Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-02-19
Simply \ Public Disgrace.

wise than as a disgrace. The proceed
ings, taken as whole. had very much
the appearance of boys play, with every
alderman scrambing TO shirk the blame
and responsibility for piece of reckless
and damaging mischief. and the mayor
doing his utmost TO prevent the alder
men from correcting the error of their
WAYS, in order that he might have the
exclusive credit of preventing the com
plete carrying OUT of the wrong that
his own vote had originally made pos
sible.
That the aldermen acted entirely
in keeping with their prerogatives in
the premises. and in full accord with
the parliamentary law governing their
body, was pointed out TO the mayor by
former Alderman W. {. Maucker. whom
he had called upon 10 sustain his own
position. Mr. Maucker. reading from
the book or ordinances 10 sustain his
position, convinced the mayor 'conclu-
sively that the latter's position was
untenabe. Mr.. Maucker maintaining az
the same time that the aldermen We're
to blame for NOT going further and ia
bling the odious ordinance while they
were about it, and thus everlastingly
putting an end to it. And there is
much in this. The ordinance should
have been killed outright before the
meeting adjourned.
The council had in its hands the
mastery of the situation. and still has
in that it is not only the judge of its
own proceedings bur the judge Of its
own membership. 1t. as the law gov
erning body, prescribes the law. the
acting in an advisory capacity and vOt
| ing only when there is a tie, which
right. unfortunately. he enormously eX
erciSed when he determined the coun
ellis course for immediate considera
| ton of the abOminable ordinance al
the former meeting. and thus conveyed
TO the council and to the public the
| idea that he was favorable to it.
The first order of business
under the rules of order after the rol
call to establish a quorum is "tht
reading of The minutes of tn,
last meeting or meetings. amend
ments and approval of the same.
After thai is done. and the action o
the former meeting is found to stand
then the ordinance so adopted goes tC
the mayor. when his veto would be il
order The only thing that has prece
dence to this course. the aldermen
claim, is the motion to suspend The
rules. which they declare is always il
order, and it was under this that the!
acted last evening.
The mayor claims shelter. however
under a clause of the ordinances. which
provides for communications to tn
council (which may be considered a
any time). Even at that. the rule doe
not say communications shall" o
must" be considered at any time. TIL
wording is that the communication
may be considered. and the wore
may no doubt refers TO the disposi
ton of the council. which was clearl.
not for consideration of the commun
cation the mayor submitted last night
at least not at thai stage of the pre-
ceedings. And 1t is here that rule /;
which Mr. Maucker called the mayor
lattention TO. comes in. This in effect
that "all questions relating to the prior
ity of business shall be decided witt
out debate This is the si
uation as il presented itsel
Two aldermen who had voted in tn
; affirmative on measure moved t
suspend the rules and reconsider tn
acts of the former meeting. This me
ton prevailed on roll call, which ca
ried an appeal from the arbitrary ru
= ing of the chair. The council then az
journed. 1t had punctured the tel,
phone ordinance. but it had not kille
=, it,
2 1t was Mayor McCaskrin's determil
: alton to play TO the grand stand thu
precitipated the entire mixup. Had h
. ibeen actuated by q desire to serve sin