Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-30
STATEMENT BY
]. ], DARLINGTON
Covering Details in Insurance
Election Contest.
BUSINESS MEMS LETTERS
Advocating Support of the Admins
tration Trustees.
NEW PHASE OF LOCAL CANVASS
Mr. Darlington Calls Attention to I'm
authorized Use of His Name
Other Facts.
lew PHASE OF LOCAL CANVASS

Although the contest now DelnG Wageo
for the selection OF a new board of trustees
for the New York Life and the Mutual Life
insurance companies of New York has al
ready developed many phases of great inter-
est In the metropolis, and. in fact. in every
corner of the nation where buyers have been
found for the policies of either concern
washington included in the lisD, the situa-
ton as far as local poicyholders is con-
Gated as it is now. Much has been said and
written concerning the objects or platforms
of the three tickets in the feld-the admin
istration," the international policyholders"
and the "fusion"-and each has carried its
appeal for the vote Of the po.icyholders.
Within the past two days an entirely new
feature has been injected into the CAM
paign in Washington, in the form or CIR
cular letter. written to the pollcyhoioers o,
the Mutual Life Insurance Company. signed
by committee OF prominent business men
of the capital. urging all to support the
administration nominees for the board OF
trustees. This letter, which Is self-explana-
tory, reads follows
1.-The undersigned policyholders In the
Mutual Life Insurance Company OF New
York, presume to recommend 10 you tnat
you vote the administration ticket, copy
of which has already reached you, In the
coming election of trustees for your COM
pany.
From our information. we believe that
the officers and employees responsible lot
former mismanagement have been removed
We believe the gentlemen named in the ad-
mnistratfon ticket are all worthy or your
support and are entirely capable OF manas-
ing the affairs of your company wisely.
cot, hn
would in our Judgment. be to further your
best interests. We do not think the affairs
of this corporation, with Its enormous as
sets should be intrusted to untrled men at
this time 1t is authoritatfTely reported that
of the twenty-one men named on the inter
national ticket but very small NUMBER
said to be seven, are actual pohcyholoers
In the Mutual. If this is true you may Wen
ask yourself why these gentlemen are SO
jealous of what does not concern them.
again urging you to vote the adm n Stra-
ton ticket and calling attention to the re-
sponsibility a policyholder Is under 10
vote. &c.
The communication is signed by Gen. Geo.
H Harries and Messrs. John l.. Weaver
Alvin NJ Lothrop. Albion K. Paris, John
B. Larner and James r. oyster.
!. In connection with this letter. compre-
shensivesstatefnen of Its probable erect,
covering in detail the situation as II IS
seen at4the present time. was secured py
The Star this morning from MT. J.. j. OAR
lington of the Washington bar. who is one
of the candidates for the board OF trustees
on the international policy holders. ticket.
81 suppose the circular letter in the inter
ests of the administration ticket. signed by
six well-known citizens of washington,
which is being circulated today, has been
called to your attention? Mr.; DarIlnstoi,
was asked. and he replied yes. SeVerai
policyholders have called my attention to
Thinks Signers Misled.
90 Won wish to make any statement in
regard to that letter."
simply that the signers, who are all gen.
tlemen of the highest character and my
personal friends. have been misled to an ex-
tent which think they will be disposed to
resent when they become aware OF IL. l
have not communicated with any OF them.
but am informed that one of the slgners
has already ascertained the facts and has
empha sized his feeling about 1t by To-Day
voting the policyholders' ticket.
The letter asserts that Of the twenty one
men nominated by the international ticket
hut a very small number, said to be seven.
are actual policyholders In the Mutual.
What is the fact as to this?
1.-The numbers are simply reversed.
were policyholders at the time of the nomi-
nation, and only seven were not. Some OF
these. 1 understand, have since become
policyholders."
do you know now the seven came 10 De
selected?"
1.-THE international committee sent out a
circular to the policyholders. asking sug-
gestions as to the persons whom they would
prefer to. have named on the policyholders'
ticket The seven, as I understand 1t, were
selected because of their Endorsement by
policyholders who had confidence In them.
believed them specially fitted for the work
to be DONE and had confidence in their in
tegrity and capacity.
Administration Ticket Scored.
of no
information Of the signers. that the officers
and employees who were responsible for the
acknowledgement of the two companies had
been removed What Is the fact as to this?"
1.-The administration ticket presents two of
the old trustees. who were present at the
secret meeting which voted Mr.. McCurdy a
salary of $150,00O. or $500 per day. No
record as 1 understand it, was kept of the
meeting, so that the Armstrong committee
was unable to report whether all the per-
sons present at it voted for the salary or
not; but all certainly acquiesced In 1t. made
no effort at the open or known meetings OF
the board of trustees to oppose or call
attention to it in any way until the act was
exposed by the Armstrong committee The
administration ticket also dominates repre-
sentatives of the old legislative committee.
under which Andrew Fields and Judge
Hamilton operated, being furnished with
and disbursing enormous sums for which
no vouchers were ever given. 1t also nOmi-
mates members OF the auditing committee,
who were silent during all those years as to
their disbursements and the absence of cor
responding vouchers. 1t dominates. also.
members Of the agency committee, under
which Mr. McCurdy's son and son-in-law
drew, respectively. $4,000 and $70,0 900
per annum as agents OF the company: 1t
also dominates members of the real estate
leans committee. under whose administra-
ton the Armstrong committee found five
millions of money to have been lost. I do
not say, for I do not know. that any of
these nominees participated in or personally
profited by these frauds, or any OF. them.
On the contrary, would prefer to adopt the
milder alternative of believing that they
were not sufficiently alert, or else not suf-
ficiently capable, to prevent these misap-
propriations. though occurring under their
very eyes"
ssTried" Men VS.. ssUntried."
"Do you care to say anything In reference
to the opinion expressed in the letter that
the funds of these corporations. with their
enormous assets, should not be intrusted to
untried men at this timer"
"Only this. II the untried' men on the
committee of the New York legislature
known as the Armstrong committee. and
their lawyer, none of whom were at all
experienced in the life insurance business,
could in three weeks, or about that time,
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