Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-20
KELSEY MAY RESIGN
His Friends Think He Ought to
Leave Office.
BOW TO WILL OF HUGHES
Senate Will Put Him Out if He Does
Not Resign.
GOVERNOR TO ASK REMOVAL
New York Executive to Send Mes.
sage to Legislature for Dismissal Of
Superintendent of Insurance.

superintendent OF insurance Messy are en-
deavoring to have him save them from be-
| ing placed in the position of being opposed
| to the governor. They would like to have
| him resign before the governor can send
his message to the senate asking that body
! to remove him. They don't believe that he
will make up his mind to do that.
| Gov. Hughes may send to the senate to-
! day the first message asking for the re-
| moval Of a state superintendent Of insur-
ance since Gov. Cornell asked the senate
! to remove State Superintendent of Insur-
i ance John F. Smythe Friends of Mr. KEEL
| sey had hoped that the governor would
| delay sending the message for a day or two.
but they now recognize that even before
| Mondays celebrated inquiry he had con-
WINGED himself that Mr.. Kelsey should
| sign. The purpose of the inquiry was
| merely to acquaint every else of the
incapacity of Mr.. Kelsey to take charge
of such an important branch of the state
| government as the insurance department.
No Doubt of Removal.
| Senatorial friends of Mr. Kelsey say that
| there is no doubt that, after the governors
message has been read, if it ever comes to
| a vote, Mr.. Kelsey will be removed. They
do not enjoy the situation at all. They
think he should save the appearance Of
clashing with the governor. They feel
| that he is asking too much in expecting
them to vote against his removal after
what he has confessed They say that a
vote against removal cannot be construed
by the people being other than vote
of confidence in Bob Hunter and Chief Elk
aminer Isaac L. Vanderpoel and the other
insurance department attaches who permit
ted the conditions revealed by the Arm
strong committee to continue.
When the message is received in the SEN
ate Mr. Kelseys friends hope that it will
be referred to the judiciary committee.
However friends of Gov. Hughes believe
that it will be referred to the committee of
| matter that should be considered by the en-
tire senate. There will be no taking of
testimony, no hearing or no examination Of
affairs of the department.
Kelsey's Admissions.
The senators have the stenographic re-
port of Mr.. Kelseys admissions made to
| the governor. That is all there is to 1t
There is not an expectation that the senate
will act at once in the matter. That body
has a reputation for being a deiberative
body. 1t will want the message and the
stenographic minutes taken before the gov
ernor printed. so that 1t Is not likely any
thing will be done before next week.
Frinds of Mr.. Kelsey say this will give
him the opportunity they want hin. to avail
prevail upon him to do So 1t Is known
that had 1t not been for Representative
James w. Wadsworth, ST., Mr.. Kelsey
would have rendered his resignation to the
governor, and now that 1t Is a foregone
conclusion that he will be removed they
| think Representative Wadsworth should
advise him there Is nothing to be gained in
having the matter go to vote.
1t is known that Senator John Raines at
present feels the weight and responsibility
of leadership more than he has ever done
before. While he wants % be in accord
with the governor, Senator Raines has
never felt it incumbent upon the republican
party to remove state officials because they
had retained untrustworthy subordinates.
Before Mr.. Kelsey was examined by the
Mr.. Kelsey in the latters office.
-. Self-Condemned.-
Although the governor had given Mr..
Kelsey until this morning to prepare a sup
Elementary statement in defense of his con-
duct and to the reasons why he had not
conducted his department on different lines
from other superintendent there was no
interest taken in the statement Mr.. Kelsey
would send. His friends realized that he
had condemned himself by his answers and
that nothing further from him would help.
But Mr.. Kelsey sent his statement to the
governor, and it is as follows:
II received copy of the stenographer's
minutes of todays hearing at S:3j o'clock
this evening, and in response to your direc-
proceeded at once to submit the following
memoranda in regard to the subjects con-
corning which you Intercepted me. In the
limited time permitted it may not be pos
sible for me to cover the scope of the in
quiry as fully as I desire.
Just prior to my assuming Office the
San Francisco confagration occurred.
soon found the necessity of having in the
examining force men familiar with the
affairs and methods of examinations of the
fire insurance companies. 1t seemed to me
that Mr.. Vanderpoel, owing to his long ex-
perience, was equipped for this urgent
work l was and am of the opinion that 1t
would have crippled the department to
spend time endeavoring to obtain some new
chief examiner while the necessity of as
pertaining fully the fire situation was so
important and imperative. I believe in this
respect and with regard to all the affairs
of the department generally, that my first
duty was to keep up the business of the
department and work out the mass of de-
tail required under the new laws so that
they might be fully and effectually en-
forced.
I'm view of the requirements of the
amended insurance law as to publicity and
detailed exhibits first appearing in the an
nual statements for 1905 it was my judg-
ment that the policyholders in the life in
surance companies would be protected and
the administration of the department safe
guarded"