San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-11-03
SHORT STOPS.
What the People Are Saying.

What the People Are Saying.
The resignation of Alderman Ronse.
who is also vice-mayor, has started all
kinds of surmises among the public.
No matter how sincere Mr.. Ronse's
reasons for resigning nay be, people
will talk.
The opponents of the administration
attribute Mr.. ROnse's resignation to
the fact that he has begun to feel the
effect of the growing unpopularity of
the administration and being of a SEN
sitive nature he prefers to step down
from his public position. These OPP
ponentS point to the city ship of state
and exclaim, she is evidently sinking.
Alderman Ronse is strictly a bust
ness man, public office is not congenial
to his nature; as a friend of Mayor
Callaghan he consented to go or the
city ticket. His closeness to the may
or placed him in the vice-mayorship
and forced upon him more public re-
sponsibility and labor than he could
well afford to shoulder and at the same
time to attend to his private business.
Mr.. Ronse fully made up his mind to
get out of the city council before he
handed in his resignation; he knew his
action would bring a strong protest
from his fellow officials but he deter
mined to resign at all hazards.
Some of the aldermen express a de-
termination not to accept Mr.. Ronse's
resignation, n to overcome the rea-
sons by relieving him from all duties
on committees.
The most serious reason for pre-
venting the resignation is the expense
the city will be put to for an election.
Mr.. Ronse will have to serve until
next June in order TO bring the office
within the appointing power of the
council,
How far the acceptance or refusal to
accept a resignation affects the act it
self is of little consequence. Most Ger
tainly the council cannot COMPEL Mr..
Ronse to remain in the council unless
he desires to do so.
There are others besides the council
who are interested in this matter-the
people at large. The people are en-
titled to the reasonable services of AL
derman Ronse. To excuse him from
public duty would be an injury to the
public. Another view is that the peo-
pie would prefer the office to be left
blank rather han incur the expense of
a special election.
DIR. Hamilton, one of the aldermen
at-large, has been absent for months
on an indefinite leave of absence, and
no comment has been made. Mr..
| ROnse might be excused under the
/ same conditions. 1t would prove that
even a smaller body Of council could
run the city.
An alderman may vacate his office
by simply moving his residence TO an
other ward than the one he represents.
This does not apply to aldermen-at-
large. A removal from the city va
Gates the office. His office can be
come vacant by death, removal beyond
city limits, or otherwise, but in case
the Vacancy in any office filled by an
election by the people, such vacancy
should be filed by a majority vote of
the city council, provided such vacan-
cy occurs within nine months of an
election; otherwise the mayor shall or
der an election.
There are reasons other than the
simple n of the expense of an election
against Mr.. Ronse' resignation. 1t
would put the city administration on
trial before its policy has been fully
demonstrated. 1t might have the eff
feet of arraying the Callaghan and an
t~i-Callaghan forces at an inopportune
time. No one can blame Mayor Gala
CHAN for desiring to avoid a contest
at this time. Mr.. Ronse may find in
his view of the case a strong reason
for Withholding his resignation. He
will undoubtedly yield to the pressure
brought to bear and the people will be
spared a premature city election.
CIrT IITS uE,Nn