San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-04-09
WHO KILLED COCK ROBIN?

| the Alamo monument Dill was de-
feated and who was responsible
| therefor. AS was not unexpected,
the members most conspicuous in
defeating the appropriation to assist
| in the erection of suitable monu-
ment to the heroes of the Alamo were
| the members who were hottest for
railway commission and hell bent
against the passage of any libel law
that would give a newspaper man
chance for his life in a libel suit.
These men, who in the free confer
ence committee put it out of the
power of the friends of the monument
bill to do anything, were Mills of Nc
Lehman, Haysof Lamar, Tom Brown
of Gray son and Whatley of no matter
where. The members of the free con-
ference committee of the senate were
in favor of the appropriation. The
members of the free conference COM
mittee of the house were not, the vote
standing on the first ballot eight to
two in the house committee against
any appropriations, and nine to one on
all subsequent votes. Gresham of Cal
weston had an Island City axe to
grind and could not antagonize his
colleagues on the committee, wei!
pleased to see that any appropriation
for San Antonio was defeated with
out his active antagonism. There
were before this committee all the
different appropriations, to be recon-
ciled and harmonized and compro-
missed. Among these were the Alamo
monument bill $50 900; the $40, 200 for
the Sam Houston normal; the $50, 900
for the geological section; the SO, 900
for the university building; and the
So, 900 for the Galveston medical an
mex. Senator Burney of Kerr, who
championed the Alamo appropriation
and was sustained throughout not
only by the senate members of the
committee but by house member
Clemens Of Comal, was handicapped
by the previous appropriation of Sl5,-
600 for a monument at Austin for the
same purpose. The committee had
no power to change appropriations
concerning which there was differ
ence, and shat $4,000 for Austin was
already fixed. The opposition argued
that it would never do to make two
appropriations for the same object in
the same session and it was an argu-
ment which told. Not only so-the
advocates of the monument apprOpria-
ton were advocates Of the university
appropriation, the Sam Houston Nor
NAL appropriation, the Geological all
mex appropriation and the apprOpria-
ton for convict farm. Whenever they
pushed the claims of the Alamo
Monument association the appropria-
ton Crayfish of the house committee
threatened defeat of the other APP
preparations above mentioned, and
thus the fight went on. Had it been a
stand up battle for the monument ap-
preparation alone, Senator Burney and
his colleagues would not have re-
coded, but as it was they were COM
PEELED to agree to the demands of the
mosquito skinning crowd from the
house, or see all the appropriations for
University, Normal school, geological
annex, ETC., go by the board, and that
without benefitting the monument
project one hair. AS it was, the con-
vict farm appropriation which was
pet scheme of Senator Burney was
cut out and shared the same fate as
the A lamO monument. San Antonio
was left out in the cold, but Galveston
got there as usual. The $50, 900 form
erly appropriated upon condition that
Galveston would give $4,000 or its
equivalent, still stands, though Gal
weston has not complied with the con-
ditions imposed by the twentieth leg
islature, and in the free conference
committee a farther appropriation
of $25, 900 was agreed upon
making 5000 for Galveston upon
her providing $25,O 900, while San An
tonic is cut out of paltry 100000 in
work to cost a round $1,000, 900.
The peculiar condition of affairs in
which it was imperatively necessary
for the friends of the monument to
drop it in order to save other appro-
priations in which they were inter-
ested, prevented them from doing
| other than they did. Their services
will be remembered. This state owes
a deep debt of Indignation to Messrs.
Mills, Hayes, Brown, Gresham and
| Whately, and it should see it paid.
These men have in effect proclaimed
to the world that the immortal heroes
of Texas, who saved her vast territory
| to the domains of freedom. and wrote
liberty and fraternity all over her
broad area-these heroes have de-
! served nothing at her hands, and all
efforts to perpetuate their memories
! should be discouraged. Such an act
is an everlasting shame and disgrace
| tO the state Teyas ia buDoi latad and