Smyrna times., 1868-10-21
Life Insurance.


Life Insurance is system that enables any
person in good .health to ensure the payment |
of any sum Of money at future time. He |
may make the money payable to himself upon |
his reaching specified age, or he may make it |
payable after his death to his widow, his child |
or children, his mother, his father, his sister, |
or any other relative or friend that he chooses
to name in the agreement. To ensure this
payment all he has to do is to pay small sum
annually during his life, or annually for spe-
cited term of years. This system not only has
many of the valuable advantages Of well con
Quoted Saving Funds but has some that no
Saving Fund can afford. The small amounts
paid in go on increasing into large sums, as
they do in the best Savings Banks, by the ac-
cumulatiOn Of principal and interest; but the
life Insurance company does what no Saving
Bank undertakes to do. While the bank never
agrees to pay back more than theAmOunt de-
posted with interest, the Life Insurance com
pany pays large sum, $1,000 $4,000 or $l0,-
600 according to agreement) even if it has
received no more than $50, $50, or 500, or
whatever the first premium may be, if the per-
son insured happens to die immediately after
! getting out his insurance. 1t is enabled to do
this, because while an occasional Individual
may die and does die Immediately after being
insured, the great majority of those insured
live longer, or live out what has been ascertain
ed to be the Grerage duration Of human life
! in this country.
In the words of Benjamin Franklin, "a poll
cy of life insurance is the cheapest and safest
mode of making a certain provision for one 5
family. No man, who has no other income
than his salary, or the proceeds of his own
daily labor, and who has family or relatives
or friends dependent on him for support, should
be without a policy of Life Insurance. While
he is in health, they are reasonably safe, but
he may be deprived of both health and life in
a single day. Then the means of livelihood of
those dependent on him are gone. His labor
was his only estate for both him and his family,
and that passes away with his life. For such
persons, Life Insurance Is not only the cheap
est and surcst means for making provision
for those left behind in case Of death, but it is
the only certain means. To those who have
no families or dependents, and who have no
fortunes or future resources, it is the best and
surest way to accumulate the means for com-
Portable support in old age.
When people are in good health they do MT
think earnestly on these matters They rely
too much upon their health, and suppose that
such matters are not intended for them; but
they should reflect that it is only while they
: are in in good health that they can effect in
surance on their lives at all. When sickness
comes, their chance to make this valuable pro
; vision for themselves and their families gone
How many a sCrrowful heart is found upon the
death bed, in the deepest affiiction at the
thought that wife -chidrcn-family- -all-wil
be left without means, without support, wheT
: he, the head Of the family, shall have his eyes
! closed in death. No human words can express
the anguish that is felt on these sad occasions
The dying man may be at peace with all hi
} fellow men-may have made his peace with
Heaven; but still the dreadful thought of thC
helpless dependence of his wife and children
will force itself into his mind and wiring hi
/ heart. The world is at an end for him, bu
: they are still to be left to the mercies of tht
: world. 1t is in aleviating this most painful o
! all reflections to dying man who has been
. kind husband and loving father that the sys
TEN Of providing for them by Life Insurance
t finds one of its most beniicent uses.
As to the principles of the system they ar
) beyond dispute. More than a hundred year
y of successful operation of sOundy cOnducte
1 Life Insurance Companies in this country an
y in Europe have demonstrated that the foun
d dation principles of the system are mathemati
y caly true. 1t is no longer necessary to argu
i them The company that bases its Life lnsur
/ ance transactions on these principles, as dc
IS monstrated and established by long experience
/ and is at the same time directed by well knowr
IL able and careful men, of approved integrit
u and standing in the community, may be regarC
~ ed, as far as human wisdom can toreSee, as
l' safe trustee tor the man who desires to see h
family secured against poverty and distress
IN the event of his death. 1t will thus be see
1' that the question of the wisdOm and advantag
a of Lite Insurance is narrowed down to que
as ton of the principles on which the Drecto
= Of company transact their business, and tt
re integrity and ability of the Directors then
selves These are the important points, bl
e. they are fortunately such as the great body
III the people can form judgment upon after
a little inquiry and reflection. Be sure that yo1
IT. company is established on sound basis, al
e that its Directors are men Of responsibility al
high character and there can be no safer i
Yestment than a policy of life Insurance.