Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-06-04
WILL HE MAKE HIS BLUFF GOOD:

WILL HE MAKE HIS BLUFF GOOD:
One step further II Webb McNall, state
superintendent of insurance in Kansas, will
have committed an act that will land him
behind the bars of a federal prison. The
dispatches quote him as saying that he
will refuse to obey an order issued out OF
the United States court. 1t is only neces-
sary for him to carry this threat into ex-
ecution, of course, to become liable 20 ar
rest and punishment.
The order in question was secured at the
instance of the Metropolitan Life Insur-
ance Company. a short time since this
company set about contesting a claim for
a death loss in Kansas on the ground that
the policy had been secured by fraud. Nc
Nall informed the company that it had his
permission to contest death losses if it
chose, but in the meantime it could do no
business in Kansas-with which he re
voked the company's license and forbade
its agents to transact business. The COM
pany at once appealed TO Judge Foster, of
the United States district court, and re-
ceived a temporary restraining order which
prohibited McNall from interfering with
Tic A.AtAt u nv company tAaNAA Wv 49,
could pass upon the legal phase Of the case.
There is no line of legal or moral reason
ing along Viii the Kansas superintendent
can justify either his proceeding against the
Metropolitan company or his proposed
proceeding in defiance of the United States
court. The first is a denial of the consti-
tutional right of every citizen to go into
court for the redress of fraud or injury.
and the second is the setting up of himself
as superior to all courts and laws. He is not
even willing to hold his own judgment
of the issue in allegiance until a judicial in
~vestigation may be had, but automatically
declares that the Metropolitan must with
out question obey an brder from his un-
judicial department, while at the same
time he reserves the right to himself to
disobey an order from a high tribunal.
People will watch with a great deal of
interest to discover whether this defiance
from the Kansas commissions is one of
his periodical bluffs or whether he really
intends to place himself in contempt of the
United States court. Whatever may be
Judge Fosters disinclination as to involv-
ing the Kansas man in trouble, he can
hardly overlook an open and defiant con-
tempt such as McNall is proposing to COM
NIT. Debs went to Jail for far less. Debs
was not personally named in the order
which he disobeyed, while the Kansas man
is, and therefore can have no possible loop
hole of escape. And while the people are
interestedly watching for the time when
McNall shall make his bluff good or back
down-which time, indeed, has already ar
rived, as the company has resumed bust
ness under protection of the c~ourt-they are
also making up their minds to gaze with
a great deal of eQuanimity upon the per-
son of the Kansas man as he reposes for
a season behind the iron doors of a federal
prison. No considerable number of hon
est people can ever bring themselves to
sympathize with a brazen and impudent
~demagogue, who, clothed with a little brief
authority, denies his fellow man a day in
court and holds himself exempt from legal
process.