San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-10-27
REVIEW
Of the County Campaign.
FACTS FOR THE PEOPLE TO
CONSIDER.
THE POLITICAL CONSPIRACY EX-
POSED.
An Appeal TO the Free and Inde-
pendent Voters of BeXar
County.

Before casting your votes at the
coming election for the choice of coun-
ty officers, it is well that every citizen,
taxpayer and resident, who is en-
titled to exercise the right of suffrage,
consider the issues at stake. In the
excitement incident to national
election, involving possible change
of national and state administrations,
the people are apt to overlook the im-
portance of our home government and
the gravity of questions that directly
affect the prosperity and integrity of
our home community. To give our
neigh bors, our friends, q fair state
ment of the causes that have led to
the citizens movement, and to appeal
to them for their support, is the object
of this article.
The people of Bexar county have
become noted for their non partisan
ship in the choice OF their public SER
wants, rather preferring fitness and
capacity in the individual than merit
as q partizan, until at last all party
lines seem to have been obliterated,
but in the stead of the political par
ties, there has been formed Joint
stock association of officials. county
and city, who have usurped the po-
litical rights of the people, and by
the manipulation of the so-called
county executive committees demo-
cratic and publican-composed of q
few individuals. entirely in the in
terest of the Office holders, have ar
rogated to themselves the power to
dictate to the people for whom
they shall vote for county
officials. The head of the
democratic committee is Bryan
Callsghan, the mayor of the city, who
not only claims TO be the boss of his
party but the political autocrat of
our community. At the head of the
republican committee is DR.. Clifford
an empioye OF the county govern
ment.
Two years ago the people were
aroused from a sense of security by
reason of the open, bold movement on
the part of the city and county adj
ministrations to control the bal
lot box, and crush out
all independent or party action
in the choice of candidates
for county offices; for the first time in
the history of our county, the execu-
tive COMMITTEES, claiming to repr esent
the republican and democratic par
ties, met In midnight session in the
city building and jointly endorsed a
ticket, and proclaimed it publicly in
an addressto the people, thus usurp.
ing the right of the people, and re-
dueing both political parties to con-
ditinF Of oaruitn6n Thn
people rose aud made an effort to
throw off the yoke; the common dan
ger broke down all partizan prejudice;
a public convention was held and q
ticket composed OF honest, efficient
citizens placed IN the field. In this
election, the legal, legitimate voters
OF our county were defeated by the
use of the most shameless and open
corruption ever perpretrated upon q
community. A large corruption
fund, contributed largely by the re-
ceivers Of the Arkansas Pass railroad
was used 20 poll the Mexican vote,
and to coloniZe from the Mexican bor-
der hundreds of Mexicaus within the
Forty-fith judicial district; the peo-
ple's ticket was defeated; the scenes
of that election day aroused our peo-
pie to sense OF the danger that was
in store for them, unless they could
change the manner of voting and
throw around the ballot box some
defense against the wholesale fraud.
ulant votes polled by and under the
direct supervision of the very officials
the people had entrusted to run their
public business and enforce the law.
To BE REPEATED
The success of the conspiracy en-
bodied the men who were the bene-
ficiaries thereof, and again we see the
two so.called committees combining
and placing a ticket before the people
composed of the same officials, with
but one or two exceptions, who profit
ed by the corrupt and high-handed
conspiracy two years ago.
No matter how foul the means used,
no matter how fragrant the violation
of the right of suffrage, these officials
feel no fear OF accountability, so long
as success crowns their efforts, and
every door to Investigation and &C.
countability Is in their own posses
sion. In the names of the two great
political parties of che nation they
proclaim their candidacy for public
Office, and laugh at the honest people
of our community when any protest
is raised against their methods. Such
a state of things is only pos
sible in a community composed
of ignorant, craven people, or where,
through corrupt and interruptions
means, the better elements are de-
feated by the use of q large voting
population. who have no interest in
the general welfare, and no sppre-
citation of the great privilege OF the
ballot.
The majority of the people of our
county are intelligent and patriotic