The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-05-22
THE CHARGE REFUTED.

Mr.. Chalmers Denies That He Acted in
an Arbitrary Manner.
The Salem TimesRegister prints the
following communication:
Messrs. Editors: In the Roanoke Even
ing World appeared recently an article
headed Gear Reed Initiated" which was
also copied in the Roanoke Times, that
does not state the facts as they occurred
mt the recent Insurance Association meet
ing. and hence does me injustice. The
commonwealth attorney of Botetourt
county, Mr.. w. r. Allen, was not IRE.
fused the floor" for he did not even ask
to be permitted to speak; but the fact is,
Mr.. Allen wished to know whether he
would be permitted to represent (by
proxy his father, Judge Allen, who was
too unwell to attend. The constitution
Of our association provides that lSec. 2,
p. Z, by.laws) 1.-The members present at
an annual meeting shall constitute Il
quorum for the transaction of all bust
ness and rs our assoc iation is in no
sense joint stock company (there being
no stock whatever subscribed,) it would
be exceedingly improper to allow voting
or transaction of any business by proxy.
Hence MS president of the association ard
pledged to uphold its constitution and
by laws, l could not permit so manifest Il
violation of the constitution, and thus lay
n precedent that would greatly endanger
the we'll. being of the association. feel
sure that my old friend, Judge Allen, him
self will agree with me in the pos ition
took relative to this mattel.
Now, the second point in which | am
said to have out. cZared even Gar Reed
is in refusing to hear Statement" from
Mr.. Williams. Those who were there
will bear me out that the business Of the
mating had Q1l haap ho In,
WAS almost gone. and everybody tired
out, many had left and Mr.. Williams,
through friend, asked to be heard
Permission was granted him to speak,
with the request to confine himself to u
plain statement of facts. Mr.. Williams,
in an excited and offensive manner, then
proceeded to pitch into the company gen.
orally and the secretary in particular, and
seeing that no good could come of such
an harangue, which, il permitted to con-
tinue, might degenerate into a row, and
the point being made by member that
all this was out of order I politely in
formed Mr.. Williams that as he was not
combining himself to upvarnished facts, I
should decline to hear him further.
AS to Messrs. McCulloch and Williams
suerg the company, this had already been
done, and it was expected at the proper
time an appeal would be made to this
meeting to order the payment of their
loss. But this was not even attempted
ut all, and hence no complaint can be
justly made as TO my rulings.
make these statements to the pnhlic
because the article in the World (Which
was copied in the Roanoke Times) was
evidently written by some one who was
not there and who was misinformed 40 to
the facts. ! have no objection to being
compared to speaker Reed, who is, per
haps, the best parliamentarian in the
country, but such CARRIED statement of
the proceedings of meeting of plain
farmers and business men of two counties
might, if not corrected. do harm to an in
stitution that is of grea. value to the cit
liens of Botetourt ami Roanoke counties.
would be glad if the Evening World
would copy this communication, and also
The Roanoke Times
JAS CHALMERS