The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1870-06-30
MINOR TOPICS.


The Reinsurance decision in the Court
of Common Pleas, the other day, sustalns
well-understood rule, and one that il es-
sential to the safe management OF bust
ness which offers 20 fraud peculiar tempta-
tons and facilities The holder Of q pol
icy issued by the Mutual Benefit Life Ill
lowed the time for the payment OF re
newal premium 10 pass; he was advised oi
the lapse, and Of the necessity for prompt
payment 10 save the policy, and still did
not pay: finally, several months after date,
he rendered payment by u remittance,
which the agents, in obedience to positive
instructions, refused to receive, unless ac-
companied by medical certificate, show
ing the individual to be in good health.
Meanwhile he died, and it was then aSCer.
tanned that he had long suffered from
consumption and that the tardy trans
mission Of the premium took place when
early death had become certain. The
Company properly refused to pay the in
suranCe. Its liability, was, however,
twice affirmed iudicially, but on appeal
Judge Woodruff reversed the decision,
and declared the Company not liable. His
judgment covers the equity Of the case.
A life insurance policy Is u contract, which
the insured, rs well as the Company, is
bound 10 respect. ..| .n.'... .....I
PROTECTION AGAINST CHARGE OF INSANITY
Should there not be some effective leg
islation in regard 10 tho methods of cstab-
fishing the fact Of insanity, and providing
for the custody and treatment Of lunatiCs?
We frequently hear Of some outrageous
invasion Of individual rights, often exceed
ing in their horrid details, the graphic re-
latiOns of Charles Reade. Quite recently
VIC gave an account Of q man in PhiladGl-
phiR, who had been imprisoned by a
brother in an obscure room, for eighteen
years. without the slightest legal authori-
ty. 1t TRANSFERRED that although week
minded, he was harmless, and that he had
been treated with such cruelty, that under
It, sane man would have been likely tOl
lose his mind. Since then VIC have learn
cd Of still more aggravated case A
merchant of Cleveland, Ohio, was several
years ago made the victim Of conspiracy
by his wife and mother-in.law, and by
means of perjured witnesses pronounced
insane. He was confined in the Slate
Lunatic Asylum for nearly two years, Mt
tho end Of which time lie escaped and
took refuge with relatives in Connecticut.
He established his perfect sanity, and re-
turned TO Cleveland to find his property
almost all gOne;-by Il compromise with
his flithleSs wife securing portion of 1t
anda divorce. He is now once more sue
cessfully engaged in business, and has
married again. Surely the laws under
which such Outragcs as these are possible,
ought to be revised, and some reliable
guarantees to personal liberty enacted.
THE COMING CELEsTIALs.
The Chinese problem may be precipita-
ted upon us sooner thNn we had antiCipR-
ted. The experiment recently made in
Massachusetts Of introducing Chinese OPP
eratives in manufacturing hus stirred up
much feeling all over the country in the
various trades. Meetings have been held,
speeches made, and resolutions adopted,
resembling in their general character the
demonstrations which took place on the
same subject in California. As yet, no
indications OF intended violence have been
given, but it is certain that strong an
tagonism is being developed. The Super
intendent of the Alabama d Chattanooga
Railroad, now being constructed, having
concluded that the experiment of employ |
ing negro labor was failure, contracted
with KOOpmanschaap d Co., OF San Fran |
cisco, for 1900 Chinese laborers to be for
warted at once. This, Of course, will
arouse the jeasous hostility Of the freed
men, and, in connection with the similar
feeling at the North, may turn strong
current Of prejudice against the MongO. |
lian. 1t would be curious il the latter
should take the place so long occupied by
the negro as an element of political dis
cord. r...| .' ...I. .
now THEY CARRY ELECTIONS IN San
FRANCISCO. ~ o..
They have way Of managing elections
III California, which is peculiar, to say the
least The citizens Of San Francisco were
recently called upon to decide by ballot
for or against proposition to grant a |
subsidy Of one million dollars to the South
ern Pacific Railroad. When the votes
were counted it was found that the pro-
position was defeated by q majority Of l24 |
Ia total vote of over nine thousand. The |
friends of the measure, determined not to
bc thus beaten, appealed to the Board Of
Supervisors which, by all accounts, must
be a body nearly as inscriptions rs was
the similar Board-for a recount. This
was ordered, and the result was Q report
that the subsidy had been carried by six
ty-two majority! 1t is openly alleged
that sufficient number Of votes were
changed after the first count and before |
the second to produce the desired result.
San Francisco is an entGrprising city, and
at this rate Of progress will soon be cnti-
tied 10 Ring.
PROTECTION AOAINsT RAILROAD MO-
p, NoPOLY ..-.....
What is to be the final result Of the
process of railroad consolidation which |
has been going on in the United Bates
for several years! 1t is not to be denied
that the interests of the travelling public
are best served, so far rs comfort and speed
are concerned, by tho organization OF
great through lines; but it is questionable
Il that advantage is not more than coun-
ter.balnnced by the disregard OF local in
tcrcsts and rights which is sure to follow
these great combinations When Origi
nRlly built, most OF the railroads were
short lines, and obtained valuable fran
chises in consideration Of anticipated local
advantages. In many cases the right OF
wav WINS granted for much less Than they
were really worth; it was often donated
outright BY owners along the routes, upon
the implied consideration that the
roads would be valuable means Of
local development, in which both the
roads and the owners should per-
petu0lly participate, BY consolidation,
that contract is necessarily violated, and
through traffic and travel are always