The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-09-13
ANTHONY RETRACTS.
He Now Denies He s'Meant What
He Said''
IN HIS INSURANCE REPORT.

The journal" Gave Him Every OPP
pOrtunIty to Make This statement
Last Evening but He Wouldn't-In-
sisted Letting Fraternal Seci-
cites Put Whatever CONSTRUCTION
They Pleased on His Report.
George T. Anthony, state superintend-
enr of insurance now says that he did not
intend his denunciation of benevolent
insurance organizations for the Masons,
Odd Fellows and A. o. u w
superintendent Anthony WIS yesterday
seen by STATE JOURNAL reporter who
asked him repeatedly jusg what he
meant in his report but he answered in
explanation that he meant Just what he
had said. AS the officers of the fraternal
societies are convinced that lac meant
their societies, this answer was highly
unsatisfactory.
The JOURNAL did not believe that Sup
erintendent Anthony msant to attack
such we'll esta blished fraternai insurance
organizations as the A. .. u. W., Modern
WOOdmen and others OF that class of
fraternal societies, and it was for exactly
the purpose of giving him an opportunity
to say just what be did mean that a
JOURNAL reporter visited him aud asked
him for an authorized construction of his
language.
The doughty superintendent then in
sisted that his language needed no ex-
planation. yet this morning ia two col
umni dictated interview he explains his
report laboriously. He might have done
this IN half dozen paragraphs last night.
The JOURNAL asked him 10; almost be-
SO eched him to, but he was too hoity-
toity.
lie did not want to be interviewed, he
said, and said he would pay no attention
to any of the criticisms of his report,
The JOURNAL reporter, when he visited
Superinte ndent Anthony, had with him
the interview of Mr.. L. NJ. Panwell,
which WAS published in this paper yes
terday, which he offered to allow Super
intendent Anthony to read before it was
published, but the superintendent said
he did not want to see it.
1t must be that perintendent An
thony has changed his mind very sud
denly. In thls self written interview
Superintendent Anthony retreats from
his former position aud says:
"Iou can no more construe and apply
my structures to the Masous, Odd Eel
lows Knights Of Pythias, Ancient Order
Of United Norkmen, or any other ike
secret Organization, national in its char
acer, and under the Supervision OF a
grand or supreme lodge than you could
constrne and apply them 10 the Bible
and the divine plan OF salvation. The
same is true of religions associations, or
any class Of mechanics, express, tele-
graph or railroad employees. formed for
the mutual benefit OF the II ZEN bers there
of and thsir families exclusively"
lie then pays his respects to ex- Secre-
far faf l.
now at the head of fraternal insurance
company ,aana hasrecent4y scored Super
intendent Anthony in his paper, the Life
Advocate
He says of Mr.. Higgins: "Mr Hig-
gins has for twenty-five years been to
me a personal and political friend. He
has never been in hiding when my good
name and public acts were assaulted. In
return l have come TO know OF sterling
| qualities in his composition that made
him conspicuous, almost to an excep-
ton, in the whole range of, my expert
| ence, as man of exalted honor and
| never failing fidelity to his friends.
have stood to defend him against hypo-
critics and pharisees, whitened political
| sepulchres. who have assailed and ma
| ligned him as moral censors. Nothing
he has or will say to me can provoke a
withdrawal of any good word spoken or
written by me,
Financial stress, largely due to his
open, generous nature, has showed him
out of the narrow path OF business rec
titude and into his present relations as it
has done to many another good and hon
est motived man. He is his own worst
enemy and has never untered an unkind
word of me when his brain wos not in.
famed and his sense of justice smoth
cred by the cup that insbriates, the poi
son that destroys manhood"
The above is like a Judas kiss. Mr.
Anthony smites under the guise of heart
felt affection.