San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-02-14
SHORT STOPS.
What the People are Saving

The problem of good, efficient, honest
municipal government, is one of the
most important now before the people
Of this country. 1t is plain that
through corporate powers granted
towns and cities, an immense burden
of debt has been piled upon the tax
payers; debt more gigantic than that
of the national and state governments
combined, involving a heavy and di-
rect tax upon the owners Of property.
The power to issue bonds for all
manner of public improvements,
streets, bridges, fire protection, parks,
water, light and even for current ex-
penses, has entailed a heavy bonded
debt, held mostly and in the instance
of this city by foreign money lenders.
The interest upon these bonds double
the original principal twice over before
the principal becomes due, and then
comes the payment of the principal.
Much of the work done with the
money borrowed, is of so unsubstantial
a character that long before the bonds
become due, other bonds have to be
lSSuSu " ltDullu lilSIl
If the issue of bonds by cities was
restricted to the furnishing of light,
water, transportation and telephone
service to the public, in other words
to productive and permanent improve
ments, then the wealth of the tax
payer would not be wasted. 1t has
been proven that cities have relieved
-. Ill
revenue of these necessary things, and
yet furnished the general public at a
lower cost than when furnished by
private corporations.
Street work, parks and other eX-
penditures, that have only limited
life, and are more in the nature of
expedients, should be provided for out
of the current revenue.
Much of the thoughtless extrava-
gance of our cities is the offspring of
our universal suffrage. The real estate
taxpayers are the chief reliance for all
money to run the city governments
a city government is purely a business
affair and the people who pay the bills
should alone have the right to desig-
nate who should do their business for
them.
AS it is the taxpayers vote the bonds
pay the taxes, and by the operation of
our election laws, the majority of the
voters who are nOn-taXpayers, elect
the men to spend the money of the tax
payers.
1t Is a chance that tax payers are
elected in our municipal elections
They are mostly in favor of all meas
ures that insure to their own private
advantage, and not to the public at
large.
Where a municipal election, such as
our recent city election, developes the
fact that large numbers of voters took
no part, there is something wrong in
the affairs of our city.
The wrong is more particularly
traceabIe to the universal suffrage of
the rabble who have no direct interest
in the city, who pay no taxes, and care
little about who should fill the Offices
The men elected, knowing that they
hold their places through the vote of
the irresponsible nOn-taXpaying portion
of the voters, have little care for the
public interests and extravaganza be-
comes a rule to the extent of every
dollar the city can collect or borrow.
If taxpayers alone administered the
affairs of the city, they would be care
full how they made debts or INDUCED
in extravaganza.
Not until the taxpayers of our city
have exclusive right to say who shall
administer the affairs, and spend their
money, will we have good economical
city government.