partial and just to both parties and all interests. Believing that he serves the people best who recognizes the right of all to a fair hearing and candid consideration, I aimed to so form the committees in the begining as to insure legislation beneficial to the State as a whole, with all interests represented and all rights considered. Your work is done. I believe well done. I fully believe that when the calming influence of time has allayed the passions of to day, and demonstrated the actual effect of your laws, the people will all recognize the value of your work in this session. While conservative in general work, you have been more radical in many measures than any previous Iowa Senate. During the weeks and months of your sessions, I have made mistakes-who would not? In the heated conflicts, which come to all legislative bodies, I have been arbitrary in enforcing the rules and trying to confine debate to legitimate channels. In all such cases you Senators, have sustained the chair with such courtesy, such forbearance as to make me your debtor forever. There are times in our lives when words are powerless to express the deeper emotions of the soul. This is such a time to me. Looking back our twenty years of my life nearly all passed as an officer of the Senate-looking forward but a few minutes to the time when the gavel will fall for the last time on this Senate, brings up memories of many noble men, recalls obligations which can never be discharged, overwhelms me with a sense of impotence in expressing my high regard for you and your predeces sors. ever. When I lay down the gavel to day, I feel that it will be forWhen I declare this Senate adjourned without day a chapter of my life and yours will be closed forever. We go hence without the possibility of ever being the same in the future. Time will call some of us hence-other interests and pursuits will claim our attention and when the Senate of the Twenty third General Assembly convenes strange faces will surely front the desk from many of the seats. If I have so borne myself that whenever I meet one of you, Senators, I can meet a friend, I am satisfied. This I know, that each of you have so acted as to have in me a friend. Wherever you may go, whatever honorable pursuits may engage your efforts you have my heartiest sympathy and good wishes. May that God who rules over Nations and individuals continue his protecting care over our commonwealth and hold us all in his keeping forever. Senator Young Spoke as follows: Mr. PresidenT-Though uncommissioned to respond, I feel like saying that the generous compliments of the Lieutenant Governor to the Senate, should not go without some recognition from this body over which he has so ably presided during the session now closing. I know that every Senator holds our presiding officer in the highest esteem, and that we all part as friends. This Senate is composed of able, honest, earnest men, who have in good conscience done what seemed to them to be right. There have been disagreements, but disagreements bring out the merits of all proposed legislation. If all agreed at the start there would be many hasty, unwise laws made. Proposed laws that will not stand discussion ought not to pass. We return to our homes to be criticised and censured; but many of those who shall criticise would not do so if they had been here during all our sittings, and had thought of our duties in the light of one having responsibilities to discharge. General Assemblies never do all that is expected of them and never will. It is said after every General Assembly has adjourned that it did nothing, yet Iowa has had good laws, and the State is the grandest in the Union. Our critics are too severe sometimes. But others will take our places in this body; other disappointments will be felt, and other critics will hold our suecessors up as being unworthy of the honorable places they have been chosen to fill. Their is no basis of action here but to act upon one's own judgment and conscience and leave consequences to care for themselves. In that way have the Senators of the Twenty-second General Assembly met the demands of duty. Upon the work done and that left undone, they ask the considerate judgment of their fellow citizens. It has been fourteen years since I first entered the Iowa Senate, and I must say that I never parted with my associates with more regret than I do to-day. I feel that the friendships I have formed shall last until severed by death. I want to assure every Senator that the hot words of debate are forgotten, and that I feel that every Senator is a brother. I realize that there is no question before the Senate, and that these remarks are technically out of order, but I felt like volunteering some response to the generous mention of the Senate on the part of the presiding officer. Senator Clark spoke as follows: MR PRESIDENT-In response to the remarks made by the President of this Senate, I feel moved to give expression to my own feelings. Evoked by the well chosen and appropriate words to which we have just listened, a thousand emotions have rushed in upon my mind and heart, and the unbidden tear has fallen. The farewell words of our President at this moment falls upon hearts ready to respond. It has been with pleasure that we have accorded respectful courtesy to his rulings, and with good grace we have submitted to his authority, and we all feel glad to know that we shall separate as friends. I do not believe, however, that his career is ended, nor that he will lay down his career in connection with this Iowa Senate with the last stroke of his gavel. A man's political and moral life are both everlasting, and what we do in the brief and limited span of our existence here will be projected into the future and become factors in the solution of the problems of an exalted and enlightened civilization. I think too, that the horizon of this life will not mark the end of our career. All our life and all our work should tend to the uplifting of mankind. To the creation of a higher sphere in which the immortal, mental and spiritual life of man may swim forever. I believe in the future life. In our responsibility to the unseen powers toward which we all hasten, I am glad there comes such times as these. The end of a session creates an amnesty at least among the members. The angry disputation ceases and all recognize in each others faces the features of brethren. The great fact of a common humanity comes out into the sun light. We reflect upon the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man with unfeigned delight. And when we go out to engage in the affairs of life as we cross each others paths we will one and all join in the sentiment of President Hull that we are in contact with a personal friend. While I thank the Lieutenant Governor for his many kindnesses to me and my fellow Senators, I want also to thank the members of this body for their kind and respectful treatment of me. I have served through four sessions with two hundred Senators, and I am glad that out of the depths of my heart I can say I owe no grudge or ill will to any man, and I include the employes of every session. And I feel further grateful that I have the friendship of all, whether Democrats or Republicans. And although engaged in many warm debates, I carry no unhealed wound, and if I have sent any arrow into the breast of any man on the earth I would gladly extract it. Now, Mr. President and fellow Senators, we are about to part. It is always sad to part with friends, but it is doubly so when we reflect that we shall never meet again on earth. This body will never meet again as now constituted. Many of us will go out to other States. We will separate for all time. Some, alas! before another session, may go out into the other life. I think the sincere and devout prayer of every heart at present is that the evil that we have done may perish and the good become forever faithful. Personally, I go out with the full purpose never to strive for or accept another office. I am not in love with public life. I have tried to serve the State in my term of office to the best of my ability. I lay it down grateful to friends. Thankful to you Mr. President, and you my fellow members, and with no enemies to punish. REPORT OF COMMITTEE. The committee to wait on the Governor reported that they had performed that duty, and that the Governor had informed the committee that he had nothing further to communicate to the Twentysecond General Assembly. MESSAGE FROM THE House. The following message was received from the House: MR. PRESIDENT-I herewith present for your signature the following bill, which has passed both branches of this General Assembly, been duly enrolled and signed by the Speaker of the House: Senate File No. 35. RESOLUTION. D. C. KOLP, Chief Clerk. Senator Dodge offered the following resolution: Resolved, That the thanks of the Senate are hereby extended to the Secretary of the Senate, his assistant secretaries, the engrossing and enrolling clerks, the sergeant-at-arms, door keeper and assistants for the competent, able and satisfactory manner in which they have performed their respective duties; also, to the accredited representatives of the city daily and weekly newspapers, and all correspondents of foreign newspapers for the faithful discharge of their arduous task, and the impartial and splendid reports of the proceedings of this body. Adopted. |