San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-05-05
SHORT STOPS.
what the People are saving.

what the People are Saying.
AT the last regular meeting of the city
council no business of any Importance
was transacted.
dergarten, the mayor giving the new
councilmen few simple lessons in the art
OF city government, according TO his plan.
No annoying questions were asked
about bonds, about city finances, city hall
or other jobs. The mayor suggested moth
ing to excite even the imaginative MEM
Der from Beanville.
Alderman Lockwood acts as Premier
although Alderman Schreiner is deputy
mayor by choice of the council.
The mayor, in theory, is the servant of
the people. He is paid good salary to
give his entire services and talents to the
management OF the city government.
The people expect and are entitled to his
entire time and attention to the public
business.
The city council represents the people
as the legislative body of the city govern
ment. These councilmen are also, in the
DRY, the servants of the people.
The mayor asked the city council for a
leave of absence,-just simply leave of
absence; it was asked in that Indifferent
sort of way that implied that he only had
TO mention his wish and it would not even
provoke motion.
OF course, Mayor Callaghan can have
leave of absence; no council was ever vet
so ungracious as to refuse sucha request.
But Alderman Lockwood. gives point to
the joke of the mayor asking such favor
of the council, by rising and smiling and
asking If five days was sufficient time"
The mayor smiled back and suggests that
he did not care to say when he would go,
was granted, leaving it to mis- own sweet
will.
This is certainly very Indifferent wav
OF treating the mayor of our city: he is
our chief executive officer; the people
should know why he wants leave of alb
sence; whether it is private or public
business; when he expects to leave:
where he is going to, so that any citizen
could reach him if he wanted to: and how
long he is to remain away from his post of
duty. Y
For the council to act as If they were
indifferent over the matter as to when or
where he went or whether he ever came
back again, is treating the chief executive
very shabby.
This is no doubt Mayor Callaghan's last
term of office; in public opinion his throne
has tumbled about him: this is his last
chance to play city autocrat, but all the
same he deserves to be treated by the
council as if his presence and services
were valuable and necessary to the bust
ness of the city; else why do we pay him
5000 salary.
If the council were other than the SER
vile servants of the mayor, his honor
would have stated in plain terms no
doubt: gentlemen | am compelled to ask
leave OF absence for ten days or more to
attend TO some urgent private business at
Rockport or some other point, and expect
to leave before you meet again, therefore
ask that my leave date from such and
such date. Or it might be public business
such as: Gentlemen, find that | shall be
compelled TO make another trip to New
York to look after that sale of bonds, and
ask leave OF absence, of one month from
the 10th inst. My address can be had of
the city clerk.
But none of this, the mayor can simply
disappear and reappear when he feels
like 1t. The people are not so in different
as the city council, they would like to
know where the mayor is and how he is
putting in the time they are paying him
for.
a beautiful illustration in Alderman
Gregory, a fresh sample of municipal
craftsmanship.
Alderman G. gets the floor, and reads.
In his sweetest tones, a couple of resoIu-
tiOnS; his reading produces quite favor
able impression upon the audience; he
sits down very much satisfied with the
way he has acquitted himself; the
mayor fSmileS; looks at his fresh recruit
in compassionate way, and says: 1T is
ru le that the alderman must sign his
resolutions. ''-(Kindergarten gets in its
work. )-Alderma G. hops to his feet as if
he was a grain of popcorn in hot pan.
and with outStretched pencil offers to cor
rect his error, but the boss, teacher"
or chief instructor of the NUM-
cipal kindergarten smiles back and
says, never mind. this time. III sign it for
you.
The business done at this meeting
was not worth anything to the people; it
was clean waste of s. on each alderman
present.