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Legislature passes bill to pay for governor's "chicken salad and punch"
On this day in 1915, the state legislature passed an appropriations bill
to pay for expenses incurred by former governor Oscar Branch Colquitt
for "chicken salad and punch," among other items, during his term in
office. An ensuing legal battle, known as the "Chicken Salad Case,"
lasted until June 1916, when Justice William Seat Fly ruled that the
legislature could appropriate for fuel, water, lights, and ice necessary
for the Governor's Mansion, but not for groceries and other personal
needs of the governor. Colquitt's successor as governor, Jim Ferguson,
had continued to purchase groceries with state money under this
appropriation. Ferguson testified under oath that he would repay the
state if the Supreme Court decided against him, but failed to do so. In
September 1917 the High Court of Impeachment held that Ferguson was
guilty of a misapplication of public funds. The Court of Impeachment, by
a vote of twenty-five to three, removed Ferguson from office and made
him ineligible to hold any office of honor, trust, or profit under the
state of Texas. Ferguson continued to exert considerable political
influence, however, through the political career of his wife, Miriam
(Ma) Ferguson.
- Links to Related Handbook of Texas Online Articles
- CHICKEN SALAD CASE
- COLQUITT, OSCAR BRANCH
- FERGUSON, JAMES EDWARD
- FERGUSON, MIRIAM AMANDA WALLACE [MA]
- GOVERNOR'S MANSION
- PROGRESSIVE ERA
- Other Texas Day by Day Articles for This Date
- Texas marines mutiny in old New Orleans (1842)
- First railroad in Texas chartered (1850)
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