nce Company?"

"I intend to bring out the facts, particularly as to the New York Life,
the Mutual Life, and the Equitable Life; and, so far as in my power
lies, as to every other life-insurance company in America that is
connected with the 'System.'"

"Are you actuated by any selfish motives--gain, revenge, or friendly
interest in certain life-insurance companies or banks or trust
companies?"

"My only interest is to perform a duty in righting a startling wrong,
and I would not undertake the terrible task if I could possibly avoid
it."

"I am sent to ask you these questions, to find out whether, if you are
only seeking to serve the policy-holders, and the insurance companies
can absolutely prove to you that your making public your facts will
cause terrible destruction to policy-holders' interests, you will
consent to forego the life-insurance branch of your story?"

"I know the facts. I have calmly, and I believe intelligently, reviewed
the effects of their being given to the world, and have concluded that
the damage to policy-holders and the people would, in any circumstances
or conditions, be greater because of my not doing what I have decided to
do than by my doing it. Therefore I will not in any circumstances
consent to stop until I have laid before the world those things I
consider it should know."

"Well and good. Let me show you what you are up against. The Equitable,
the New York Life, and Mutual Life Insurance Companies, and their
affiliated institutions and individuals, are to-day by all odds the
greatest power in the world, greater by all odds than any power that
can possibly be gathered together from those outside themselves, a power
so great that the effort of no man nor party of men outside themselves
can possibly prevail against their wishes."

"Stop where you are for a minute," I answered, "and let me run over to
you what I know I am up against, and then you can judge whether I
appreciate the difficulties of my task:

"First, the three companies I have named have absolute possession of
property and money in the form of assets of over $1,000,000,000--more
than half the combined assets of all the insurance companies of
America--and indirectly, through their affiliated institutions, of an
additional sum, the aggregate of which is much greater than the assets
of all the national banks of America and the great financial
institutions of Europe, such as the Banks of England, France, and
Germany. The