Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1855-09-08
LIFE INSURANCE.

issued by the North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance
Company containing their Sixth Annual Report
The subject of Life Insurance is well and strongly
presented in these remarks, which are from the pen
of R. II. Battle, Esq, one of the Executive Com
nittee of the Company:
The nature of Life Insurance is not always under
stood. 1t is not to insure against death, but against
the unhappy consequences of DEATH should the head
of the family die and leave those dearest to him de-
pendent upon relatives friends, public charity.
Viewed in this light there can be no more moral
wrong in Life Insurance than in Insurance against
fire dangers at sea, and objects to insuring
his house or his shi 2.
PERSONS INSURE. =
One of the first and strongest motives to act in the
affairs of life, is desire for pecuniary profit. The
money which man pays, each year, on Life In
conducted on the Mutual system, will yield
greater profit than any other regular business
For example, A, twenty years of age, insures his
life for years. for s., 0OO He will pay pre-
MUM of $1l 20 each year. Should he die at the
end of the first year, his family will receive $1,000,
for which he will have paid only $l1 90 Should
he die at the end of the seven years. he will have
paid $83 %, (premium and interest," and his family
will receive 81, 000 Every sound man, then, with
an income of 500 per year, or even less, from his
property his labor, has it in his power for the
small sum of 81 20 per year, to leave his family
protected against want, at his death, should he die
during the years. Should he survive the sew,
years, he may, by industry and economy, during
the want of assistance from any quarter The as
surance against the risk he has is surely cheap
at 81 20 per year. And here is strong motive
for economy. A. would surely be anxious to save
$11 20 year out Of his wages, if, by so small a
sum he could secure to his family, in the event of
his DEATH a competent provision against restitution.
If A wishes to secure q certain provision tor his
family at his death, he has only to insure for his
whole life; then he will pay $40 40 per year for
life, and his family will receive the $1,000 at his
DEATH whether it occurs at the end of one year or
of thirty years All sums from 500 to S., 600 are
assured at the same rates; the same remarks will
apply to them ALL
Another motive for Life Insurance, under this
head is the security it furnishes against the changes
of fortune. In country like this, good men
subjected to great reverses in business. Pros
porous for few years-when the laying aside few
hundred dollars year would not be felt-they
perience, perhaps, one of those sudden calamities
which even the wise cannot always avoid and their
fortunes, and their hopes of ever rising again. are
completely wrecked If now, he has provided, in a
Life Insurance Company, against those breakers
ahead" he will feel that he has done much to lessen
the severity of the blow to those who sharers in
his earthly lot. For there is something on which
they can depend, should he be taken from them
second motive for Life Insurance is found in the
moral duty which every man owes to himself, to
provide far he can. against the natural effects
of excessive concerning temporal affairs, which
goes far to draw away the mind from those moral
and religious exercises indispensable to its high
est Improvement and happiness. This object is
most surely accomplished when he has invested his
gains, or part of them, in Mutual Life Insurance
Company where all care of them is taken by others
equally interested with himself in their proper man
agement. A third motive for Life Insurance may
be found in the moral duty which every man who is
expects to become the head of family, owes to
that family to insure his life to such amount
his means will enable him, and their position in life
demands. The temptations to which want exposes
all who are dependent upon the labor or gains of
the head of the family, when that head is removed
Ill ok oIo
fear of this dreadful want in regard to their children
to give them just that protection against this fearful
foe to their peace and virtue, which it is the express
object of Life Insurance to give. In this connexion
there is point of view in which Life Insurance
assumes national Importance involving questions
of patriotism, morality and religion. A young man
full of health, industry and energy prepared by in
clination and habit, and fitted by capacity moral
and intellectual to fill all the requirements of his
station in life as useful citizen and an honorable
man, finds himself so limited in his means, so
cramped in his energies, so held back and borne
down by poverty and its cares, its want of friends
and its want of credit that he is unable to answer
one of the main purposes of his being" to multiply
and replenish the earth and to take that only
truly honorable position in life-the honored head
of a worthy family. But Life Insurance comes to
his aid, removes every obstacle, and smooths his
way to usefulness, to honor, and to happiness. 1t
gives him money, friends credit, and removes all
fear of his ability to support his family and leave
them in comfortable circumstances in the event of
his death before he has secured their independence
by his labor.
If he can make fifty dollars year, above his
penses, he can assure to his family So, 600 at his
death paying $35 40, year, (half cash and half
note) if he insures for life, and $40 year if he in
sures for seven years; paying more if his age is
greater, he insures for larger
APPLICATION OF LIFE INSURANCE TO DIFFERENT STA
TIoNS IN LIFE
To insure a family against want at the death of
he parent is the most general made of Life In
;urance; but the cases in which it may be advan.
ageously employed are numerous the circum-
stances in the lives of individuals are various.
A creditor, anxious about the life of his debtor, !
nay insure the debtors life. In that the credi
or receives the full amount of his debt in the event
If the debtors death before payment.
An individual fair prospect of improving
lis circumstances by entering upon hazardous
enterprise but it requires his personal skill and at
enton should he die, his family may not be able |
to conclude it. By Life Insurance, he |
ecures by small part of his annual gains, sup
'ort to his family, should his enterprise fail in
sequence of his death. |
A farmer rents land for his own life Should he !
lie, the support of his family would be gone. A |
mall part of his gains applied to insuring his life |
will secure to his family the means of buying an
ther farm.
An individual has wife, aged parent, an in
ant child, old domestic depending on him for
Import. A small sum paid annually for the in
urance of his own life, will such wife, parent
hid or domestic from want after his death.
Every mechanic, earning by his industry two
hree hundred dollars year, may leave a comforta-