San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1894-07-31
DELAY
In the Sewer Matter Will Increase
the Cost.


To the Daily LIGHT.
Festus told the Apostle Paul, to
''call at more convenient season, ;"
and the opponents of sewerage,
even while confessing that sewers
are necessary and desirable, take
post behind the objection, that the
time is unprOpitious for such an
undertaking, and it must be put
off to a "mOre convenient season."
The opponents bring forward
no other objection to the
adoption Of the sewer propo-
sition. They are opportunists,
and only desire sewerage to be
postponed to a "more convenient
season." a more favorable oppor-
tunity, but the trouble is, they
would defer sewerage, indefinitely.
Delay is the alpha and omega of
their tactics and their policy. Is
not delay the key note of the COM
munication vouchsafed by Mr..
Madarasz? He brings forward NO
argument against the sewer prop
osition soon to be voted on by the
taxpayers. Twice before this time
sewerage has been killed by the use
of the same tactics now employed
the cry, that it must be put off to
a "more convenient season." for
more suspicious opportunity.
Shall this cry be allowed to de-
feat sewerage again. When the
cry of the opponents Of sewerage is
analysed, sifted and bolted to the
bran, it is found to be nothing save
an effort to delay the important
measure. That is their sole
policy.
1t is dangerous to delay meas
ure which is absolutely essential
to the public health. So long as
all the filth and garbage in San
Antonio is emptied into the San
Antonio river, the San Pedro creek
and the various irrigation bitches,
it will be impossible to place our
city in passable state of santa
ton. Here is a stubborn and hard
fact, which tax payers must digest.
l am addressing my remarks to
those tax payers whose minds are
free from prejudice and open to
| conviction on the question Of
sewers, for ] am aware of the
uselessness of plying with argu-
ment, men who mean to vote,
bhndfolded, against sewerage,
without rhyme or reason. No ar
gument or appeal could overcome
the prejudice Of those opponents Of
sewers, who are not open to con-
viction. But there are reasonable
and rejecting men among the tax
payers, and it is to them / appeal
to save the city from the visitation
of epidemics. 1t is an admitted
fact that typhus fever, typhoid
fever and diphtheria will become
epidemic in localities Astounding
in uncleahliness and filth and de-
void of the means Of removing such
hot beds of disease. We will not
have to wait for cholera, yellow
fever and the plague to furnish us
with an epidemic; typhus fever,
typhoid fever and diptheria, with
conditions favorable to their gener-
alton, develop into deadly epidem-
les. One city may have its popu-
lation decimated by one Of these
diseases in the epidemic form and
stage, while another city twenty
miles of will escape its ravages.
In the one city uncleanliness and
filth generate the epidemics, while
in the neighbOring city sanitation
| fences them out.
/ appeal to taxpayers not to run
any risk where the public health
| is involved. ! submit that ordin-
airy prudence dictates the speedy
putting Of sewers down, and the
disseminating the use Of the river,
San Pedro creek, and the irrigation
bitches as open sewers and con-
ducts. Be guided by facts and not
by partyism, faction, prejudice,
and parsimoniousness.
Let us see how the matter stands.
Does an urgent, pressing necessity
for sewerage exist. Beyond a
doubt. or caVil. The doctors prac-
tically concur as to such necessity.
Our own senses tell us sewers are
badly needed. The polluted and
foul condition of the streams run
ming through the city cry aloud
for sewerage. Are not these things
true? OF course they are. Then
act on them. I. -.