CHAPTER X
THE Twenty-third General Assembly, which met at Des Moines on the 13th of January, 1890, stood politically as follows: Senate, Republicans, twenty-eight; opposition, twenty-two. In the House the Republicans had elected fifty members and the combined opposition had chosen fifty.
The House was called to order by B. B. Lane of Polk County, and an attempt was made to elect a temporary chief clerk. Ben Van Steinburg was nominated by the Republicans and F. W. Lehman by the Democrats and opposition. The members of the House continued to ballot for these candidates without a choice, each receiving an equal number of votes, until the 18th when the name of Van Steinburg was withdrawn by the Republicans and H. S. Wilcox was nominated in his place. The balloting continued without a choice until the 27th, when a compromise was arranged between the parties by which L. D. Hotchkiss, Democrat, was elected temporary Speaker and H. S. Wilcox, Republican, was chosen temporary clerk.
The Republicans nominated Silas Wilson for permanent Speaker and the opposition nominated J. T. Hamilton, Democrat, for the same position. The roll call for the election of Speaker continued from day to day, with frequent attempts at compromise, until the 19th of February, without an election. One hundred and thirty-six ballots had been taken. It was now evident that no election could be accomplished without a compromise. An arrangement was finally agreed upon by which John T. Hamilton, Democrat, was chosen Speaker and H. S. Wilcox, Republican, was elected chief clerk and the remaining offices were divided between the two parties. The
