The herald., 1898-01-19

reason, he sent q message to the city
council, berating 1t for not having made
greater progress in the requirement Of
the water system. and urging that steps
toward confiscation be taken at once.
The Herald termed this message
grand-stand play. designed to win a
little glory for the man who wrote 1t.
and declared It to be an uncalled for
and undignified document, not war
ranted by the existing facts and condi-
tions. That this was correct view was
clearly shown few days later, when
the city engineer made an exhaustive
report on the condition of the water
plant and the expense-as he viewed IT.
attached to the purchase. Thus the city
had progressed as rapidly as possible in
the essential preliminaries OF acquire
ment, fact that the mayor could have
readily ascertained by calling at the
office of the city engineer in the same
building with his own Office. Perhaps
the mayor thought he could make the
people believe that his message produced
the report. The city engineers report
was an immense undertaking and was
presented with the least possible delay.
The next step on the part of the dema-
gogues was an attempt to force the city
to show it's legal hand. This attempt
was successful, and the city attorney
was obliged to declare his official opin-
ior, despite his own advice and that OF
the special counsel engaged to repre-
sent the city. The Herald at that time
urged the city to make haste slowly and
not furnish its opponent, the water com
pany, arms and ammunition in the shape
of an intimate knowledge of its own
policy. By the ill-considered action OF
the council the city was placed in the
awkward and absurd position of pro-
ceeding against the advice of its own
counsel.
The next move was another attempt to
put the cart before the horse. A petit
ton was presented to the city council,
alleged to contain eight thousand
names, asking that bond election be
called to vote bonds for the purchase
of a new water plant. This, notwith-
standing no settlement had been reached
with the water company; notwithstand-
ing that even should the bonds be voted,
there could be no certainty that the
city would have any source of water
supply for new plant until litigation
ho cnllrt
should be settled. The Herald pointed
put the extreme absurdity of the posi-
ton taken on this petition, and warned
the city against assuming the RESPONSE
bility involved.
A hearing on this petition was held be-
fore the water committee of the city
council. The city attorney and the
special counsel engaged by the city ad-
vised against the petition-which con-
tained only 5000 names, instead of 5000
and even the counsel for the petitioners
Judge Wright, was forced to admit that
the policy of calling a bond election at
this time was questionable. The petition
was, of course, denied.
The contention of The Herald that
arbitration could not be forced unit
the contract with the water company
has expired is shown to be perfectly
sound by the fact that even the dena-
gogues have not been able to set ir
motion practical steps to that end.
Thus, in every move that has been
made in the water controversy the ad-
vice and contentious of The Herald have
been endorsed and substantiated by the
result. This paper has done what it be-
lieves to be right, has taken what 1t
deems the only just and proper course,
and as a representative of the peoples
interests, it does not propose to be
moved from that course.
That the San Francisco Call has taken
up the cause of the demagogues in this
question, almost before the ink is dry
on it's special pleadings in behalf of the
arch-conspirator, Webb, shows it's ami
mus and the character of its alliance
The decent people of this community
need not be alarmed over the combina-
ton between the demagogues, the ene-
mics of good government, and their Sar
Francisco organ to dictate the business
and the policy of this city. The decent
people are in the majority, and they are
amply qualified to manage their owr
affairs, without subsidized assistance
from San Francisco. When the water
question is settled, and it will be settled
fairly and honestly at the proper time
it will not be under the guidance or the
dictation of the confiscating schemers.