The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1867-11-07
) For the advertiser

For the Advertiser.
Eds. AdtersiseS.-The business Of In
surance has become within the few past
years, enc of great magnitude and i'm
portance. It is founded on solid and
generous principles, and can hardly fail
to meet with commentator If rightly
! understood and rightly conducted. The
general principle Is nothing but band
ing together ola large number of individ-
uals, who each pays small sum into a
general treasury for the purpose OF, in
some measure, making good the losses of
those who are so unfortunate as to be
sufferers from fire. Each man pays his
percentage for the purpose of securing
himself from loss in case Of fire. II his
neighbours house burn down, he in a
measure assists him to rebuild it, and if
his own suffer from a like cause, his
neighbors, and those who have paid in
their percentage, pay each small sum
for the purpose of repairing his loss,
which he may be unable to sustain him
self. There can certainly be no objec-
ton to this mutual protection, and COM
petition in the business is so great rs to
insure the people that the companies
will charge the lowest percentage that
will enable them to continue business.
The object of insurance companies is to
make up to their patrons all honest loss
es, out of this mutual fund so raised and
paid in. fla company is unable from
their ruinous low rates or want Of capt.
tai to do this, they had better at once re-
tire from the field, and not bring disre-
pute Oh the business by their dishonora-
BILE practices. When an agent ofa COM
pany personally visits 4 risk before
ipsuring, and estimates the value of the
property to be insured, and takes his
percentage, and after it has been de-
stroyed by fire, refuses to pay the
amount for which he has insured it, he
or his company is guilty of extortion, if
not robbery. But we have heard of a
case less than one hundred miles from
Upton, which was even worse than
this. They not only refuse to pay the
mau's honest loss, but try to impeach
and ruin his character. instead OF try
ing to compensate in some measure for
the sufierings of him whose money they
have pocketed and whose family has
been thrown out of house and home,
they are standing on the street corners
canvassing his private character. If a
man is going to insnre in such compa-
ny he had first better join church, and
busy himself collecting testimonials to
his general morality. Otherwise he will
stand small chance in the hands of
these highly moral gentlemen, who
have taken his hard earned money, and
now propose to give him i'm return moth
ing but u bad name.
Gentlemen, have a care to what com
pany you intrust your property, or your
house may burn down over your de-
fenseless heads, and while you are inn
ploring shelter for yourself and little
ones these new-iashioncd philanthro-
pists will be pecking at your character,
as the vultures of the wilderness peek
at the dead body OF the traveller We
are happy to say, however, that cases OF
dishonorable dealing among our insu-
rance companies are rare, and that most
of them have both a good name for hon.
esty of purpose, and the wherewithal to
compensate the unfortunate.