San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1894-07-26
HEED THE WARMING.
A Strong Argument in Favor of

1t has several times been an
nounced with prodigious empha
sis and a grand flourish of trum
pets, that the sole argument put
forward for the sewer proposition
was, that it would cause the expen
diture of nearly 100000 in San
Antonio and give employment to
the unemployed. This statement
of the case is palpably erroneous
and misleading, so much so, as to
justify a suspicion of the sanity OF
those making it.
The expenditure of over 100000
in San Antonio, at this pinch in
the hard times, would be a down
right blessing to the city, as 1T
would throw that sum into circu-
IatiOn at once. The "tin bucket
brigade" cannot afford bank ac-
counts; but it is forced to spend its
wages at once, for the cessaries
of life and for rent, and consequent
ly their wages enter into circula-
latiOn Immediately. In the course
of business and trade, the wages of
the wage worker circulates briskly,
and every man in the city feels the
happy effect of such an addition to
the circulation. This is a sound
and strong argument in favor Of
the sewer proposition, and what is
more to the purpose, it is on level
with the understanding of persons
of all intellectual grades.
The opponents of sewers are al
fluent in dauntless hardihood of
assertion, and write and talk in
the tone of weeping and afflicted
patriotism, but they have not, and
will not, assert that the eXpendi-
ture of nearly 100000 in San Anto-
Mo at this time, would not be a
tirst-class blessing to our city and
its inhabitants. The people are
aware of this fact, and the sensible
tax payers will vote accordingly.
The opponents of sewers sheer at
and ridicule this argument, in their
clumsy way and dogmatic style,
but they cannot deny it's force nor
controvert it's truth. They are too
smart and shrewd to wear out their
teeth and advertise themselves as
first class fools, by biting a file,
which they would certainly do,
should they affirm that the paying
out of 100000 in San Antonio for
work, would be to our people what
a reprieve at the foot of the galIows
is to a criminal under sentence of
death. The opponents of sewers
are not fools enough to bite file.
No other argument in favor of
sewers has been advanced, ex-
claim the enemies of sewers, with
an air of triumph. You must be
both deaf and blind, Messrs. Moss
backs, if you actually believe what
you say.
Is it not literally and notorious.
ly true, that the San Antonio river,
the San Pedro creek, and other irri.
CATION bitches have been trans
formed into sewers, and made the
receptacles and conduits for the
bulk of the filth and garbage in
San Antonio? Is it not true, that
these streams have been so defiled
and polluted as to have become
nuisanCes and menaCes to the
health of San Antonio? Come, gen.
tlemen mOsSbacks, face the music
like men, and deny fact and truth,
if your cOnsciences will suffer you
to stultlfy and degrade yOurselvesF
The use of the San Antonio river,
San Pedro creek and the irrigation
bitches, as sewers and COnduits for
filth and garbage Of the city, is a
first-class nuisance and a menace
to the public health. Let tax.pay-
ers "chew the cud" on the existing
condition of things, and follow the
dictates of their own Judgment n
the sewer question.
The physicians of the city have,
with practical unanimity, declared
that sewerage is an actual necessi-
ty to the public healthy, and they
have called the attention of the
city government to the fact. Is
this public, unequivocal and unan
imous declaration of the physicians
of San Antonio that sewers are alb
solutely necessary to the public
health, no argument in favor of
sewers ? What say the taxpayers
in regard to the verdict of the ply
sicians on this point? Will they
discredit and reject the testimony
of the physicians as to the necessi-
ty and urgency of sewers? II they
vote against sewers they will
thereby discredit and reject the
testimony of the doctors and "sin
against light and knowledge"
They will assume entire respon-
sibility for all the evil consequence