with men in
favor of these views. Thus.he became mayor,
under as fair auspices and with as unlimited
power good as a man could we'll ask; let
is see what he has done with his oppOItuni-
ties, opportunities such as no preceding may
or of San Antonio eN er had.
The first thing he did and the last for that
matter, because he las not ceased to do it ,
nor will cease so long as he re mains mayor
was to attempt TO get rid OF such alderm, n
as would not do as he desired-and do nothing
else. To this end he inaugurated- perhaps he
considered it one OF his promised improve
ments-a system of prosecutions and petty
annoyances in the council against MessTs.
Belknap kalteyer, Bolton, Mackey, HANDLE
ton and CT lagher. These gentlemen gener-
ally sagreed with him because they earnest
ly desired the immediate and energetic carry-
ing out OF the promised improvements on an
honest a above board basis. He particular
ly disagreed with MessrS. Kalteyer and G LA
Pher because the former held it to be the duty
of the administration to render con plete
and strict account of its expenditures, espe-
cially of the mayors contingent fund OF $3.50,
and with the latter because he tried hard to
force the contractor for the Fourth street
lob" to comply with the plans and specifica-
lions under which ne bid for and obtained the
contract. Mr.. Calaghan's ideas of the powers
of his office were far too kingly to admit of
his agreeing with these gentlemen; according
TO him the people have but two rights in San
Antonio. that of paying in none for the sup
port of himself and his friends and allies, and
that of wading through the mud which a small
portion OF the money has been used to dump
ON our improved" streets, more commonly
known as "jobs" We doubt not that in the
bosom of his friends he says. Damn the peo-
pie" with as much emphasis as he recently
said, Damn the Dutch"
Having done his best to get rid of the peo-
pies friends, lis next business was to get rid
of the peoples money with as little advantage
to the people and as much gain to his friends
as possible. Not desir ng to tire you we will
only give one or two instances of the way in
which he proceeded to accomplish this two
fold bject Suppose we take the Fourth
street contract or Job" This work formed
part of the contract given by the city GA Mr.
Praden upon bid made by him, said bid hav-
ing been made by BrHden under certain plans
and specifications drawn up On the part OF the
city, he undertaking TO do the work according
to the plans and Specifications, even to the
minutest detail He did the work, but not ac-
cOrding to the plans aud specifications; so far
from 1t, indeed, That the committee appointed
by Mr.. Callaghan to accept the work, tn ugh
composed of his personal friends and APP
pointed for the SPECIAL purpose of accepting
the work could only report that tine work had
been done as near as possible" AS though a
contract could be properly carr ed out or
would be allowed to be accepted, except when
done according to the plans and snecifi-
cations What private person viii allow
contractor to deliver to him a piece of work
different from and far inferior to the original
M OF 4 h.