San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1890-01-09
HIGR.HANDED PROCEEDINGS.

Threatened Deaih-b0w TO San Marcos.
The City Council in extra session
on Mon lay did somo most extraorii.
nary work. We refer to the ordl-
nance and resolution which appear
on our local page. We ask for them
the careful perusal of evoly reader.
They were reported by the Judiciary
committee, consisting OF w. ID.
Wood, l.. II. Browne, and S. B. Nc
Bride, and passed by the following
vote:
Yeas-Wood, Browne, Nc Bride,
johnson, Travis and Hofheinz.
Nays-Giesen and Smith.
Whereupon Mayor Hardy handed
in his veto Of these measures, and
they we're promptly carried over his
head by tho same vote. The Mayors
veto follows this article, and presents
n few OF the many unanswerablo OBJ
jections to the action of tho Council.
The meaning and effect OF the or
dinance and resolution arc plain
enough, but q few words in regard to
them may not be out of place. In
the first place, the appropriation OF
$4,000 covers the entire amount al
lowed by law to be issued, leaving no
reserve for any other purpose, while
Mr.. Browne, ono OF the committee
who reported them, in his recent
anti-publc school article in the FREE
Press said: "Every town corpor-
alton should have some reserve cred
it," His memory is remarkably short,
and this is by no means the only in
stance, as may appear hereafter.
Then if the items of appropriation
had been reversed. the $4,000 APP
piled toward public school building
and $1,000 towards the streets, it
would have been more plausible, but
that would have been wrong, for we
assert and appeal to the good sense
of any fair minded man to bear us
out, that no bonded indebtedness is |
necessary for street improvements
They can be otfoctually secured from
iimo to tune us the eNigonces of the
case may demand. There is just the
difference between these and pub
lie school building the former neces-
sarily requires an entire appropriation
rs whole, while the other does not.
Taking the two appropriations Or
dered by the council together, and
it would DO difficult to conceive of
anything moro prepostoroue. That
of $1,000 to patch up our old rookery
of public school building can only
be regarded rs an insult by every in
telligent friend of popular education,
while that for the streets is precisely
as Mayor Hardy states. 1t would DO
difficult for human ingenuity to
conceive of u more perfect scheme
for squandoring money for no earthly
good. 1t might just rs well be cast
into the depths of the sea, so far rs
any practical good is concerned. But
THE HALF HAS NOT BEEN TOLD.
BY the resolution which accompanies l
the ordinance, and is made part of
it, it is provided that in addition to t
the taxation ON the bonded debt |
the owner Of any lot or fractional a
lot facing on the streets proposed to \
be improved, is required to pay one b
third of the expenses on said streets $
and sidewalks. If therefore a man \
owns property on both sides of 1
said streets he will be required to Il
pay two. thirds of said expenses. The o
entire cost Of this levy would probab- =.
ly reach another $4,000, making
$4,000 in all for which our people q
are to be put IN soak And for |,
WHAT Very little if anything, as any .
one conycrsant with the topography :.
OF this town and the style of street r
prevalent, will be ready :
TO testify. Two or three years :
would be sufficient to eflace the last
yestige Of these improvements, loav-
ing only these mountains of debt on
their shoulders as a reminisctuco to
ourtcx payers and perchance a source !
OF OIL ~ulltiUu TO our little would .
be bulls aud bears who understand
how 10 cout-ive these little schemes =
and 10 work them for al they are 4
worth al tie expense Of the tax \
payers. 4
Bot By II the most Objectionable
feature q tEis business j. the sccrccy. /.
with which 10 was sprung IN the
Council. and tie hot haste with which u
& j. proposed to cJusamate u. before =
INV pubic expression can be had 81
Ip5n u We uRjersilulItis u c1n- d
.omp,1ti5u % base these UJ1ls CD q
gravel ID Cue style AT TIE cXpcBze
z tte ~ly. lrgi HT iha -7erie' -t