San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1893-01-13
SELECT PROPER MEN.

IL IL not always an easy tnlng tC
chose between dishonest ability and
honest disability, under ordinary cir
cumstances, but there are some cir
cumstances and conditions in which
there is no question ss to which II
we're wiser to select. The selection
of the proper men to represent the
people Of San Antonio is one of these
latter occasions, when 1t is plainly
for the interest Of The city to select
men of ability for mem bsrs of the
municipal council, trusting to their
honesty in the management of cor
poration affairs, rather than select
men of known disability simply be-
cause they are known to be honest.
The time has come to sit down and sit
down hard on those men who are over
anxious to thrust them selves into the
council chamber, simply because they
have pull with the ward bosses, or
are connected with some organiza-
tion that can be dragooned into their
support. Nine men out of every ten
seeking municipal honors In this
city, and SauAntonio Is no exception,
have neither the, ghost of natural
fitness for that service nor the semb.
lance of an acquired knowledge. 1t
is rank treason against the interests
of the city to give these men the least
The duties required of
the members of the incoming city
council are very responsible ones, and
not every man who is able to answer
to the roll call and draw his s. q
week is able to discharge them. If
the council that Is to be elected next
month does its duty 1t will lay sout
the work for this city to busy herself
with for the next ten years, and they
must be men of exceptional ability;
men with only the good of the city at |
heart; men without any axes of their
own to grind; men capable Of forming
IN independent judgment as to what |
is best to devise for the city and with
back bone to stand by their convlc-
lions In the face of adverse criticism.
The citizens of San Antonio want
to steer clear of those men who offer |
themselves to the service OF the |
city, when in reality they desire their |
seats in the council chamber for the
purpose of serving their own personal
interests through the special legisla-
ton they may secure at the hands OF
the council, for which purposes their
own seats in the council would be
every way advantageous. In the con.
Fiction of views that will necessarily
arise In the near future over the prop.
or course for the council, as between
too strict an economy on the one hand
and too lavish an expenditure on the
other, 1t will need very level headed
men, and the time to select such men
is now and not after those with axes
to grind have matured their plans
and put the machinery in motion for
their election. The citizens should
take an active hand in designating
the candidates whom they desire to
see elected to the municipal council.
and then having selected the proper
men they should see that they are
elected. No intelligent man can de-
termine properly whom he will
support for any Office, or whom he
will support for city alderman until
the names of the candidates are be-
fore him. 1t is not question of party
nomination and blind adherence
thereto, but question of the choice
of city administration to whom the
city interests, the city funds, the city
improvements, the city honor and
the city reputation may be commit
ted with absolute safety.