San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1895-06-09
CONTRIBUTED SCRAPS
Written for the LIGHT:

Written for the LIGHT:
Municipal extravaganza and
misgovernment in the United
States are not general, but are
rapidly increasing.
Corruption is at the bottom Of
all this tangled mass of extrava-
gance and misgovernment, and it
Is far more difficult to extirpate
corruption than it is to eXtirpate
coco grass, or the roots Of a cancer
All the appointive municipal
offices are bestowed is rewards for
dirty services in the election, or
through nepotism and favoritism.
Fitness for these subordinate posi-.
lions is Of no consequence and the
public good is never thought of in
bestowing them. Halt of these
minor positions are promised to
certain parties, in advance Of the
election for dirty, work to be
performed by them in coralling
votes.
Bribery is resorted to in almost
every city in the United States in
all municipal elections, and
through bribery and the liberal
promise of the appointive offices,
the corrupt class gains the day.
In addition to the above evils,
almost every mayor is the puppet
Of one, or two individuals, who have
"axes to grind" and nests to feath-
ell out Of the feathers plucked
from the psople. The aldermen,
also, must snake hay while the
sun Shines" by selling their votes
or by becoming secret partners
with those who are looking the
municipal treasury.
: The minor officers are swift to
initiate the example set them by
their superiors and to dabble in all
, manner of corruption. The conta-
gion spreads until it embraces all
|. who are connected with municipal
government.
Three prices are paid for all
municipal work and improvement
, that are executed, but not with.
standing the exorbitant price paid,
: the work Is a botch and a swindle.
These remarks are intended to be
, general, and not apply to any par.
, ticular city in the Union. 1t would
, be we'll for the people were. they ap-
, plicable to this, or that city, only.
Another stupenduous evil lies in
the criminal failure to collect city
, taxes promptly. The facility OF
|, borrowing money on bonds is
! mainly the cause OF the failure to
, collect the taxes promptly. The
. indulgence shown to large tax
. payers by not forcing them to pay
their taxes, makes friends for a
municipal administration. 1t is
customary with city assessors to
place a low value on the property
of the rich but to make up for the
deficit thereby occasioned by over
valuing the property Of the small
tax payers.
The wide diffusion and the rank
luxuriance of municipal corruption
extravaganza and misgovernment,
has aroused the honest and patrio-
tic class in the North and in the
West and led to the organization
OF the good government club.
What reform will be accom-
plished by this good government
club none can predict. The move
ment is both needful and patriotic
and ought to be crowned with
perfect success; but in the past
times, the loudest and most opened
mouthed reforms have fallen into
the cesspool Of corruption pretty
soon after they have acquired
Office under the pretence of being
reformers Of municipal abuses and
oorruptions.
The outs are always crying out
for reform, and posing as
thorough-going reformers, but in
consequence of some unaccountable
fatality, they lose their grip on
reform on getting into office and
blossom out as adopts in corrup-
ton.
:. In consequence Of having been
80 often fooled, tricked and de-
celVed Dy tne hypocrisy, OF ndn-
mel mouthed reformers and their
boastful parade Of the pruning
knife and guillotine OF reform, the
people have fallen into the belief
Of the sick fox ia the fable.
A peasant In going through a
stretch of woodland, came upon a
sick fox that was covered all over
with flies and being moved to pity
by the sight he broke off a bough
with which to scare off the flies
but the fox, divining his purpose,
said to him. sin pity to me, do
not scare these flies, which r
almost filled with the blood sucked
from my body, since IL you do a
hungry swarm will succeed them
and finish me.