El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1897-02-05
CONTINUED From First Page |

two hours the venerable patres con-
script had out their lances, and kept
up tournament that was highly anus
ing to the spectators, and even gave
his honor, the mayor, such an appetite
that on reaching home he went into
his wife pantry and eat up two whole
pies she had cooked for an afternoon
tea. 1t was plain sailing until the city
attorneys salary was reached when
Signor Del Buono jumped to his planta-
tiOuS with motion to reduce the sal
ary to $50 per month. This paralyzed
even the reporters. Judge Townsend
! dropped lighted cigar into his lap
| where it burned hole into his pants,
and even Mr.. Whitmore who had
welded the Ratchet so ferociously in
| hewing down the salary list, sat aghast.
Major McGlennon fell clean off his
seat.
Judge Coldwen rose equal to the
emergency and to the help of the city
attorneys pocket book. He proceeded
to show that if there ever was time in
the history of the city when intelligent
legal guidance was needed it was now,
the finances of the city were
in chaotic condition, and
| he was proceeding to show
the importance of his proposition
when he was interrupted by Alderman
| O'Keeffe's motion that the gentleman
was out of order. 1t was ruled that
| he was in order. Proceeding, Judge
! Coldwell said: The city is allowed 10
| levy two per cent: that according to
the Bassett case Goth sOuthwestern), 30
cents on the 500 was appropriated to
| the water works bonds: 80 cents accord
! ing to declaration of cOu ell in 1888,
was appropriated to the support of the
public schools. This leaves 81 ID on the
| 500 for all other purposes: and yet the
|
| WED 81 81 on the hundred. If the
school tax was valid it was evident
| that there was an excessive and there
| fore illegal levy. But was the school tax
| valid? According to the city records tt
| city council submitted March ~, 1883:
one prOpOsitlonto the tax payers and the
| TAX payers voted on a different PROPOSE
| ton. This difference, to say the least,
| makes the whole tax Oubtful, (See
! Fort Worth against Davis, 9th Texas,
| p 2, 23.) 1t must be remembered that
| under the constitution (article IL, sec
| ZION 10Y no school tax Is valid unless
authorized by the tax payers at valid
| election. There are other oubtfui
| things connected with the levy for 1885,
| but viii pass them over, and ask II tue
cOu lcil would see the tax levie6 defeat
| ed and the public schools perhaps
| closed for lack of a cOmpe tent attOI ney
| 10 defend the city's interests"
Mr.. Del BuOuo persisted in his pious
| scheme of cutting down the city attOr-
ney's salary, and II was tinally fixed at
| $50 per mouth. The impression seemed
| TO obtain with some aldermen that the
entire country was just chOck full OF
attorneys starving for d job and that
$40 or $40 per month would command
tee highest order of legal talent. Judge
Coldwell tried to persuade TO the con-
trary, but be had what New Hamp-
shire farmer would call quite chore''
in doing so.
Notwithstanding the pacific overture
of Judge Caldwell, and insisted that
the recorders salary be scheduled at
SO. q fact he would liked TO have
had the office abolished altogether,
aud the work saddled on his honor, the |
mayor, only the city attorney showed |
that the office was elective and could |
only be abolished by the legislature.
Next there was hOOdoo over the |
pay of the park sewer-street, etc etc, |
commissioner. Mr.. Del BuOnO held |
that here was man who earned his !
pan cakes and his pay ought not to be
reduced. The result was that Ma Or
McGlennOn's pay was allowed to remain
al its old figure, $780,
Then the circus was changed some
what, and the city clerk was set on the
anxious perch. A strong attempt was
made to save his financial bacon as
several of the aldermen testified that if
there ever was city official who carr
ed his SOW belly and hard tack it was
the city clerk. Mr.. Kitchens at this
thrilling juncture modestly shielded his
face with his ample hands TO conceal
his emotions. However, a heartless
majority insisted on adopting the cut Of
so per month in his case. There was
whole lot more done in the above line
but it would take a library TO give any
thing like detailed account. Suffice
il TO say, that after working over the