Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-08-15

night TO hear what j have to say, and 1
We may let them know face to fac9 that
We believe they have dealt tfeacherousiy
with US, We have got our families to con-
slider. and now we must see them sacrificed
IN order that money may go into the hands
Of the stockholders. ] ask you TO appoint a
committee of bookkeepers to go into the
books of this association, and to learn, If
possible, when and how this outrageous
transaction was accomplished. Then want
you to appoint three lawyers TO examine
into the legal aspects of the case, and 10
see where the responsibility rests. Then
there should be three civilians, conversant
with the affairs of corporations. to see
whether there may not be some way of re-
viving the association. and placing ii on a
rev and more satisfactory basis"
To Pay Assessments.
At the close Mr.. Miller's remarks were
greeted With tremendous cheering. in the
midst of which a man arose in the front of
the hall and shouted out a question. He
kept on shouting until the enthusiasm OF
the others was abated, and then il was
found that he as asking for advice as to
the payment of the regular monthly assess
Inent of the Endowment Association, which
Is due today.
the Office said Mr.. Miller, land 1 advise
every man here tonight to do the same
We must preserve our rights, and we can
not do so Unless we pay our dues"
Immediately voices were raised I'm every
part of the hail. assuring the speaker that
the assessments due today would be
promptly paid. The crowd had got down to
a fighting basis. but II was rot very ruly,
and Chairman Wolf had great difficulty In
maintaining order. In the effervescence of
their Indignation the policy holders could
not restrain themselves. and the floor was
frequently clamored for by several men at
once. Mr.. J. r. Griffin finally secured rec
ognition and a moment Of quiet, and he
went on to suggest that II would be better
to appoint some business men TO take
charge of the association and carry II on
better than IL has been conducted in the
past" He said he had been told at the
beginning that the assessments would not
exceed thirteen each year. but they had
gone far beyond that number. and he could
not see why this was so.
Mr.. Charles w. Darr assured Mr.. Griffin
that the association was stock concern,
and that, the directors had sold out,
there was nothing left to reorganize.
This the signal for another storm,
and chaos prevailed for some minutes.
Finally Mr.. Charles H. Mann. standing by
the radiator in the southeast corner of the
nall. with folded arms, in the attitude of
Napoleon at Moscow, shouted out the ques-
ton that rang far above the clamo-: rs
this a mutual association or notT' he
yelled at the top of his voice.
1T is not" shouted Mr.. Wolf. ''or else the
directors could not have transferred as
they have done"
Mr.. Mackcy's Remarks.
and Mr.. Mackey said that he was heartily
in favor of the motion to appoint a COM
mittee of investigation. "Rut.' he added,
Il DO not expect to get very much of my
money back. believe that it has gone into
a hole. but / want to have the company
Investigated and find out where theil hole
reached 10. Mr.. Gardner, in his circular,
SAYS that the company has since organiza-
ton paid about "A million dollars 10 the
beneficiaries. Now, i want 10 know how
many of the dollars Of the policy holders
have been paid TO the association. They
can't sell me to any other company. i have
been sold once and l don't propose 10 be
sold again"
Again Mr.. Staples plastering was en-
dangered by the roar that went up from
hundreds of sympathetic tnroats. This
warmed Mr.. Mackey up to a few further re-
marks. 1t should be the duty of this COM
mittee," he said. Ito investigate the COM
rany from the granting of the charter
down to the present moment. We want TO
know what our rights are. If the assocla-
ton is willing to show Its hands and not
hide In the dark this committee can get at
the books and perhaps they can find out
whether the officers have spent our re-
served funds for their own uses. III this Is
a stock company they cannot escape per-
forming their contracts with us. When 1
went into the concern L undertook to pay
my assessments regularly, and in consid-
GRAFTON the association agreed to insure my
life Tor $500 II l have performed my
Part faithfully. ought they not be willing
and able to perform theirs? In the language
of an eminent statesman. let US see where
We are at
What IL il Proposed to Do.
This relieved the strain of the indigna-
ton of the policy holders somewhat and a
hearty laugh that followed cleared the at
mosphere Cor Mr. Wolf to make a brief but
succinct statement of the condition of
things, and to give the policy holders some
wholesome advice. This committee" he
said, will solve the whole question and can
do more liz one day than this entire meet
ing can do in a week. The committee will
tomorrow, L trust. go to the offices of the
ass ociation and demand access to the books. |
which, L have no doubt, will be refused |
A bill will thah be filed in court 10 compel |
the association to turn the books over to |
toe expert accountants on the committee
Tor an exhaustive Investigation. Ii this |
report as l hope it will, we can then all
- - - t-'es,- A.->--., s-iosS
fellow citizens. in whom We have trusted, |
MhCm We have placed in charge OF our af- |
fairs. have been worthy of our trust wheth- |
er they are honorable men or have grossly |
deceived rs. When l entered the company |
1 expected the exact results that confront |
us tonight, and if / had depended on that |
class of insurance l should be in the sorry |
plight that | fear many of those here now
are. 1t is the history of assessment COM |
raLies all over the United States But | |
had confidence in the men at the head of |
the association, ana L believed them to be |
honorable. What grieves most is that |
when these 1irectCrs-thiS great president
whom We have all trusted in she past-be-
came aware OF the condition of things they 4
did not consult US We could have agreed |
then TO stand an Increase premium and |
could have strengthened their hands to tide |
them over the difficulty.
Il had similar experience with Phila- |
delphia assessment company. holding a |
policy for $1,000. The time came when the l
concern could not continue at the existing |
rates of premiums, and they made a plain 4
proposition to me TO transfer me to another |
company. one of the stror gest in the United |
States and they offered me a policy reduced |
s., 500. They explained everything frankly |
to me, and, recognizing the force of their \
al s,uments and the fairness of their PROPOSE
ten, i accepted the reduced amount. But |
L was con suited, and when IL was over I
felt no indignation about the transaction
That is where the fatal blunder has been
made here. 1t may be past remedy, but Il |
is not past finding out The great Injustice |
is that through the negligence OF somebody |
a large number of men are now absolutely |
deprived Of the chance of getting any more |
insurance.
Now" said Mr. Wolf in conclusion, "let /
Justice be done. II We have wronged any
one let this committee say so. IL we have 1
been wronged let's find II out. Let the ak |
fall where il will; we have paid for its
10 ,-a.wk~s