Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1899-07-26
CHURCH vs.. McsALL.

~ 10 uON dUOut IOuT l1OuIUS since
Governor Stanley, by his own edict, re-
moved McNall and placed Mr.. Church
in charge of the Office of superintend-
ent of insurance. The Impotence shown
by Mr.. Stanley III going after McNall
as soon as the legislature was ''off his
hands" shows with what promptness
the republican party bosses respond to
their promises to the corporations for
political contributions. Mr.. Stanley
with blare of trumpets announced
that McNall's methods of ''holding up"
insurance companies were for profit on
ly, and that his refusal to be investigat-
ed was an acknowledgment of guilt.
Mr.. Stanley has had ample opportuni-
ty of proving to the public that his
statements and charges were correct.
He has had charge of and access to all
the books and records OF the commits
siOuer's Office, and plant political
henchmen at his back, yet to this day
nothing has been discovered to cloud
the good name and fame of the friend
of the people, McNall. Does anyone
doubt that Cyrus would neglect an op
portunity of exposing such a man as
McNall if the charges made by Stanley
were true and could be substantiated?
The silence of Leland, Stanley & Co.,
has convinced the people of Kansas
that the charges made by Governor
Stanley, and upon which he "fired"
McNall, were not only false, but that
he was merely executing the edicts of
the insurance companies.
1t was publicly announced by Mr..
Church soon after he went into office,
that the policy of the insurance depart
ment in reference to collecting delin-
quent losses due from insurance com
panles, would be changed, and, on the
quiet, certain officers working in the
insurance commissioners office gave 1t
out that the new commissioner would
not deprive the lawyers of their fees in
collecting such delinquent insurance,
that is, he would not make his office a
collecting agency as McNall had done.
Numerous letters and requests have
been received by MIR. Church IN the laet
three months asking his aid in making
certain insurance companies pay up
losses, but invariably his answer has
been 1--WE cannot do anything fer you;
see your courts for relief" But to this
rule Mr.. Church has seen fit to make
few exceptions. 1t will be seen from
the following article from the Kan
sas City Star of July 18th, that Mr..
Church can make fish of one and fowl
of another:
Topeka, July 13.-Judge Hazen of the
Shawnee county district court issued All ill
junction today to restrain w. V. Church. sup
erintendent of insurance, from interfering in
any manner with the business of the Liver
pool, London and Globe, the Manchester Fire
Western Assurance and British American of
Toronto, all foreign companies, in this state.
The suit is brought by j. II. Richards of Fort
Scott. He had loss and claimed S1l geo. The
companies adjusted the matter and offered
him $1,000. This Mr.. Richards refused to ac-
cept, and presented the matter to Superitend-
ent Church demanding $4,000 in full settle
ment. Mr.. Church addressed letter to the
companies requesting them to settle the loss
or be excluded from the state. The compan-
les responded by enjoining Mr.. Church. The
case will come up for hearing July n.
The Mr.. Richards referred to in this
article is one Of the general attorneys
of the Missouri Pacific Railway Com
pany. 1t appears also by recent dis
patches that Superintendent Church
has made the same demands on the in
surance companies interested in the
Collins estate. 1t is also stated in
these dispatches that Attorney Gener-
al Goddard is interested in the Collins
estate.
From this it will be seen that the
power of the state will be used by the
present administration to force collec-
lions from insurance companies when
the insurance is due such men as the
attorney general or some powerful at.
tOrney of the railroad corporations.
Under McNall the humblest citizen
with loss of $50 could reach the
throne and receive prompt attention
and without exception, in a brief time,
would receive from the insurance COM
panies the amount due, and which had
been refused by some adjuster. Hard
ly a county in the state but can furnish
testimony of the truth of this state
ment. How different with the admin
istration Of Mr.. Church. None but
those who are rich and powerful, and
who need OF protection, can secure the
favor and the attention OF the powers
that be. The people now have an OBJ
ject lesson before them-the one ad-
run In the interest of all
the people, the other in the interest of
the corporations, the attorney general
and the general attorneys of the Mis-
souri, Pacific railroad company.
THE first number of the Wellington
Voice since VIM. Stryker, ex state sup
erintendent, purchased it, reached us