San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1894-07-30
DISCUSSING SEWERS.

than one hundred, turned out in
full force on Saturday night, at
corner Crockett and Chestnut
streets, to consider the subject Of
sewers. President S. S. Irving
opened the meeting; Secretary H.
A. Ellis read the minutes. DR.. j..
q. Starnes spoke as follows:
Fellow Citizens The question
to which your attentions are called
tonight is one of grave importance,
not profound, not deep, or difficult
to solve, only to that extent so rem
dered by agitators. Believe me
when | tell you, that this of all, is
the most important question you
have been called upon to consider
since your acknowledgements as
sutfragans. And why? Sirs, you
are called upon to decide by your
ballot whether or not you will
longer endanger the health and
future prosperity of your fare city
by losing an opportunity to sewer
and thereby protect the health and
lives Of your loved ones against
the invasion of either endemic or
epidemic diseases so destructive to
the human family.
This, declare, gentlemen, to be
Of far more Importance to you
than election for governor, Judge,
mayor, justice Of the peace or state,
county or city election. Upon one
depends the making and execution
of your laws; the other, the life,
health and happiness of your loved
ones. Your city, notwithstanding
our boast of health resort, is the
very centre, seat and hot bed, not
only of a dangerous and almost I'M
governable class of zymotic diseas-
es as you have noticed in the news
papers for the last few days; but a
fruitful paradise for those exam
themata, such as smallpox, scar
latina and diptheria, that scare
men almost out Of their wits, when
they make their appearance, and
as General Butler cleansed New
Orleans of it's pestivorous plague,
yellow fever, so may you by tax.
ing time by the fore lock protect
and make San Antonio the eden of
the west.
In proportion as your population
increases so increases the poisonous
germs that cents the atmosphere
unhealthfully. Think of the thous.
ands, yea myriads of these invis-
able poisonous germs filling every
inch of space and all the air you
breathe, every drop of water you
drink even contaminated with
them, and then listen to men cry
ing swat! let us reckon,
let us have board of bus
mess men let us figure, and
a thousand other excuses that
mean only procrastination and
weighing the matter right for
one ready to call them lunatics /;
and every year gentlemen, yea
every month, the long hour renders
the health problem more serious.
ADVANTAGES FROM A FINANCIAL
STANDPOINT.
Everybody agrees that we should
have sewers.
Everybody agrees that the streets
should be improved. Then let us
have improved streets; but let us
not 60 to work and put down more
| blocks and macadamiZed streets !;
only to be torn up in few days
for sewers.
All is we'll that ends we'll; then
to end well is to begin we'll.
There then is saving by put
ting in sewers first and
avoid having an extra expense of
improving streets and then tearing
them up and improving them
again. They say it is increasing
taxation and times are too hard.
We mean to make times better by
turning loose 100000 where the
laboring poor can get it. When
does one borrow if it is not when
he is in need? Put in sewers
and induce northern and eastern
capitalists to invest and times are
made easy.
100000 now Is worth as much to us
as $l5,000,000 will be when we shall
have severed our city and induced
these capitalists to put in rolling
mills, foundries and machine shops
that will give employment to every
honest laboring man that wants
work.
These agitators that's bowling
hard times, and increased taxation
are not half so much interested in
the welfare of the city and citi-
zens as they pretend, they all have
axes to grind and hobbies to ride;