The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-08-14

stenographic Report of His Remarkable De-
liverance Before the Executive Committee.
The following extracts from Mr.. Somer-
by's speech made to the meeting of the ex-
ecutIve committee of the Iron Hall, Jan. 9,
1891, were referred to in yesterdays report
of the suit for a receiver.
Massachusetts, will. am satisfied have
her usual amount of agitation on this sub
ject. Already Major Merrill has held us
up 10 rldicule again. And this whole
trouble, in my judgment-the creation OF
these new orders-he is responsible for 1t,
and If he had been man we would never
have been placed in the situation we are in
to-day. 1t will cost In the State of Wis
consln. perhaps. 81, 900 or 81, 500 to secure our
rights there. L am satisfied that tight
will be carried on In New York. We have
expended in New York about $4,000 to en-
able us to remain there for ten years.
The move has already been made pub
lie. The denunciation of the insurance de-
partment has appeared in every newspaper
of the state. and there is hardly a branch
of the o. i. HI. in that State where an at
tempt has not been made to intimidate and
to threaten that if they attempted to carry
on the work OF the order they Will be ar
rested: fhe Attorney general has passed
his opinion and 1t has been accepted by the
Commissioner. and there Is no doubt but
that the great battlefield will be at Al
baDy. My views In regard to the situation
In New 4 DIX are as fOIlOWs.
That il is unwise for us to be in any way
known in the hight. To associate in that
fight would, IN my judgment be giving
support TO that which we absolutely con-
denim. and our association with the other
orders in the defense would be taken by
the Legislature of that State to mean we
were part and parcel of them. If, how
ever, we are opposed TO that sy stem, which
Is damnable. there Is no question about
that, we will have to take an independent
ALI N 6afanaa
can be obtained. Myjudgment in the mat
ter Is this: That In case legislation should
be enacted adverse to Us 1t would be better
for us to make our fight directly upon the
State Department, claiming our rights and
If opposed restrain the Commissioner from
interfering with our business until tho Su-
preme Court should decide for or against
fight in Maine and open the doors of the
State to tonti, If 1t is not going TO be
hardship and if you would advise assocIat-
ing them with us In order to make 1t more
sure for US TO secure 1t, will be matter for
you to consider and decide.
II have canvassed, pretty thoroughly,
these matters of legislation. If you
authorize these expenditures for the. pur-
pose of legislation, i want you to take into
consideration the responsibility connected
with the work. l have jeopardized my self
in your interest in the State of Massachu-
sets more than once. All OF you know, If
you know anything about lobbying,
Yon demand an aoconnsne for every dot
lar that comes into my hands. You de-
mand q receipt for every dollar that is ex-
pended, ltemiZed for each expenditure. If
any of you have bad any experience in this
business you know that men who advocate
your cause many of them are in a position
where to advocate it for money, means i'm
prisonment, disgrace and banishmenr from
Office You can then realize how hard 1t is
IA fhar fou
In that direction. / cannot comply with it,
and If these requirements are insisted
upon you must delegate some one
else to do it beside myself / will not un-
dertake 1t. l have done 1t in the past. in
the future decline to do it because | have
my family and my reputation to take care
of, and / do not want TO be placed in p0-
sition that any one who comes after me
will, in any way, be able TO impugn my
record.
Il realize the fact that my position is In
| jeopardy just the same as the rest of you,
and any deviation from what seems to be
the technical regularity of business mat
tiers may be taken advantage of by those
who desire your positions and mine.
Money Will accomplish the desired re-
suit provided money can be used in way
that Will not compromise those who use 1t.
| In the past have acted in these matters
upon individual inspiration. L feel that
the time mas come now when this matter
should be fairly and squareiy handled, face
to face, and not, under the circumstances,
| be revealed to any one outside the commit
tee directly or indirectly.
Il would not do dishonorable thing if
| knew it, / do not believe | have done
| dIshonorable act in my life. My record and
| the orders record Will attest that our word
| before the public is taken as against all that
has been said against us. and IL is
| our bold front and honest record that has
given us our PRESTIGE to-day. Remove
that and the Iron Hall would not stand
| twenty-f0ur hours In fact, were the pres
ent officers to be removed to-day, resign
| to-day and new men take their places, |
will give the order Just two mont s to go
| into the bands of a receiver. We have s.
| tabllshed the confidence of the public in
the order and the new aspirants for our
positions and places must be made TO
understand that they are consi gned to back
| seats until this warfare at least Is at
end.
This body must take into consideration
the advisability of allowing and directing
| that all expenses incurred by the benefit
| fund shall be charged to the benefit fund
and not to the general fund. For instance.
q suit at law is instituted for the recovery
of rejected claim entailing u cost of SlO0
| to 500 In expenses. This is Just exactly
| $500 to save S2j. 1t makes a very great
drain upon our general fund and it places
weapon In the hands of our enemy to di-
| rect against Us a blow that is very effective.
| BY so doing you can readily see
our showing for the year inst past would
make difference of at least 81, 00O, and this
| $1,000 would enable us to put man in the
| field to-day to do the work for which we
| have not to-day the means"