San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1894-12-10


were successful in capturing the
county offices in the late election,
it is certain that the majority of
the Intelligent voters of this city
are not going to take step back
wards and restore the Callaghap
regime.
Our city government has not yet
recovered from the extravaganza
and mismanagement that marked
the period preceding the election
of the late Mayor Paschal.
The people know that the pres
ent city administration is in the
main a clean one; that it has done
much to get the city out OF its flu
ancial tangle, and that while there
are many things that could be i'm
proved, they are minor in import
ance.
IL there are signs of discomfort
among the people they arise from
the appearance Of political intrigue
that pervades in fiicial:circles The
people are jealous Of the use Of
official patronage to control the
ballot box.
The people are sick and tired of
the kind Of personal politics that
has controlled the distribution of
public offices and employments.
They are tired of trickery at the
ballot box; they are disguised with
the official combinations that open
ly put up a purse to control cleo
tiOnS.
The courts have been appealed
to, contests have been filed based
upon sworn statements that have
startled the better seLse of the
public; nothing short Of the most
searching investigation will salts
fy the public.
The worst crime scenes to be
the unfair, one-sided method of
conducting elections. Those in
authority have become accustomed
to use their authority to control
the ballot boxes, and if we are to
believe the sworn statements in
the contested election cases, those
in charge of the late election did
not stop to consider the proDrletV
OF their actions.
The great body Of the people are
honest aud only demand that cleo
lions should be conducted honest
ly,--the idea that success covers a
multitude Of sins is becoming dis
tasteful.
Unfortunately we have large
body Of voters who have no poll
tics, who are controlled by the use
of money, who regard the exercise
of the franchise as a means of Sc
curing little pocket change, or
employment. This mass of igno-
rant, corrupt voters, creates cor
ruption. But the grea body of the
people are always able to put this
thing down.
We have maintained and still
urge that strict party politics is the
only permanent cure for our pre-
sent diseased body polite. Bursts
of Indignation, on the part of the
people, causing them to throw
aside party, only left the situation
unchanged. We down one ring to
forge another, because personal
politics rule the day.
Our worst political manipula-
tors are not bad only so far as they
are permitted to be bad. The great
evil is the Indifference Of the peo-
pie following every spasm OF po-
litical virtue.
Men who have for years thriven
off Of the credulity of the public
become bold and assume that pub
lie office is their heritage and that
the ballot box is only a farce-a
medium to attain the end through
trickery and chicanery.
1t is assumed that if certain men
go into partnership the election
business is settled in advance. All
the people have to do is tn fOOl
them a few times.
The good reputation OF our city
should be maintai ned-on the
whole our public trusts are honest
ly administered, but our political