Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-08-15
Indignant Certificate Holders Of the
Endowment Association.
4 CROWDED MEETING LAST NIGHT
Charges Made Against the Manage
ment of the Concern.
MAY GO TO THE COURTS


packed. Through a lack Of concert an
earlier meeting was called for in the board
of trade rooms, but the certificate holders
who assembled there Immediately adjourned
and Joined forces with those at Wilard's
Hail.
1t Is mild expression of the truth to say
that the people at Willard Hall last night
were indignant Some of them were angry
to the point Of boiling over, and it is
riously to be doubted whether the officials
of the association, had they been present
and made themselves known, would have
left the hall in a pleasant frame of mind.
With the controversy and circumstances
that called for the meeting held last night
the readers of The Star are doubtless by
this time quite familiar Suffice 1t to
peat briefly that each of those present held
a policy in the Washington Beneficial En-
dowment Association. Recently each holder
received notification that the association
had sold out to the Commercial Alliance
Company Of New York, and that the En-
dowment Association policies could be ex-
changed for those of the latter organization.
This transaction was a complete surprise
and. for various reasons which We're de-
Veioped by the speeches last night, it has
proved to be intensely unpopular with the
holders of the policies. AS a result of the
meeting it seemed probable that few, If
any,of the policy holders of the Endowment
Association would enter the new company
ana interesting developments are promised
through the medium of the committee of
ten appointed last night to represent the
policy holders in the thorough investigation
Of the affairs of the association which the
inuiShant ones at the meeting vociferously
demanded.
Opening The Meeting.
when Lawyer F. ii. Mackey rose to start
the wheels going at 7:35 every seat in the
hall was occupied and there were a hun
dred more people standing up back. while
Few had found their way into the gal
iery. The great majority OF the audience
were men, but there was quite a sprlnkln,;
OF women present. 1t was probably one
CT the most representative crowds that ever
gathered in Washington. All grades of So
ciety, all sorts and conditions of men were
present. Alongside of a judge of the Dis
trict Supreme Court was messenger in
enc OF the departments. The seat next a
retired army oihcer ayas occupied by a Door
woman in shabby Clothes anxious lest her
niue savings had been swept away There
was probably not a grade of official or
social rank that was not represented. and il
IS feeble to say that all, without exception.
burned with deep indignation.
Mr. Mackey stated that at a fully at
tended meeting of policy holders held at the
board Of trade during the afternoon it was
learned that the Willard Hall meeting
would be held later, and ii was therefore
decided to adjourn the earlier meeting and
consolidate the two. In the afternoon Mr..
II. o. Claughton had been selected as chair
man and Mr.. T. Percy Meyers secretary.
Mr. ClauShton, he said, was not able TO
be present in the evening and he asked
for nominations for chairman. A voice cried
out the name of Simon Wolf, which was
at once taken up, and in moment MIR.
Wolf was escoI ted to the platform. Mr..
Meyers was chosen as secretary. Mr.. Wolf
stated briefly that the meeting not
called for the purpose of listening to speech
e3 from the chairman, and he called upon
anybody in the audience who might be will
ing to state the objects Of the meeting to
come forward at this stage. There was a
brief pause, and the crowd seemed very
nervous.
Mr.. Miller's speech.
After moment or two Mr.. William j.
Miller advanced and took place on the
stage. He was greeted with applause and
went on to say that he presumed that as
his name had appeared in the papers as hav-
ing called the meeting he ought to start the
ball rolling. He said that the meeting had
been called at the special instance and re-
quest of large number of certificate hold
ers in the Endowment Association you
have all he said, probably received a
circular letter without signature. stating
that we have, by some presto, change
been placed in the possession of a different
company entirely from that which orig
inaily entered a sreat number of you
have been in the Endowment Association
for many years, all the way from sixteen
years down to a few months. and You have
been suddenly placed in the Commercial
Alliance Company of New York. l do not
know IL you have read the policy sent you
from that company. | have read mine and
most eInphatically say that l. for one, will
not go into il.
The temper of the meeting here showed
itself in q most vociferous burst of applause.
Gray-bcaried men waved their hats in the
air and shouted. The applause continued
for couple of minutes, and was punctuated
by shouts of announcement to the speaker,
such That's the way to talk Give il
to en-" I'm with you,' we won't go
into it, etc.
lance policy. and requesting his hearers TO
follow him with their copies, called atten-
tion to the peculiar features of the new GER
titicate that they were asked to accept. 1T
says that you are insured at certain age"
he said, lin the body of the policy, but there
is Il side provision among the regulations
which permits the company to increase
your premium whenever they fit 20 adj
Just ii 20 your increased age. Every lawyer
in the sound of my voice will agree with
me that this pi zee of paper is nor worth
the cost of it's printing" Mr.. Miller waved
his document high in the air. and this was
the signal for another outburst OF cheering
and encouraging outcries MIR. Miller's next
point was, though perhaps very distaste-
full, productive of the greatest enthusiasm
Now" he continued, in consideration of
this increased premium. this generous COM
pany will pay you what? They promise to
paw, in the event of my death. "a sum not
exceeding SS,DD0' That means nothing
more nor less than that they will pay YOU
nothing. They don't agree to pay you a
farthiug The law of contracts saws that
the amount to be paid must be definite, OF
the contract is not valid"
Attacking the Company.
Again the shouts of the now thoroughly
awakened policy holders rose to the roof
the pot was boiling over. Mr. Miller went
on to point out that the new policy stip-
ulated that it would be void if the premium
were not paid during the lifetime or good
health of the holder. THAT places you i'm
a beautiful situation If you are sick" he
said. while. for the first time. the meeting
burst into laughter. Il don't know who got
this up" he said but he was a very
shrewd chap, at all events. This is the pol
icy that they ask me to sign, and l say
again l will not do 1t. / stand here at
sixty three years of age. after being fifteen
years in this company. 1t is almost impos-
sible for me now to get into a new COM
pany. l intend to hold to this policy
as long as l can. and / shall invoke the
law and contribute my mite in order that
a court of equity may go thoroughly into
the merits of this case and grant us our
just rights. l have heard during the day
great deal of condemnation expressed
against Mr.. Gardner. the president of this
association. l also blame Mr.. Gardner for
his action in this matter, but 1 will not al
low the directors of the company to escape
condemnation for their part in the transac-