San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1894-03-26
SHORT STOPS.
What the People are Saying.


paper articles based upon the assertion
that the city being In a bankrupt cOndl
tiun the ayor aud aldermen have no
business to attempt to do anything TO save
IL.
This is vicious statement, whether
made ia court 10 Injunction suits brought
to restrain the city from interfering with
a private corporation, or in the purchased
columns OF a newspaper to prejudice pub
lie opinion.
II the city OF San Antonio is bankrupt
as these gentlemen aver in their plead
ingS, and articles, then why should they
insist upon making contracts with the
city upon any terms?
Why should such shrewd business men,
as c. impose our private corporations, that
| supply light and water, want any further
business with "busted city"'
If our city is bankrupt, who bankrupt
ed it? Not certainly Mayor Paschal and
the present City Council who have been
doing their utmost to rel ieve the city
from the onerous bill we have been COM
PEELED To pay for light and water
And when these corporations find the
mayor and Council in earnest, after loUg
resistance, they propose to come down on
their rates, but Immediately set up ca
lamity howl about the city being bank
rupt, and therefore not able to erect
plants of it's own, but they, good souls,
are very anxious to continue in business
with this bankrupt city.
1t is startling fact that one fourth of
all the available revenue Of the city Is re-
quired To meet the water and light bill. II
Ihe city is hard pressed to meet its obi
liga tons, TO keep its nose above water
who is responsible for it? Certainly not
the pres ent administration, that found an
empty till and Dig light and water bill
to pay.
The people may well ask, how it comes
that the city is denounced as being bank
rupt in the interest OF those who have
contributed most to its embarrassed con-
dition.
If the present city administration can
succeed in cutting down the light and
water bill it will be in the face of the most
bitter and unreasonable opposition.
1t is a desperate cause that brings forth
charges of bankruptcy against the city in
order to help a couple of private corpora
lions out of difficulty.
The city is financially hard pressed,
but it is not bankrupt. II II was, the
gentlemen who arr promoting such
charges would be bankruptS alSo-at
least, they would not be as rich as they
are today.
We are beset with all sorts of schemes
to help our city out; instead of talking
bankruptcy. let us talk about our uneX-
a
Producing needed public Improvements.
If the people want light and water
cheaper it is because they can get it
chea per. 1t looks more like bank uptcy
when the extravaganza of the past Is con-
tinued than does the attempt to cheaper
the cost of these things.
The men, or set of men, who would pull
down a city administration, at the eX.
peDse of the people, and for their own
selfish ends, are greater enemies TO our
prosperity than incendiarieS.
What is the use of talking about subSi-
dies for new railrOads,-the investment of
apiral in new enterprises il we have a
bankrupt city. Better close shop and
| take an inventory Of our remaining eff
fectS.
If our city government is today in a
critical condition. the cause lies back of
the present administration If the present
administration has not succeeded in re-
storing the city to a better footing, it is
unfortunate.
Over one hundred thousand dollars OF
the old floating debt of the city has been
paid off during the past year,-May'T
PaSchal should not pay any of the debts
of the CITY, that looks like bankruptcy.
The truth is, every dollar of our city
debt today represents unproductive in
vestments,-closedu up bitches, worn out
streets, etc. If the present administration
has attempted to use the credit of the
city to invest in productive public i'm
provements, does it look like ruin and
| h.. LIZ.