The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1908-12-14
NOT A SQUARE DEAL.

The treatment accorded Aldermen
Talbot and Hickey by the city coun-
ell al its latest regular meeting was
rot at all in line with the square
deal" about which We hear 50 much
nowadays and which We are all sup
posed to exemplify in our daily lives
The equities OF the case are plain and
can be stated in q few words. Al a
meeting OF the committee of the
whole council IL was agreed that the
mayor should appoint two aldermen
TO accompany him as delegates 10 the
national waterways convention al
Washington. It was also agreed that
the necessary expenses OF such dele
gates should be paid out OF the city
treasury and that the committee OF
the whole. consisting OF all the mem
!. bers OF the council, would so report
10 the city council at the next regular
meeting of that body. Ordinarily a
vote of the committee OF the whole
council is equivalent to q vote OF the (
council, as the membership OF both .
bodies is the same Particularly is
this accepted as true if the vote Of
the committee OF the whole is OF the
nature of pledge. There is oppor-
tunity for objections, and ii none are
offered, or il any are offered and are
subsequently disposed of by vote OF
the committee, the committee stands
pledged 10 make its resolution good.
With this understanding Aldermen
Hickey and Talbot We're appointed as
delegates at the city's expense By
the time the city council met in reg
a ular session they. were in Washington
in such capacity Instead Of promptly
ratifying the action OF the committee
j. rejected the recommendations of the
Y committee and voted to notify Alder
a men Hickey and Talbot that they
. would have TO bear their own e1
n penses. Had this action been taken
st before these gentlemen left the city
and entered upon their duties the case
would not have been so bad. They
as could then have avoided any. personal
to expense TO themselves if they so de
Is sired. But they were permitted 70
n depart, relying upon the good faith Of
he the council, and then, when they had
es no opportunity for choice in the mat
he ter after they had been put 10 con
ey siderable expense for railroad fare
At and other expenses they were coolly
informed by wire that the council had
repudiated the agreement It had pre-
X viously entered into with them. Such
e, treatment was not simply unfair. Il
,g- was scurvy and disgraceful and un
Id worthy any official body public or pri
is waite.
ne The Gate CITY holds no brief fol
mt either Alderman Talbot or Alderman
al Hickey. It has had no word viii
Ter either. directly or :ndirectly on tht
Oh subject. They are presumably abb
mt to speak for themselves If speech OF
behalf OF either personally is needed
or desired But this paper doe
are speak. and has right TO speak. OF
ais behalf of Keokuk whose faith ha
airy been impeached and whose goo,
a name has been smirched by major
the ity OF the members OF the city coun
the ely present at its meeting on the frs
for Monday Of the present month Pos
PM sibly Il was 2 mistake 10 send dele
,ef gates TO the Washington waterway
e-t convention al public expense. Nor
u than likely it was Tl.is matter 0
icn taking money from the city freasur
and turning it over 70 city officials !
be expended IN junkeung has becom
A,l1 great abuse OF lage There IA
been more OF this sort Of thing du,
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