Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1874-03-26
What has the New Parry
Gained

What has the New Parry
Gained
After q session Of ordinary length,
our Iowa Legislature has adjourned.
/ Ifit accomplished no great work, it
IS not apparent any of its legislation
was bad. In no General Assembly
ever convened in this State was there
less party feeling and party voting
than in this. The division lines OF
parties were scarcely perceptible on
any question, and not on q single bill
Of general nature was the vote OF
one party solidly arrayed against
! that of the other. The "new party
which Numbered precisely half the
membersof the House, without ma
jority in the Senate, had no distinct
i've measures of its own, and al
though started on the idea OF "re-
+ form, I" was not half SO active nor in
fiuential in originating and carrying
through reform work, az the Repub-
licans. They were united on only
one matter, and that was at the be-
ginning of the session in SO organ
izing the House as TO secure the
/ lions share of its offices. The offices
once fixed, the object of its party ex-
istence, 50 far as this Legislature was
concerned, seemed to have been ac-
complishegI. One of its own promi-
nent members confessed on the floor,
after thax x.snNs,ff ffsel-heen-long con-
tinued- d--"The Republicans have ta-
ken the lead His His winter tn futrortu=
cling every reform measure" and he
might have added-in carrying them
through.
! SO far as the General Assembly il
concerned the new party has won no
new laurels--it has done nothing "a
convince the people their confidence
can be reposed In it rs more faithful
10 their interests and to the welfare
and prosperity of the State, than the
Republican party. The new party
was not even wise in the selection OF
The men to represent it in its Legis.
lative advent. While 1t sent to the
Legislature few able men, or men
ut least fit to respectfully fill their
seats, other of its representatives
were totally disqualified for the po-
sition, and not only injured their
party aud subjected il and Themselves
TO ridicule, but at times almost
brought the Legislature Itself into
contempt. We make no boast OF the
Republican representation in this
body, for it was perhaps below the
average-but it was made respectable
by contrast with the new party dele
CATION. II the people are to choose
under which banner t0 train and vote
Republican or new party, we should
! like the history Of the late Leglsla-
ture to be the test, that by 1t they
/ might decide which il the true re-
/ formatory party, and that promises
by its acts, not professions, the best fol
the welfare OF State and people, ope
I party has history-the other IL not
likely TO live long enough to make
a history. Professions being equal
one party has been tried, and ths
other has not been, only in the histo
~ OF this Legislature. IL in that il
has gained any credit or any addi
tional confidence Of the people, Oh
has developed any pasy principle;
/ distinct from and preferable to those
claimed by Republicans, then in
| faithful perusal OF every days PRO
ceedings, we have totally misread
this history.
Through an able correspondent We
have laid before the readers Of tht
| Gazette complete summary OF every
days business of the Legislature
/ posted up TO the close OF each morn
Iing's session, and have avalied our
selves OF frequent telegraph dispatch
es. The readers OF those Letters know
the actual business attempted, ans
/ what was done. There are hundred
of referred bills which stayed referre'
never again saw legislative li2h
after presentation But we are awaf'
lof none, or only very few, whiei