San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-03-19
LOCAL POLITICS.

states 10 meet current expenses Tor
the near future.
We have now an indebtedness of
over / IA millions In bonds, besides
we owe over $500, 900 to the San An
tonic National bank, our treasury Is
empty and if we authorize further
| $3.50. 900 bonds our debts like q frac-
tion) will show g 10000 for which
| annual in terest will have to be paid,
besides the two per cent sinking iuDd
and costs of current expenses. Let
us ask what would be the result, If
future years con tinue these demands.
The ingenuity of the administration
and the papers in support thereof do
wonders in declaring that the city
without the money cannot exist. If
these gents believe now that the dis
cOvery of such arguments are new We
simply have to pity them; the biggest
ignoramus among our citizens de-
cided this long ago and the question
is not, whether the city can maintain
itself with or without money, but
rather, whether they incline to throw
another $3.50 900 into q bottemless pit
If we view this matter nearer, and not
in any partisan spirit, the question is
only for the interested parties to
decide whether or not $3.50 900 sd.
ditional bonds will be voted We
have already mentioned that we owe
over one and quarter million in
bonds and over S300,000 in notes, q
sure total Of over 81 100000.
These enormous debt-burdens-ex-
cept a very small part-have been
put upon US within the last seven
years, and what have we received
therefore? Let us be over liberal and
| ass ume that we received this fun
amount i'm Improvements then could
we continue, at such q rate for the
nearest coming years? We do not be.
lieve it, yet our administration seem
to consider this selt-eviden or these
bosses would not so blandly have
asked the citizens for another IA
million dollars.
First of all no citizen knows the
exact condition of our city finances.
Information is being withheld. The
financial reports show neither head
nor tail, ana the gentlemen of the
administration, not even excepted,
can tell with certainty how much
money should be in the different
funds, or how much there is there,
because payments have been made
therefrom NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. au
IT, GRITTY con tanned in our city charter?
The citizen has simply lost con-
fidsuce In our city administration
and views with distrust any appeal
to vote 1t further money. The voter
prOpounds the question to himself,
Would not another allowance bear
the same results as previOusly?"when
they only aided to surround us with
letters instead of being beneficial and
leads to logical consequence, to try
q refusal, rather than be intimidated
beforeha and; his memory is yet fresh
on vote for q similar proposition,
I'VE refer to his refusal to buy the
waterworks.)
The idea that q certain sum pumped
into the city treasury would replace
credit with cash system is laudatory,
that the only thing that can be said
against 1t, is the fear that 30 much
ready coin would prick the fingers OF
the administration until for Improve
ment purposes" it would have disap.
peared, and in short time again
reduce us 10 our present status. We
have been forced to this conclusion
from the fact that our present mayor,
who has been in office over seven
years, only now recommends this
course, when he had time before the
thunder of mistrust became so loud,
To have adopted it; 1t becomes danger
GUS now TO vote more funds, besides
those that must be paid (taxes), to an
administration that needed seven
years to convince itself that colossal
interest debt should have been spared
the city.
The citizens will calculate how
much could have been eaved him had
such an idea dawned upon our mayor
seven years ago, had interest on and
borrowed money from the bank never
supplanted leash as you gor system
tor current expenses. 1t is somewhat
late for the administration TO adopt a
new financial policy, because 10 lie
hard to restore confidence that has
been lost. The complete loss of 1t to
the present administration is about
upon it, 10 matter what aid would be
rendered new one, the one drawing
to Its close will be answered in the
negative.
The cans that will be resorted to,
to induce the email property owner
to vote forS250 900 0Obond proposition,
will be to tell him his percentage
would be mere trifie, the wealthy
would have to tear the main burden,
that II the credit of the city suffers,
| work would become scarce and wages
COZ Id not be- paid. All this is sheer
nonsense, it Is we'll known that the
small owners a. Q the heaviest taxed,
the credit of the city would advance
instead Of sinking, when it is seen
| abroad that our citizens can have no
wool pulled over their eyes; our pub
lie works, have In a prepoDderous