San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-04-12
LETTERS
OF a German American Citizen
No =
Citizen

|
of a German American Citizen
No. 5.
Mister San Antonio LIGHT.
think our whole City is at presen
full of cranks. met Jim Jones this
morning and knowing that he is q
good administrator man, 1 said to
him:
"Jim we have to work very hard
to get that $3.50, 900 next Saturday.
81 expect you have" cried hen but
you won't get it?"
"What is the matter with you Jim"
asked l astonished "ain't you vote for
it?"
mo sir!" he cried, "I stop now to
make fool of myself. You know 1
always was a good administrashen
man and voted everytime with you
fellows, but the reckless, extravaganza
way our administrashen throws the
peoples money away set me to think
ing. The bonds, already given by
our administrator, is the same rs
mortgages, and say our little homes
are mortgages enough. Pm q poor
man, have nothing but my little
home, and as long as can work, l
think L can raise the taxes
which have to be raised
to pay off this mortgages;
but how will it be if l got sick, or if l
have to die!-I'm afraid my poor
family couldn't raise the taxes and
have to give up their little home.-I
say every man, especially every poor
man, who votes tor them $3.50 900 uext
Saturday, he will vote against his
own interest, against the interest of
his wife and children!"
"But, JIM" said /, wouldn't it be
q good way to have plenty of money
on hand to pay all running ex-
penses?"
Certainly it would! But suppose
we vote for them $3.50, 900 which the
administrashen claims to be enough
for a whole yearly Jinks-I bet you
within 4 or 5 mouths there wouldn't
be q cent LETT! What theu?, tell me?"
Well, sir, that fellow had me! |
know that our administrator would
get ready of them $3.50, 900 in less than
no time, and so had to keep mum.
bob Greenfellow," he kept on,
you're not such big fool as some
fellows think; answer me one ques.
tiop: Suppose you want to build
house and appoint me as your agent.
We have plans and specifications
made and q contractor takes the work
10 build your home according to plans
and specification, for $llS,000, and
give bonds. Now, what would you
say to me, if come to you before the
house is finished and tell you that /
had reliefed the contractor of his
work and spend $50 GOO more of your
money to finish your house ?"
"Well-I would say, that your q
fool ora scoundrel! but what has
that to do with us?"
Just go and look up the way the
city hall was build !"
Confound, - that fellow had me
again!
Nov" he went on, "some time
ago the administrator wanted to
have $3.50, 900 to improve 40 miles OF
streets. We voted tor it-and not the
half of the 40 miles were improved.
Where Is the money? Then we vote
SlC0, 600 for school houses. one
Pedro Then we voted 100000 for
bridges-3 bridges were built which
should have cost the city not 1-3 of
that sum. Then we voted sos, 900 for
a fire alarm.-We got the worst one
In use. We voted $4,000 for garbage
furpaces.-Where are they? Besides
that, there is for every year $4,000
mortgages given on our homes for
public Improvements and sidewalks.
Where is all that money? tell you,
every citizen who votes next Satur
day for that $3.50. 900 ought to be sent
to the lunatic asylum"
He went away and deft me stand
ing on the street-speechless and
nearly fainting. After collected my
senses Rgain-I got mad. The cheek
of such q man, to demand to know
what we did with the money! /
went home in q hurry, sat down, and
wrote proclamation to the citizen of
San Antonio, which 1 will show our
admis rashen and ask them to have 1t
published. 1t reads as follows:
TO THE CITIZEN OF SAN ANTONIO.
We have ordered an election on
Saturday 10th for the issue Of $3.50 900
bonds and command you to vote for
il. So far you have done your
duty and voted every time for every
thing We wanted, with exception of
the s., 900, 900 for the waterworks.
Well-We will forgive you that. But
on next Saturday We demand that
you come out of your shalty and vote
for that $3.50, 600. If you don't do it
You better lieve the city as We will
max Q it hot for you If We get elect
ed again next time, We will raise your
assessment so high, that you be glad
to sell out for anything you get In