San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-02-03
RIFLE SHOTS.

Written for the LIGHT by an Occasional
Contributor.
There is a lot of fun in store for
the citizens of San Antonio. The
initial performance will begin
when the sewers are completed and
the Waterworks company declines
to furnish free water to flush the
sewers and closets.
AS it is destined that San An
tonic is to have republican mayor
for some years to come, by reason
of the preponderance of republican
votes in the city, what's the mat
ter with Col. VIM. Hoefling? He is
honest, he is capable, and he fills
the constitutional requirements,
which is more than can be said for
many aspirants, both republican
and democratic.
The democracy of Bexar should
select chairman for their county
executive committee, whose sports
mans proclivities will not tempt
him to seize a gun and fly to the
mountains of Montana every time
he sees a flock of geese-or there is
an intimation that the scattered
fragments of the party are to be
called together.
The municipal tax rate OF San
Antonio is rapidly reaching the
line of ruin and bankruptcy. 1t
has long since passed the trle dan
ger line, for when municipal tax
rates pass limit of $1.50 on the
800 of property at a fair valuation,
it is time to put on the brakes;
there is danger ahead. At the pres
ept pace at which our administra-
tions are plunging along, the tax
rate for 1897 will not be less than
SIS on the $100-not pleasing pic
ture to present to homeseekers and
intending investors. There must
be retrenchment in our present
extravaganza, or revolt upon the
part OF the taxpayers is inevitable.
IL is to be hoped that the shoe
factory enterprise has not been
stricken with congestive chill, a
disease so fatal to many San Anto-
MO undertakings in embryo. A
banquet where cold shoulder serves
as the piece de resistance as we'll as
the entree course, never fails to
leave a chilly sensation in the sys-
tenn and q barren taste to the pal
ate.
Why don't the city attorney, the
assistant city attorney, the "back
tax collector" or some Of the nu-
merous clerks, stenographers and
assistants feeding at the public
crib, make an effort to force the
wealthy tax delinquent to pay up,
instead of concentrating their COM
bined efforts on the smaller fry.
There are half dozen taxpayers
on the list whose aggregate indebt-
edness to the city amounts to
about $4,000; yet, as far as heard
from, neither the city attorney and
his able corps Of assistants, nor the
"back tax collector" have ever COL
lected a dime OF it, or been made an
effort to do so, as far as is known.
But the small fry, in several in
stances, have been scared and bull
dozed by threats of suits at law,
into paying their dues. This is an
outrage-in morals as we'll as in
law.
A properly organized political
syndicate in Bexar county, should
be able to command an unlimited
slush fund in the coming campaign
from outside sources. We have
the talent to form the syndicate IL
individuals can only agree upon
terms as to satisfactory distribu-
ton.
1t is the "gslled jade" who
always winces and finds relief in
bombastic boasts and silly Yituper-
alton.
The public should tender a
formal vote of thanks to the Alamo