New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1847-03-16
VOL. vi. NO. 400.

pensstons like insurance than that of the aborer out
OF health, or out Of work What is shipwreck to the
inerchsnt-what IL FIRE 10 the man of eststef They
have other ships. other houses they have and
money 10 bank al least they have health and hands
while even the Of these denied the abOfer pininE
Ia sickness unwilling idleness. Moreover, We
nave seen the mechanic and the merchant liable to
many kinds OF loss. beside shpwreck and ire equally
subject ~ the law OF asersge occurrence equally IN
certain 10 individual occurrence making the reward
81 their exertons uncertain But for these there
insurance When they fall on man, he is left 70 suffer
alone.
Let US suppose such system 10 be carried out II
shall embrace all the ordinary risks Of social life
l. Shipwreck 2. Fire g. Life 4. Loss 10 the mer.
chant and mechanic by failures the Frauds Of employ
eTs o. agents of buyers and sellers D. Loss in carriage
By land and D. Loss Of health and of employ ment 70
the mechanic and sborer. The associations might en-
brace only those Of the calling or they might take
In all pursuits and all risks Zach city and township
each county might have associations OF us
own. County mutual FIRE companies have thus been
very generally established in this State. BY system Of
mutual insurance thus generally established, embracing
sl cangs great fund. II WERE for the benefit Of
society, would be created fund 10 which none could
be said 70 contribute gratuitousy from which none but
the needy should be aided great reserve fund held in
readiness for the uncertain case Of want. We thus
have the mechanic. the aborer and the merchant
joined hand in hand In mutual protection against the
risks Of their calings; have the masses, above all
shielded from the most blghting evil OF the inequality
Of the human condition, the danger Of desttution we
have society united the basis Of mutual insurance.
This is admirable but why does the writer in
sinuate that his plan is not Fourierism We
can inform him that it is only not Fouriensm, be-
eause it is less perfect than the system Of social
guarantees long since prOpounded by the iustri-
Gus philosopher Of France. If he will look into
what Fourier has called the system Of Guarantee
ism, he will find his plan not only anticipated but
carried out into much greater completeness Of de
tail a fundamental principle OF Fourier is not to
destroy the existing order Of society," but TO modify it
and give it new adaptations. He proposes to do
away with existing institution that is really
good, but simply TO extend the application and
utility of the principle which renders it good
His whole philosophy rests upon this very doctrine
Of mutual assurance carried into all the relations
Of life, and 10 the business Of every individual
By the way, one Of the finest compliments that
could be paid to men is frequently paid to those
much despised Fourierites. When any plan for
extensive and permanent good 10 society is pro
posed, the authors caution the public not to ina
CINE that it is Fouriersm betrayng instnctiyey
their belief that Fourierism has very broad and
lofty aims. Thus the other day when the Coprier j.
Enquirer said that the New-York Society for the
Relief Of the Poor were about to put up unitary
dwellings for their better accommodation, it found
it necessary TO advertise the public that the plan
was not " Fourerism." Mrs. Farnham, too IN
her Annual Report, when defending the benevolent
and excellent reforms she has introduced into the
female department OF the Sing Sing Prison is per
ticular to repel the charge of Fouriersm. And
now this man who writes noby on the subject OF
Mutual Assurance takes occasion to hint that he
does not believe in Fourerism. Really, we shall
soon begin to think il we do not already that it is
the name and not the thing that men oppose