The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-02-07
He Wants Governor johnson to
Take Hand in Insurance
Elections.
IoWA's GOVERNOR DIDN'T
JUMP AT OPPORTUNITY
Gov. johnson Himself Already OF
Record Inferentially as OPP
posing Plan.

Thomas Lawson, the avenger, his pub
Usher, his press agents, his private car
and, last, but not least, his large bale of
life insurance proxies arrived in st.
Paul today.
The nemesis Of frenzied fnanciers be-
lieves that in securing the proxies he
has provided policyholders a large ugly
club with which they can smash graft
in the general offices Of the Insurance.
companies involved. But who shall
WELD the club7
! It is to answer this question that
Lawson has assembled all his appliances
for speed and persuasion and is calling
on various governors. He is offering
them the club. Yesterday at Des MONIES
he proffered the mighty weapon to Gov
ernor A. B. Cummins, who took tho
Bostonian to fine lunch and said he'd
think it over and talk it over with his
compere, johnson of Minnesota. This
same Governor johnson only few days
ago told how Lawson had asked the
western governors assembled at Chicago
to assume the proxies and to take
hand in the insurance company elections
for the purpose Of enforcing the choice
Of honest men. At that time Governor
Johnson said the offer was declined;
the governors were willing to concede
the power Of the club, but they thought
somebody, else should handle it.
Nothing daunted, the Boston hornet
is now seeing the governors individ-
ually.
A Battle of Proxies.
I have proxies right now to give me
voting control of the New York Life
and the Mutual Life" declared Mr..
| Lawson in st. Paul today. s'The COM
panies have. sent secret circulars TO
agents urging them to get all the
| proxies they can. If they can It get the
| proxies they are to tell the policyhold-
ers to come to the meeting, SO Lawson
can't get it.
tsI have met that move. have sent
out circular urging everybody tdeome
to the meeting and not to give any more
proxies. want to get about $4,000
| or $4,000 men down there where we can
! talk to them. have.one committees
selected and they will put their trust in
that committee. That New York Life
/ meeting April Z will be great meet
! ing and SO will the Mutual, June IA =
Mr.. Lawson called On Governor John
son at the capitol at 2 CLOCK and
urged him not to withdraw from the
committee representing .policyholders,;
/ was not trying to force the governors
/ into task of Collecting proxies.
Mr.. Lawson arrived from Das Moines
at 10 O'Clock over the Rock Island and
/ stayed in his private car, Iolanthe, in
the st. Paul union depot wards.
His private secretary, Edward
insolvency, started out to find Cover
nor johnson. The governor did not ar
! rive from Austin till noon, and went
right to the capitol, where at o clock
Mr.. McSweeney reached him and made
the appointment for 2 O'Clock. Mr..
Lawson leaves for Chicago at 6 o CLOCK
and goes on from there to Washington.
I What His Plan Is.
"My idea is that the time has come
when the system can be cracked on
the head hard" said Mr.. Lawson to
4 The Journal. 1.-THE policyholders
have the right to control, and If they
assert it in the coming meetings they
can enforce congratulations. I would
have the proxies voted by COMMITTEES
of representative men, men with no
strings on, like your governor. They
will choose an auditing committee and
indictments would follow inside Of
thirty days. My rogram includes res
toration, punishment and reorganiza-
. tion.''