Senator Samuel L. Bestow View All Years

Senator McKlveen, from the joint committee appointed to draft suitable resolutions on the life, character and public service of the late Hon. Samuel Lucius Bestow, submitted the following report:

RESOLUTIONS OF RESPECT.

Mr. President—Your committee appointed on the part of the Senate to draft suitable resolutions on the life, character and public services of the late Hon. Samuel Lucius Bestow of Chariton, Lucas county, Iowa, would respectfully submit the following report:

Samuel L. Bestow was born in Erie county, New York, March 8, 1823. He attended the public schools of that county in his boyhood and later alternated between farm work in the summer and school teaching in the winter until he became of age. He then entered active business life and was for some time engaged in manufacturing. He attended an academy in Rochester, New York, and served as superintendent of public schools before leaving his native state.

In 1870 he removed to Iowa, making his home on a new farm near Chariton, Lucas county. At the beginning of the Civil war he volunteered to go into the army, but was rejected on account of physical disability.

In the early years of the slavery agitation he was a member of the Republican party. In 1875 he was nominated by the Republican party of Lucas and Clarke counties for State Senator and was duly elected, and served in that body during the Sixteenth and Seventeenth General Assemblies. He was the author of the resolution providing for an investigation of the affairs and management of the Fort Madison penitentiary and was made chairman of the commission.

Soon after, for various reasons, mainly on account of the stand the Republican party took on the liquor and tariff questions, he left the party and allied himself with the Democrats. In 1893 he was their nominee for Lieutenant-Governor and was elected to that office with Governor Boies. In the administration of his duties as presiding officer of the Senate he was uniformly courteous and careful. With the membership so evenly divided between the two great parties, it was no easy matter to preside in such a manner as to please all, but he managed it so skillfully that the resolution of thanks passed at the close of the session was heartily endorsed by every member of the Senate. He showed no favoritism and all recognized an honest and successful effort to give every member his full rights.

It should be remembered that this was the first time since the creation of the office that a Democrat had been chosen to the position of Lieutenant-Governor and the first time since the extra session of 1856 that a presiding officer of the Senate had been a Democrat, a period of thirty-six years.

At the time that the Hon. John H. Gear was first elected to the United States Senate, Mr. Bestow received the full vote of the minority for that place, which was a fitting tribute to his abilities and standing. The division in the Legislature was 71 for Bestow and 77 for Gear, a passage in the political history of the State not generally remembered.

We owe to Mr. Bestow a debt of gratitude that we can never hope to repay. Regarding a public office as a public trust, he has given to the State honest, efficient and faithful service; therefore, be it

Resolved, That in the death of this patriotic citizen, the State has lost an honored, influential and upright man.

Resolved, That these resolutions be entered on the Journals of the House and Senate and that an engrossed copy be presented to the family of the deceased by the Secretary of the Senate.

J. A. MCKLVEEN,

THOS. LAMBERT,

JAS. H. JAMISON,

Committee on part of the Senate.

J. H. DARRAH,

W. P. ALLRED,

G. W. KOONTZ,

Committee on part of the House.