The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-05-16
GAR NJ NALL.
He Has Planted His Corn and
Revisits Topeka.
Keeping His Eye on the Political
Sky.
DODGES POLITICS.
Says Wait and See When Asked
About His Aspirations.
Would Be a Candidate For Gov
ernOr of Kansas.
DODGES POLITICS.
May Be Forced Into the Race For
Superintendent of Insurance.

Webb McNa1l, late superintendent of
Insurance of Kansas, who is Familiarity
known among his friends as The Gar"
having been given the nickname by an
insurance company that once collided
with him, is in Topeka on legal business.
Mr.. McNau is now GEAR of his farm,
near Gaylord up in Smith county, and
as a side issue he practices law. He is
sunburned and his hands show that
they have been forming the acqua1nt-
ance of the pillow handles, but he can
say cutting things just as we'll now as
when he used to have a, row with an
insurance company each morning before
breakfast just as a constitutional.
This is only the second time he has
been in Topeka since Governor Stanley
retired him. But he has been keep
ing tab on events, and does not make
the claim that he lis out of politics.
Neither does he say that he is still in
the game. He just says, wait and see."
He refuses to state definitely whether
he will be candidate for governor,
or superintendent of insurance, or
neither.
Mr.. McNalls friends say that his po-
litical position next year will depend
somewhat on whether there is fusion
between the triune forces. There is a
disposition to force him to run for SUI
perintendent of insurance, whether he
wants it or not; but at the same time
it is intimated that Mr.. McNal1 himself
would prefer to be a candidate against
Governor Stanley, provided, of course.
the free silver Republicans and the Pop
ulistS join forces again, and provided,
also, that Governor Stanley is a candi-
date for reelection.
81 notice." said Mr. McNalI. in speak
4ng CT politics, that the Republican in
surance examiners are doing the same
thing which was charged against me
collecting fees for examining outside in
surance companies and not turning
them into the state treasury. Stanley
made this the principal feature of his
popgun letter ordering my removal If
they had been sincere the proper thing
to have done when I went out of office
would have been to bring suit against
me and my bOndsmen for the amounts
so collected But instead of that, Stan
ley and Church have examiners, just as
did, chief of whom is Senator Battey,
who is engaged in the same practices
as those for which 1 was removed. Not
only that, but Battey hasn't turned a
penny of the fees collected into the
state treasury. nor will he. From that
I judge the issue next year will be-
Which is the bigger thief, Church or
l.? AS a matter of fact. there isn't a
line in the law providing for the ap-
pointment of insurance examiners that
even hints that the fees collected must
be covered into the state treasury. The
Republicans know this as we'll as / do.
Il also see that Stanley is trying to
get all the insurance companies to go
into an agreement to lower the insur-
ance rates in Kansas. If he will get one
company to lower. the rates instead of
sixty, 1 will guarantee that the rates
of the other fifty-nine will come down
without any effort on his part. The in
surance companies came to me with the
same kind of a proposition after 1 had
knocked out the Clarkson rate book
They said they would reduce the cost
of insurance in Kansas 500, 900. 1 sug-
Rested that with trust which de-
stroyed all competition they could af-
ford TO reduce the rates more than that
If this scheme of Stan1ey'S and Church'S
carries through it will be a. trust, and it
will be mandatory upon the attorney
general to go after them for violating
the antitrust law. The way to lower
Insurance rates is to destroy the trust,