The Tupelo journal. (Tupelo, Miss.) 1876-1924, 1909-09-24
Tupelo. Miss. Sept. 13, %.
Nv Dear Colonel:

Through your courtesy |
received The Meridian Evening
Star in which appeared your
communication on "The Suit
against the Insurance Compa
nies," and also a very able edi
ltorial from the standpoint of the
Insurance Companies and agents.
by the editor of that paper.N
Thinking you would have an
opportunity to vindicate yourself
before the country in the trial of
the case against you | thought |
would make no reply to your
paper, but having been informed
today that you had persuaded
the Attorney General and the
| District Attorney to dismiss the
case as to yourself and your home
company l will now attempt to
relieve your mind of some of the
matters that seem to be troub-
ling you:-
| The editor of the Star says
your contribution is an i'm
portant one, as Illuminating the
whole question for popular un-
derstanding." l will give you
an opportunity to illuminate a
little more. You were k i n d
enough to make frequent use Of
my name in your contribution,
and | will first attempt to disa-
buse your mind as to some, as |
think, erroneous impressions you
nave Of me. l am sorry and sur.
orised that | need do this to one
who has known me for about
fifty years and should be ac-
| quainted with my upright walk
and spotless life for that time.
but you seem to have become
suspicious of even me. This may
be due to business in which you
are engaged, or the kind of peo-
pie you are associated with in
that business. You even reflect
on my patriotism and my cour-
age and seem to doubt my ad-
miration for and sympathy with
you. Now / have always con-
sidered my patriotism and my
courage my long suits, and my
admiration for you is unbound
ed and my sympathy with you
is constantly overfowing.
You say 'it does seem that no
patriotic Mississippian would
have instituted suit and attempt
ed :. to- d estroy. the only fire in
surance company in the state,
without first satisfying himself
Of it's wrong doings, without
having any proof against it, he
should have presumed it inno-
cent.
While | helped to prepare the
bill in this case the names Of the
defendants were gotten up and
inserted by one cf my associates
in whom | had full confidence. |
lid not know who was put in and
who was left olt wnen the bill
was filed. Since then however,
| have examined into your case
and am of the opinion you and
your company are guilty and |
will give you my reasons for this
opinion later on. No, Colonel |
do not think / am deficient in
patriotism. My connection with
this prosecution is due to what
l think is my patriotism. am
a native Mississippian, | love the
state and | have always sought
to uphold her honor, her laws
and her prestage, and | am
against all who give cause for
reproach or reflection on her
good name and who deliberately
violate the laws or who treat
with contempt h e statutes.
They never get rich and power
full enough to do this with my
consent. / trust | have disa-
bused your mind as to my want
of patrio tism. J.
| Again you say mo wonder
that Mr.. Allen who was a large
suockholder in the Mississippi
Fire Association, fastened to get
his money out and quit the fire
insurance business, but Private
John should have sympathy if
not admiration for his neighbors