San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-05-26
SHORT STOPS.
What the People are Saying.
The LIGHT Is with the people.

What the People are Saying
The LIGHT is with the people.
|
Yesterday the city council held one
of their usual IS per alderman meet
ings.
The absence of Mayor Callaghan,
and the unexplained rumor that he
had left the United States and gone
10 France, was not even alluded to.
The idea is, that the members of
the city council represent the people
but some how or other these gentle
men have got IL in their heads that
they represent Mayor Callaghan.
And as Mayor Callaghan did not
condescend TO publish to the world
where he was going or how long he
would be away, they, the members of
his city council, consider that it's no.
body's business but Mr.. Callaghan's.
No new matter of legislation was
proposed; the printing job was left
undisturbed; the market business
was made worse by the authorization
of the employment of another assistant
to help the market master do nothing.
The street railway question was ig-
nored; the burning question as to
what has become of the 1850, 900 of
city bonds was not even dreamed of;
Proving that our city council. though
a respectable body of citizens, have
become, through the domination of
the absent "boss," incapable of acting
upon any public matter without his
presence and command.
AID incident occurred during the
session that will illustrate to the peo-
pie how things are done. The city
clerk read the account presented by
the city attorney for extra services,
amounting to over $1,000, but as the
law does not permit the attorney to
earn more than a $1,000 in ex-
ira fees, he cut the bill
down to that amount; all
of which was very lucidly explained
to the council in speech by the city
clerk. A motion was made to refer to
the finance committee which the city
clerk resisted in convincing argu-
meut; during which he stated that |
the bill had peen before the finance |
committee for three months. This !
statement brought Alderman Guer- |
gum to his feet who took the clerk to
task for his reflection upon the COM
mittee; The bill was referred.
Mr.. Claudon, because of his supe-
rior intelligence and knowledge of the
city business, Is accustomed to run
things in the absence of Mr.. Cal
laghan; while Alderman Guerguin
acted as mayor, Clerk Clsudon
even took the parliamentary manage.
ment of the council into his hands; it
is no part of the clerks duty to boss
the council, but it seems necessary In
the absence of Mayor Callaghan.
The bill presented by City Attorney
Bergstrom, discloses one fact, that is,
that Mr.. Callaghan's administration
has been the most con tentious, litig l.
GUS administration the city has ever
known; every phase of the laws de-
lay has been invoked by Mayor Cal
laghan in the numerous suits either
brought or defended 0y the city.
The courts of the last resort have
been sought in almost every case; the
people have to pay these bills and
the city attorneys is one of them.
Mr.. Bergstrom has no doubt earnt d
his fees, and needs them, but the
finance committee should look into
the account.
Perhaps it was because Mr.. Berg
strom got tired, that he neglected the
Fashion theatre injunction suit, and
perhaps he let the Boelhauwe
"thsnkee" job go by default. because
the city had already overdrawn on
his services.
The fact that Alderman Guergin,
chairman of the finance committee,
voted moi on the ordinance to con-
denim the Rueter property to widen
Crockett street, for the reason that
he did not see where the money was
to come from to pay for it, sounded
strange and unnatural to the other
administration aldermen. What has
become of the $3.50, 900 of bonds, Mr..
Callaghan went for to sell.
Rumors are afloat that petition is
heinp circulatad for sipnaturas call