The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1911-01-05
SHOWS FALSITY OF ALLOF THEM
Declares that Denison and Others Push
ing Charges are Sore on Account of
Failure to Get Big Salaries From the
ordeEs


81
aicipal court and Consul of the Pike
Woods Camp of the Modern Woodmen
pf America has received from Head
Clerk D. w. Halves statement IN re-
gard to the charges recently filed
against the order by John d. Denison,
Jr., Of Dubuque, Iowa, which have caus-
sd great deal of uneasiness among
The members Of the order. This reply
10 these charges will be given to the
public in a formal manner within few
laws. In order that the Kenosha Wood
men may have this information the
statement Of the Head Clerk is given in
part as follows:
II desire to say that the officers of
Ehe Society have not been furnished
with copy Of these charges, and pre-
sumo will not be until after an investi-
gation is made by Hon. f. G. Potter,
superintendent Of Insurance of the
State of Illinois, Assuming, however,
khat the newspaper accounts of what
bhe charges contain are correct, gladly
take them up in their order and give
you the facts relating to the same, SO
Ear as they are known to me. Every
Neighbor is entitled to full knowledge
of the facts.
Charge No. l is that political infu-
ence has been brought to bear to throt-
tle thorough investigation into the af-
fairs of the Society. Superintendent
Potter has replied to this charge
through the columns of the Chicago
press, and is quoted as follows: He
denied any political influence has been
brought to bear upon his Office to take
d lenient stand against the officers and
directors of the Modern Woodmen of
America, and stated that as soon as he
received the report of his investigators
there would be hearing, at which ev-
cry one who had any matter to bring
10 his attention would be given q chance
to be heard.
1t would seem that the statement of
superintendent Potter is sufficient an
swer to the charge that any influence
was being brought to bear. / desire to
say further, however, that some time
ago there appeared in the public press
an article somewhat similar to the one
which has appeared recently, and the
Executive Council of the Society imme-
diately requested the Superintendent of
Insurance of Illinois to make thor
ough investigation of the Society, so
that the membership might know its ex-
act condition and how it's affairs are
being administered. This investigation
was started more than sixty days ago
under the supervision Of the Illinois de-
paitment and the Insurance Department
of the State of Virginia This report
has not been completed, and the officers
of the Society have no way of knowing
what it will contain; but, from my
knowledge of the Society's affairs, |
venture that it will show that the So,
ciety is in better condition than it has
been at any time during its entire his,
tory and that the charges referred to
are without foundation in fact.
The second charge is that an official
Cor of6cials) of the Society demanded
excess interest for himself on money de-
posted for the Society. Some time ago
the Executive Council sent to the Off
GERS OF every bank in which funds are
deposited, and asked for sworn state
ment as to whether or not any officers
OF the Society had demanded interest of
that bank other than the 2 per cent
which has been paid to the Society by
each of the banks, and also asked
whether or not any payment of any kind
has been made to any officer of the So
'ciety in return TO- the deposit. There
are Iow on file in the~Head Clerk IS Of
fee so that any member of the Society
may see them, affidavits, sweepingly cir
cumstantial and binding in form, signed
and sworn to by the officers of each
bank in which our funds are deposited,
certifying that no such payments have
been demanded or made, and that the
only sum which as been paid by the
bank, either directly or Indirectly, is
the 2 per cent interest, paid directly
to and becoming part of the funds of
the Society.
The third charge is that the directors
have purchased $2,50OO00 worth of
bonds, when by law they were only au-
thorized to purchase 100000 worth. I
call your attention to Section 144 of the
Bylaws adopted in 1908 and now in
force, which reads as follows:
All moneys held by this Society be-
longing to the Benefit fund, except such
amouIyt as may be necessary to pay
current liabilities against the Society
from month to month, shall be invested
by the Executive Council in United
States, state, county. municipal, town
ship, or school bonds, legally issued
Such bonds, or securities, may be con-
verted into cash for the Benefit fund
when, in the judgment Of the Execu-