The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1895-12-05
Two Citizens of Austin Explain Why
Votes Should be Cast for Hancock.

Mr.. Editor-I did not intend to have
anything to say in this city campaign,
and 1 am not going to say anything, but
if / were to say anything it would be
something like this:
l have been somewhat an,j"cH and sur
plised at the positions take IN some of
the speakers Il will not say candidates)
on some of the questions at issue. Nota-
bly,, the one of profit to be realized from
the dam. 1t is charged against one of the
candidates that he is in favor of making
money out of the dam, and ip order to do
so if necessary he proposes to raise the
rate on water and lights. l heard this
same candidate, when he made his open
ing speech, and if l heard correctly he
distinctly stated that he was not as san
guine on that point as his honor, Mayor
Mcdonald, but that he thought the dam
might be made self-sustaining and mabe-
so pay a small revenue to the city if prop
erly managed. but that he did not think
that time would come during his term of
office. But if there should be a surplus
at any time he would favor the calling a
meeting of the citizens and let them say
what should be done with it. He never
once said, and have never heard of his
saying at any time, that he favored rails
ing the water and light rates, but that he
was opposed TO it. 1t is the first time in
life that have ever heard of a man or 81
neople objecting to making n profit on an
Investment. If man should engage in
business of any kind in our midst and
should advertise that he was going to sell
his goods at exactly what they cost him
and that he did not want to make any
profit at all, what would you or any 9TH
cr sensible man think of him? Why you
would say at once and justly so, that
man was either liar or a fool.
Let's illustrate, and in doing so lets
take a common everyday Illustration that
all of us can understand and appreciate.
Suppose, you being a poor man with 4
family to support, were largely in debt, and
as q matter of economy and to save pay
ing high price for milk and butter.
should conclude to buy COW as an eXpe-
riment and for the purpose of furnishing
your family with milk and butter at a
cheaper rate than you are paying your
dairyman. and that after you bought the
cow YOU feed and care for her properly,
and after while she proves to be better
than you thought for, and not only makes
milk and butter enough for your family
but you have a surplus. Now, what are
you going to do about it? Are you GO
ing to say, / did not buy you for profit.
bought you to make milk and butter for
my family, but you are OVERRIDING the
thing, you are making pront.
I'll check up on you feed and I'll not care
for you as / have done, don't want any
profit? Or are you going to act the part
of sensible man and say: Well, old
gal, I'm glad I've got you, you are better
than / thought you were I'll just keep up
your feed and management at what its
at and I'll take this surplus and pay my
taxes with it? Now, l ask you or any
other sensible man how long would it
take you to answer the question and how
would you answer it? Now, we have the
dam, and with it we have large debt
and high taxes, and we built it for the
purpose of getting cheaper water and
lights and we've got them, and because
one man proposes to manage it in such
way as, if possible, to make it pay its
own expenses and a small revenue to the
city he is bounded all over our city as
being in favor of the rich man as against
the poor man, and as an evidence of this
he proposes to make profit in the dam.
It's all bosh, and the worst kind of poll