San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-04-18
ORGANIZE FOR PROTECTION.

herself absolutely at the merry OF the
incendiary, her citizens must take
prompt and decisive measures to pre-.
vent the recurrence of such scenes as
this city passed through last Satur-
day night. The time for sentiment is
past. Heroic treatment is demande d
for the correction Of the evils that
threaten us with destruction. Sever
81 remedies suggest themselves,
but which of them it were wiser to
adopt may be an open question.
This much, however, is certain, some
measures must be- adopted for the
protection of our homes and business
houses from the torch of the incen.
diary, or all insurance will be can
celled, the companies finding it hardly
possibly to meet the losses and main.
tain the policies. Not only so, all
property will deteriorate in value,
business will be driven from our city,
investments prevented and desolation
reign in the place of the prosperity
that has marked our course as bust
ness community during the past. In
default of other suggestions, the
LIGHT would propose that the able
bodied male citizens be organized into
companies for the patrol of the city; q
certain number to be drawn night
ly, their beat assigned them and
special power for the apprehension
and, if necessary, the summary shoot
ing down of those who are found
applying the incendiary torch. Such
service as would be required of the
citizens under these regulations,
would no doubt be somewhat onerous
but it would be far preferable to see
ing our homes and our property made
the prey of the reckless incendiary.
If this suggestion be not acceptable,
or if its adoption as preventive be
not considered sufficiently effective,
q return might be made to the me.
thods of the old vigilance committees
in the early days of the settlement of
California, when all persons were
prohibited from being upon the
streets or away from their homes
after given hour in the evening,
without urgsnt necessity. Those who
were thus found contrary to vigilance
regulations upon the streets after the
prescribed hour, were summarily
arrested, taken to the headquarters
of the vigilance committee and close.
ly examined. If q valid and reason
able excuse satisfactory to the COM
mittee could be given they were dis
charged under escort to their HON es;
If no such excuse or reason could be
given they were shot or hanged as a
warning to others not to monkey
with the edicts OF the vigilants. This
may seem rather drastic sugges.
tion for civilized community in this
nineteenth century, but in the
midst of evils such as now appear to
threaten this city, no measures that
will prove affective are too drastic.
The time for mawkish sentiment in,
this case Is past, and San Antonio
should take such measures for the
prevention of incendiarism within her
limits as will effectuslly crush out
every attempt OF the lawless or inter
ested to peril human life and property
for purposes of revenge or gain. The
first duty the city owes to herself is
to protect her citizens, and If from any
cause the ordinary means employed
for the purpose are found Intellectual,
then extraordinary means should be
employed; and the further removed
from the ordinary the circumstances
are, the more extraordinary may be
the remedy required. The LIGHT has
always stood in this community "a
| the exponent of law, order, obedience
to both and the confinement of all
remedial measures within the limits
of the statutes as prescribed. Ia this
Case uo"oNoI, one CopIpletely JUL
side of the usual order of events
and threatening us with grave
disaster, if not complete desGuc-
ton, the LIGHT does not hesitates to
throw its influence in favor of the
employment of any measures, no
matter how extreme they may be con-
sidered, that will prevent the recur-
renee of incendiarism in this city, and
insure to our people the protect, n
l aud min htlu sannrifu fhau hauo IA Il N