sm sentimental benevolence gets little
place. The common sentiments of humanity and appreciation of
responsibility admonish one in moderate circumstances or
even in affluence to invite the co-operation of others in
providing for those dependent upon the individual hazard of
life and fortune. Life insurance has come to be a sacred
thing. It is the substantial token and expression of
responsibility which a reasonable man dying leaves to those
dependent upon him. I so wrote Mr. McCall, and told him that
if the head of a great institution like the New York Life
Insurance Company would be guilty of such perfidy as charged
by you, the organization which would retain him in a
position of responsibility was undeserving of confidence or
patronage.

[Illustration: PHOTOGRAPH OF JOHN A. MCCALL'S REPLY TO H. C. DERAN, THE
POLICYHOLDER WHO HAD ASKED FOR A DENIAL OF MR. LAWSON'S CHARGES.]

I enclose for your inspection Mr. McCall's reply. This is
doubtless a sample of the sort of campaign waged throughout
the country by the "System."

I enclose stamped envelope for the return of the McCall
letter, as I purpose continuing the correspondence until I
force him to an issue.

You will observe the very palpable evasion of the issue. I
asked him if the details of the transaction described in
_Everybody's_, in which the New York Life Insurance figured
conspicuously, were true. He answered by saying that he made
money out of the trust company venture and retired. The fact
that New York Life money is so deposited as to suit the
convenience of the "System" in its heads--I win, tails--you
lose, operation, is a matter which has escaped the attention
of the astute financier. I have written him further, calling
his attention to the fact that his letter conveys no
information not heretofore made public in circular but that
my inquiry was directed to the particular transaction
alluded to in _Everybody's_, and requesting a flat
affirmation or denial.

Trusting that these facts may be of assistance to you, I am,

Yours very truly,
(Signed) H. C. DERAN.

I shall spare my readers the enclosures. They were newspaper slips,
printed on fairly thick paper, reproduced from unknown publications, and
obviously put forth to discredit me by implication. One, headed "A
Fr