Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-01-26
THE CUSTOM OF THE COUN
TRY"


torial under this title which applies
as appropriately to Illinois as it does
to New York. That state is cursed,
as is Illinois. with legislative jun
kets and the manner in which these
have been conducted has just come
TO light in a rather unusual manner.
Two members of a legislative inves-
tigating committee have denied their
shares in attested hotel and restaur-
ant bills with the result that the
brazen extravaganza Of these useless
committees is shown in all its dis
gushing details.
Senator Foley and Assembyman
McQuistion were the members of this
particular committee. who. as the
Times says, are violating the rules
OF the Investigators Union" in de-
nying their shares of the expenses of
the junket as forwarded to the state
controller. Senator Foley's expense
account was given as S229.S2, of
which $3.50 was for the rent of a
room he did not occupy, and s142.32
for meals in restaurant where he
paid for his own meals. Has he no
respect for technicalities? asks the
Times sarcastically. BY being the
member of an investigating commit
tee he is supposed to accept the GUS
tom of such bodies
Assembyman McQuistion's lrestau-
rant bill as forwarded to the control
Ter was s193.41 He says that his to-
tai restaurant bill did not amount to
$40. The Times sums the matter up
very fairly:
The committee softens its arduous
tolls by generous expenditure. Eat,
drink, and be merry Rattle about
in taxis. Study the drama Senator
Thompson says that lawyers charge
their clients for theatre tickets when
they are away from home and bust
nes.' There are lawyers on the COM
mittee. They need diversion when
away from home and business. If Mr.
Foley and Mr.. McQuistion stayed at
home actually, by legal fiction ha-
| bitual with committees they stayed
in the hotel, too. The state pays for
| the Junket. What's a little thing like
an itemized bill among friends? The
| restaurant bill attributed to Senator
Foley is only $142.32 anyway, less
than Sc day. If it looks large to Law
men, they haven't the proper per-
spective. Assemblyman McQuistion's
restaurant bill is s193.41. He says
that his total restaurant bill wasn't
as much as SO. What of it? Some.
body, various somebodies, ate the fat
and drank the sweet. Why, Chairman
Thompson's restaurant bill was
$2S9.53. Is he complaining? Not BIT
OF it. He assumes, properly, that al
the bills were prorated. That's the
custom. ASK Hotaling, sergeant a
arms of the senate at S1,50O. ser
geant at arms of the committee a
, SIS a day"
The sergeant at arms says:
have been handling committed
like this for Is years. 49, Whe,
two or three would sit down to eat
one man would always sign tn
checks. Senator Thompson usual,
signed. or | did, or somebody lik
that. The result was that when tn
time came to make out the bill tn
charges were all against few per
sons. All that was done was to pro
rate this expense 1t has been don
for years. One thing is sure, tn
amount is all right; you may be sur
of that"
The most amazing feature of tn
whole matter is that there were tw
members of the committe who omen
ly revolted. In that respect Ne,
: York is better off than Illinois. Thi
same practice has been going on i
{ illinois for years and we have vet +
, hear of any legislator too conscier
tious to participate. 1T is the cus
, tom is the one and only excuse eve
= given for this totally inexcusabI
, practice. A custom" of this kind ca
never have any justification and it
a sad commentary upon the aualit
= of our Legislators that they insist u,
Y on retaining such disgraceful cond