The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-08
OR, CONWELLANSVERS M'CABE
DISTANCE HOUSECLEANING rs
NECESSARY, he WRITES.

VAnntnK OupNANN
Methodist BishOp-Letters From state
commissioner Supporting PslicyhOId-
ere. Movement In tho Mutual Life.
-. Rev. DR.. Russell H. Conwell, pastor
Grace Baptist Church Of Philadelphia,
O..s,dent Of Temple College and ono Of
~ leading men in the Baptist Church,
S.s written a letter to Congressman
Nicholas Longworth, secretary Of the
International policyholders' committee
.Tnressing his views on the proposition
"a alactina new boards Of trustees for
-. Mutual and New York Life insurance
.ornanies. The letter was made public
-.atarday at the headquarters Of the inter-
.st;onal committee, 30 Broad street.
Or, Conwell's views do not coincide with
,Ao.s Of Bishop Charles G. McCabe Of the
Methodist Episcopal Church, who recon-
landed that the international committee
indorse the administration tickets OF the
two big mutual companies and who wa
Aropped on Thursday from membership In
m. policyholders' committee. DR.. Conwen
vss one Of Bishop McCabe's associates on
,he International organization. DR.. Con-
vail in his letter, which is dated from Phila-
d.lphia on September s, says:
II any expression Of my individual vie s
concerning the election Of q new board of
trustees nv the policyholders Of the Mutual
and New York Life can be Of value l need
on,y 10 say that the administration nominees
ar. unknown to me personally. and that II l
Al know them intimately / would not trust
NV own impressions Of them. however favor
able they were.
W. know that there are millions Of dollars
under their control; We know by most start
ling and recent examples that men whose
s,anding in church and society Ia OF the best
are sometimes dishonest n can be bought
Nth millions, and we know that a vast army
~ widows and orphans will depend wholly on
the insurance funds. Their efore 1t is a plain
duty to do even extraordinary things to keep
the sacred fund intact. The only way to be
.haolutely sure that the companies are doing
business honestly amid all these suspicious
and criticisms is to make such a complete
change as will make a full and accurate ac-
counting a necessity. A new board Of equally
honorable and capable men would receipt for
nothing they were to be responsible for with
out careful scrutiny.
There seems to be no other way to settle the
scandals for the best good Of the companies
and for the absolute safety Of the policy
holders. RUSSELL IL. CoNwELL.
DR.. Conwell attended the meeting Of the
committee on Thursday at which Bishop
McCabe was voted out. and it is understood
that he delivered n OF the strongest
speeches Of the meeting in favor OF ousting
tie present manaRements OF the companies.
The Mutual Life Policyholders' Associ-
alton. which cooperated with the inter
national organization in naming a policy
holders ticket for the Mutual Life, made
public Yesterday two letters written by
State insurance commissioner in support
Of the movement against the present man
aeements. The officers of the association
said that they had similar letters from
several other commissioners and would
give them out later.
The publication Of these letters is a come
back at President Peabody Of the Mutual
for having given out a letter written by
the chairman Of the Iowa legislative COM
mission lndorsing the present management
out yesterday was from W. d. Vandiver,
Superintendent Of Insurance in Missouri.
Mr.. Vandiver says:
shall he glad to give your association
such assistance and announcement as l
may be able TO do in a proper way. as l be-
lieve II IL organized for the purpose Of bring
ing about a change in the management OF
the company in the interest Of the policy
holders. do not believe that the trustees
under whose mana cement the recent scandals
were allowed TO grow up ought to expect TO
be able to restore the confidence OF policy
holders and the insuring public; and the
fact that the present officers Of the company
seem to be still opposing with all their power
and influence the Inauguration OF important
reforms recommended by the ArmstronG
committee still further emphasizes the need
for a more complete house cleaning.
The second letter was written by James
r. Young, COMMISSIONS OF North Caro-
lima. He expresses himself as being in full
sympathy with the movement. He says:
II is very evident TO my mind that the
management Of the din rent companies must
be changed before they can expect to have
the confidence Of the public.
There was a meeting Of the executive
committee Of the international orRaniza-
ton yesterday at which plans for the com
ing campaign against the companies were
mapped out in greater detail. Persons
who attended Thursdays meeting OF the
committees refused yesterday to give any
sort Of a line on the men nominated. II IL
understood, though, that one or two mem.
bers Of the Mutual Life Po~licyholders
Association a v been named on the policy
holders" ticket for that company.
None OF the member OF the i~nternationa
committee will appear on either the Mutua
or New York Life ticket. They pledged
themselves when the committee was or
ganized not to run on the tickets which they
were to name. II is understood that the
naming Of one or two members OF the MI
tual Life P~olicyholders' Association wa
by way OF a compromise to prevent ths
appearance OF a third p~olicyholders' tickle