San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1894-11-30
CONTRIBUTED SCRAPS.

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of cuticle and abnomnably thin
skinned, is truly in sorry plight.
He lives in hot water and sleeps on
bed of thorns. He is the victim
Of thin skinnedness and supersen-
sitiveness.
The mildest comment puts him
beside himself; the most velvetty
criticism wounds him to the quick.
1t is a great misfortune for a pub
lie sot1ic er to be without a cuticle
since, it keeps him in hot water
and, of ten times, leads him to
make himself ridiculous.
contributed Scraps" was very
much surprised to learn that one
of the candidates had discovered a
criminal libel in this column, and
was determined on an indictment
and prosecution for criminal libel.
The gentleman should thicken
and tougher his skin, or retire to
the shades Of private life.
Contributed Scraps" has never
said ought concerning him which
could be tortured into a libel by
the most ingenious notification.
The gentleman, himself, is not
charged directly or indirectly, with
perpetrating any fraud in the late
election, or of being accessory to
any fraud. Where then does the
libel come in?
He might have been elected by
means Of fraud-such things con-
tinually happen, without the sug-
gestion, connivance, or knowledge
OF candidates. II the ticket on
which he ran was elected by fraud
it is no libel to intimate that he
probably owed his election to fraud.
That is not charging him with
fraud.
Is it libel to ask the question,
ais 1t not unreasonable to suppose"
AS one of Maryatt's characters
used to say, "human nature is
human nature" but is it a
libel, not to except some par
ticular person-from the univer-
sal rule? Hardly. 1t is unreasOn-
able. in the extreme to expect Mr..
"Soe Toe" or any man, to be energet-
ic and drastic in Investigating cleo
tion frauds, which, il brought to
light by proper evidence, might
GUST him from office, and do the
same for some of his running
mates. The law forbids judge to
try a case, in which he is interest
ed, and this prohibition is founded
on the fact, that "human nature is
human nature" the world over.
The gentleman's temper was
ruffled no doubt, when he talked
of a prosecution for criminal libel,
but he has too much good sense,
in his cooler moments, to really
believe he has been criminally
libelled by "Contributed Scraps"
or to suppose a grand jury could
be made to see that which never
existed outside of his Imagination
and his anger.
Charges Of fraud in the late
county election are as "plentiful
as black berries in June" and
where there is so much smoke,
there must be fire. The LIGHT
stated several days past, that 40l
voters, had voted, and there is no
doubt but that they voted for the
Big ticket. Throw out these 40l
legal votes, and this tender footed
gentleman and several OF his rum
ing mates would have to "step
down and out"
The Big s certainly are not yet
above fair criticism and comment.
There is no statute making the
criticising and commenting on
the late election and its alleged
frauds, "scanalatum magnatum."
The press has not yet been muz-
zled and gagged, though none can
foretell what may be evolved from
the autocratic power Of the Big 8,
in process Of time.
If they are wise they will not
attempt to gag and enchain the
press, as such an attempt might in
the end, show they had "bitten off
more tobacco than they could
chaw."
Numerous other frauds are
charged to have been committed,
and no doubt were committed. The
grand jury is bound to investigate
these charges, to probe them to the
bottom, as they have been publicly
made.
The sentiment of every patriotic
citizen of Bexar is that frauds in
elections must be stopped by pun
fishing such are are shown to be