The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-05-06
oruamentaI Colonel Harvey.

Ornamental Colonel Harvey.
We give up today a great deal OF
space to the discussion Of the secret
benefit order swindles. We regard
the matter as of the most urgent
interest, because, as Judge Garrison
says, the honor and good faith of the
State, which charters these concerns,
is at stake, and also because the
money Of so many hundred poor
people is sure to be lost in them if
they are not checked.
We print a long interview with Col
onel G. b. M. Harvey, the State Su-
~perintendent of Banking and Insur-
ance, in which he tries to juggle away
his responsibility in the premises. 1t
impresses us as being either weak or
wrong headed beyond belief. 1t is
the talk Of a man who has not the
courage to do his duty and is invent
ing excuses for Sinking it; or else of
one who has got a contrary notion
into mis- obstinate head and will not
hearken to reason.
Colonel Harvey starts out by de-
scribing, quite accurately and wildly.
the nature OF the frauds. He shows
their extent, and the danger with
which they threaten the people. So
far good.
He next explicitly states his knowl-
edge and conviction that they violate
the law. He says
Now it is obvious that a scheme Of this kind is
not engineered for benevolent or charitable pur-
poses. II Is nothing more or less than an at
tempt to do an endowment Insurance business
without capital or standing. Consequently It
should come under the operation Of the general
insurance act and within the jurisdiction OF the
insurance departments . . All companies
doing an insurance business in this State are re-
quired 10 comply with the requirements of the
general insurance act. which foroids the trans
action OF business until a capital of 500, 900 has
been paid In. OF course none Of these orders
fulfil this requirement.
Here is a plain statement. But read
the interview, and you will see that
the Colonel is even more explicit. He
goes on to drive the nail home, and
finally clinches it in these plain
words
a@CN0 - 49, u III AI hAAAa Alak
the courts would hold that a concern doing pub
lie business Hike that done by the Order Of Earn
est Workers, whose methods | have referred to,
transgress this provision of the statutes
Could anything be more conclusive2
And yet Colonel Harvey goes on to
argue strenuously hat he is not in a
position to fight the wrong, and talks
OF future litigation. Why does he not
go before the Chancellor and ask for
receivers for the companies which
are abusing their charters? Why
does he not go before the
Grand Jury in any county where one
of these orders solicits business and
make complaint. He can himself ON
his W showing prove that any act of
the company in the line of endowment
insurance is a violation of law, and by
gdbpoenaing any subscriber to the
scheme he can prove the fact What
can be clearer? What does he want?
Evidently Judge Garrison thinks it
is feasible to punish the lawbreakers.
Read his charge and see what he has
to say.
Colonel Harvey is losing a great
opportunity to make a record.
His office was established al
most wholly on the assumption
that it was to wage active war
against these swindles. The Legisla-
lature would hardly have imposed the
additional expense on the State, were
it not for that belief. Now, if moth
ing is to be done, the office remains a
reproach to the party which created
it, and the Colonel figures as a mere
ornamental piece of bric-a-hrac in the
fabric of the government.
THE Central NeW Jersey Herald, of
Elizabeth, is whining because it was
not designated to publish the State
laws. This is ex-Prosecutor Wilson's
organ, which has been abusing Gov
rno Albeit and the Democracy
~disgracefully, because Mr.. Wilson was
moi raanpointad prosaoutor II is