San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-01-28
WANTS A CITY CONVENTION.

To the Editor:
hear a good deal of talk Of hayin:
city hall ticket and a courthouse
ticket in the city election next spring
l hope / will not be shot for treason il
] suggest, why have either? Can't we
get away from having just a battle be-
tween two sets of officehOlders? Can't
we put some new men, some men who
know something about business, aud try
TO make our city government a business
affair TO serve the people instead OF
political machine to provide jobs!
| have nothing against any of the
men now in office in the city or coun'
". i would be willing 10 swallow
some of Fem for mayor or city com
missioners again, providing we could
do no better, but ! would want them
brought out by the people.
/ know that our commission charter
provides for a preliminary primary N
April, at which the people are supposed
TO name the candidates. That is the
theory. 1t usually works out that the
office holders and the candidates make
up their own tickes and the voters must
make choice between these. This
practice shuts out good men from run
ming who don't have a pull with the
courthouse or city hall, but who might
run and make good if our people took
enough interest TO nominate them.
With the exception Of one or two
elections, all our city tickets for 80
years, have been states fixed up and
put out by the candidates themselves.
One OF these exceptions was when
Marshall Hicks was first elected mayor.
Primary meetings were held that year
81 nnn,.nnfsnv, hold most
of the candidates submitting their
names subject 10 the majority. Mr.
f. A. Piper and Hicks were both put
up for mayor and ran A close race. but
when Hicks got few the most votes in
the convention. Piper moved TO make
Hicks nomination unanimous and
maganimously escorted his successful
competitor to the stage. The rest oil
the ticket was nominated the same way
and il carried the election. If l mis-
take not, Mayors Jones and Brown were
also nominated and elected by popular
movements.
Give the people hand in picking out
who they must vote for. Good men car
be got in this manner who never would
seek the offices and stand the expense
without some public demand for then
and some backing. Men chosen in this
manner would feel obligated only to the
public and could be expected 10 work
together. 1t would help do away with
cliques and animOsities, which so often
interfere with public business.
II the right sort of a convention
were gotten up and all the candidates
asked to come before it. the best men
from all the camps could be nominated
together on a peoples ticket. This
would be much better than having q
Black ticket, Tobin ticket, a Harri.
gan ticket or any other sort Of personal
combination. A man nominated for
mayor in this manner would not be left
to foist upon the public some old crony
or setfast or unknown he may want to
take care of, but whom the public might
not want. Any candidate who couldn't
touch bottom in such convention could
hive nobody to blame but himself. II
would be good way to shell road the
undesirables.
What San Antonio needs at this time
is an administration that knows how
and will get down to business and dc
what is needed to be done, if San An
tonic is to grow and prosper as il
should. The biggest and most import
ant problem to be met is flood proven
ton. 1t has been nearly a year and {
half since the flood, and nothing ha
been done yet.
All our people have lately Learned
how important is the tax and financ
commissioner. That office should b
filled by a man Of capacity and expert
enee, but who will be fair as well a
firm and who is suited by Temperament
70 deal with the public.
A representative convention, no
made up Of any one class, could writ
a platform and pick a ticket whiC
would give US an administration tina
would get down to business, instead 0
playing personal politics, squabblin
over religious questions or trying t
jockey each other into a hole. LIE
irrelative matters and church rows b
settled outside in some other way.
What we want now are men Of abb
ity and character in these public job
men who can do the work expected q
them. We want men who can cOmman
public confidence, so that if a bond j,
sue be necessary and the people wal
one, they will not be afraid to entrus
the matter TO their chosen servants. A
the proper time let such a conventio
be called, but not too soon. Nobod
wants long campaign. The poop
can then get together, select delegate
and put out a strong clean ticket mad
up of the best men available from a
sides.
Let's not mix city business with 20
itics or religion. Let's get down {
business in this serious matter Of viii
we are going to do for San Antonio
the next two years.
BY this means, il all the candidate
would come in, the ticket put out |
the convention would be the only one
the field. This would be a great sa
ing of expense to the candidates.
would also avoid a mudslinging cal
paign and leave the people in a mo
harmonious state of mind to work t
gether after the election for the go,
OF the town. TAXPAYER.