San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1895-04-10
SHORT STOPS.
What the People are Saying.

What the People are Saying.
The people have just begun to
wake up over the metropolitan
police bill which Representative
O'Connor is trying torush through
the legislature.
There is no doubt as to Mr..
O'Connor's sincerity in attem pit
ing this legis lation; he believes
that he is promoting a reform
measure and if successful will take
the appointment OF the police,
tircmen and other officials out Of
politics.
What caused the people to wake
up is the fact that a number OF
petitions were circulated by eX-
policemen and recently defeated
local politicians urging the legisla.
ture to pass the bill. This will be
offset by petitions promoted by
people in office, and the controversy
has assumed a political character
involving the political parties in
the late election.
A large number OF intelligent
citizens are in favor of civil service
rules being applied to appoint
ments, but it is very doubtful if
there are any respectable number
of our people who favor taking the
city government out Of the hands
the mayor and aldermen just elect
ed by them and turning it over to
three men to be appointed by the
governor of the state.
Will the governor lay aside his
partiZanship and appoint this
board of com missiOners free from
local prejudice or political leaning
to one side or the other?
Are the people satisfied that
three men, to be appointed by the
governor, will administer their af-
fairs more wisely, more conServa-
lively than their board Of alder
| men?
| If this bill passes, about all our
| mayor and aldermen will have to
| do will be to obey the edicts Of the
| triumvirate; furnish them the
means to pay of such police force,
tiremcn and other officials and EN-.
| ployes they may see fit to appoint.
AS no limit is placed upon the
number Of parties they may see fit
to employ, the city might be Sc
riously embarrassed without the
power Of remedying the trouble,
and it might result in surrender
of our city charter, and a dissolu.
ton Of our city government.
We are hardly ready for so
| sweeping change in the affairs OF
our city government. Later on
the introduction Of a set of civil
service rules applicable to the po-
lice and fire departments, might
be well enough. But the matter
of the pay OF officials or the mum.
Der to be employed should not be
taken from our City Council.
A board OF police and fire COM
missioners, before whom all mat
ters pertaining to the qualifica-
tions, appointments, and retention
could be adjudicated, will no doubt
be an issue; but such a question
should be put to the people at the
ballot box.
Had Mr.. O'Connor's bill pro-
videu for an election to be held, re-
stricting the vote to tax payers,
to decide whether the bill should
become operative, there would not
be so much objection to it. This
character of legislation should have
the endorsement Of the people to
be affected by it, and the legisla-
ture should not be influenced by
trumped-up petitions for or
against.
Our city government financial
ly distressed. The City Council
must provide the ways and means
tc keep up with the expenditures,
and should not be hampered by a
measure that virtually takes it out
OF their power to control eXpendi-
lures. Not only does this bill alb
solutely place all the power to ap-
point, equip, organize, manage, di-
rect and control firemen, police
mon, police clerks, inspectors OF
milk, meat, vegetables, weights and
measures, market masters, SAM.
tary and health officers and detec.