The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1873-05-15
CARD FROM HON. L.F. ELLSWORTH

EDS. HERALD My attention was attracted by
a communication which ap peared in the New
Sharon Star of April Both, over the name of W.
L. McAllister, In which he makes personal at
tack upon me unprovok ed, and inexcusable,
which /, with your permission will review in JUS
tice to myself and the people of Maha ska county.
In the first place, the doctor makes a special plea
that members of the Legislature were excusable
for being absent from their seats,
because the code commissioners had the code un
der their charge, ''they having thousand times
more to do with it than the legislature" The
code commissioners were lawyers of alb lily, and
did their work well but their work, when ae-
complished, was not worth the paper upon which
1t as printed, to the people of the State, until
1t was passed into law by the legislature. And
will venture the assertion that there is not title
of the code as reported by the commissioners
but was changed by the gen eral assembly on it's
adoption while many of the titles as pas sed in
to law would not be recognized by the commits
sioners as their report, compile tely, not say
in many cases SO radically were they changed.
1t is not for me to cay anything as to the merits
Of those changes, but the people had right to
expect their representatives to disc barge their
duties, and the thousand times more TO do a0ith IL
By the commissioners" is a miserable su bterfuge
He proceeds
Nov DR.. Ellsworth being granger. and the
lodge OF which he is a member being rep resented
In the convention which passed those res olutions
OF censure upon Senator Young and myse IT," etc.
Does this explain the colicky distortions afiict
ing him? Now for the information of the doctor
will say, am member of the P. of II; but the
grange to which belong has passed no solu-
tions ensuring any one. nor have they been rep
resented in any convention that has passed such
resolutions; nor are they disposed to run the
grange into politics. So the doctor has rolled up
his sleeves and pitched in, mot kaOa0ing a0hat
else TO do NTH IT," Again he says:
'Last winter Senator Young and Doctor Ellis
worth voted mainly with the railroad party,
while voted persistently and mainly wi tn the
other party, as the journals will SHOW"
Now as to the journals, / have to cay tn at their
scope and plan is no index to the position of any
member, they showing only the result of votes by
gi0d vOce or on division Of the House; and the
yeas and nays on the final action had unless de-
manded by two or more mem berr, and this de-
mand is very frequently made by members occu-
plying opposite sides of the question. Out of
four hundred and forty eight bills introduced in
TO the Hous C, and two hundred and eighty-four
bills into the Senate during the regular session,
not one of those bills appear on the journals and
l am within The bounds of truth when 1 ray not
one dozen of them was ever published by the
newspapers press of the State. There Is not a
half dozen substitutes for bills in the journals
while the proposed amendments refer to bills
which under the present policy OF our journals il
Kept from the people and they are left without
the means OF comparison ard forming correct
opinions as to their merits. Hence members are
too much in the power of demagogues and lily
disposed persons who by Misrepresentation or
false glasses may blast the reputation of better
men. These facts | shall be able to illustrate
from cases the doctor furnishes in his effusion
under review. To prove this position he con-
stantly arrays my name side by side with Hon. j.
+. Duncombe, who is an avowed railroad man
and an attorney tor more than one railroad com
pany." Now Ii is may be true of Duncombe and
yet he may vote right on many questions affect
ing railroads. am not his apologist; but as the
doctor has Oh osen this mode of attack, win try
and make 1t interesting to him by the same line
of argument
"On the repeal of Chap. 4s of the 18th. and
chap. 1872 of the 18th Gen. Assembly, known az
the Township Railroad Tax Law, the yeas were
g. Duncombe and McAllister voting aye. Ellis
worth being absent" Journal, p. 675
''Senate File, No. 81. An Act making CORPORA
ttons and persons owning and operating rail.
roads liable for the wrongs OF their agents and
employees, etc. On the question shall the bin
pass the ayes were go. Ellsworth and McAllIs-
ter voting ayes. Duncombe being absent"
'Substitu for House File No. 49, To'tax rail.
road pro srty on the motion to adopt the amend.
mentt the substitute, the yeas were Is, The
nays 90. Duncombe, Ellsworth, and McAllister
voting nay. On Gears amendment, yeas were
81. McAllister voting aye. The nays were As.
Duncombe and Ellsworth voting nay. On O,Don-
nell's amendment to section 8, by inserting the
word ''personal in the 4th line the swords with
in the right of way, included within fifty feet of
the center Of the track, the yeas were "a. The
nays were 81. Duncombe, Ellsworth, and MEAL
lister voting nay. Mr.. Irish moved to strike cut
Of section 8, all after the word railroad in the
SIN line. The yeas were a. McAllister voting
ave. The nays were II. Duncombe and ELS
worth voting nay. On Stoves amendment the
yeas were 81. The nays 81. Duncombe, Els
worth and McAIliste voting nay. On Free
mans amendme nt- addition to section 3, (which
amount shall be leased (assessed) upon all arti-
cles of value en- umerated in this act giving each
countyits just proportion OF such valuation
The ayes were as-McAllister voting aye. The
nays were 5o-Ellsworth voting nay. On the mo-
ton TO strike out section Q, the yeas were 3d.