Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-08-02
CLOSE TO A RIOT
IN CITY COUNCIL
Exciting Scenes Attend At
tempted Discussion of Tele-
phone Sale Proposition.
ALDERMEN LEAVE CHAMBER
John Looney Clashes With Mayors
Authority to Interpret Parlia-
mentary Rules.

With Mayor George w. McCaskrin
rsrping vigorously for order and with
John Looney insisting upon addressing
the council regardless of the mayors
Interpretation of parliamentary
rules, last nights meeting Of the
city council came to sudden
termination when about half the
aldermen despairing of a resumption
of order, and utterly disguised, arose
from their chairs and left the cham
Der, thereby effectually putting a stop
to Looney's attempts to be heard. La
ter on several of the aldermen returned
and the meeting was adjourned in the
proper way until Wednesday evening
az which time there will also be a
meeting of the committee of the whole
to consider a new ordinance calculated
to give the Union Electric Telephone
company the right to sell out TO the
Central Union company. 1t was over
this ordinance that the ruction in the
council room occurred.
Mayor Insists on Order.
After the usual routine of allowing
weekly payrolls and number of other
bills. City Clerk Rudgren read COM
munication from H. H. Bratt who ask
ed on behalf of the owner of the Union
Electric Telephone company, that an
ordinance be passed allowing the lat
ter to dispose of his holdings rather
than continue it at a financial loss.
Copies of the proposed ordinance
were passed out among the members
o. the council and in another moment
it would have been formally placed be-
fore the body. At this point, however,
Alderman Cochran arose and request
Ell that John Looney be given a few
minutes to talk on the subject and the
mayor not knowing what was coming
readily acquiesced. Looney started
cut by asking the official reporter, E.
II. Maloney, to take notes of what he
was about TO say. The reporter re-
Piled that he had no private arrange
n2ents with anyone for taking the
Speeches of citizens who cared to come
before the council and he fatty refused.
Looney proceeded to speak and when
he branched out into the telephone
matter, Mayor McCaskrin raped on
lis desk and interrupted, asking the
speaker If he wouldn't please wait I'M
~ the matter was before the council
In proper form before discussing it.
Looney refused to yield and the
mayor thereupon insisted that as he
was presiding officer he would see that
the proper procedure in the matter was
taken.
Lively Set-to Follows.
Looney, however, refused to sit down
and it was necessary for the mayor to
rap again and again for order Finally
h. ordered an officer I'D from the sta
ticn and it became plain that ne was in
earnest and that Looney could not be
heard. The mayor explained between
rdps OF his gavel that the first right to
speak on the subject after it was be-
fore the council belonged to the men
who presented the ordinance and that
then and rot until then was debate per-
missable. At this juncture Alderman
Cochran moved adjournment and when
he was seconded by Alderman Nc
Neatly, he and the latter got up and
walked out and all but six of the coun-
Gil followed, believing the meeting
was adjourned. 1t was not however.
tie mayor held as he had refused to
consider the motion and no appeal had
teen taken from the chair.
WHIT for Quorum.
With six aldermen, Leaf, Borst,
Schmidt, Frick. Naab and Holzhammer,
remaining, the mayor held his chair
and waited for the return of the retir-
ing councilmen. He issued orders to
the police to arrest any of the seven
who were out of the chamber, IL they
showed any desire to leave the build
Ing, but this order was too late as