The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1875-12-08
Big Talk aud Little Deeds.
Important judicial Decision in Favc
of "Half-Loan'' Policy Holders.
Agents Unintentionally Have Mislead
Their Friends.

We present below the able article of
Col. A. P. Butler, in reply to &. w.
Darlington, President Of the Piedmont
& Arlington life insurance company.
It will be noticed that the Colonel deals
in facts, and discusses the question upon
its merits, and it will also be observed
that he does not condesccnd to the Use
of ill-mannered epithcts.
II the policy holders have no rights,
and the company is allowed to go on
confiscating their money, is il any Won
der that the company can publish brag-
ying advertisements of the large
$amounts of its assets, Which have
sheen wrung from our poor people while
being induced to follow the ghost OF
money which would never materializc.
What satisfaction is there to the policy
holder to know that the company is
rich. when it withholds from him his
rights?
Notice, will you, how the company
discriminateS One man gets his dues,
another gets half, and great many get
nothing.
Our people make mistake in going
into an investment that they know
nothing of, and in taking stock in con-
Germ of which they can have no control.
I'VE sre of opinion that they will soon
aearn that they have wasted their mon
ey, and will no longer contribute their
money to these heartless corporations
AS public journalist, we feel it our
duty to maintain the interests of our
citizens against humbugs and decep-
tions of all kinds. Personally we have
nothing against Mr.. Darlington, and
know nothing of him eXcepFhis official
acts. We speak against the business of
life insurance just in the same way we
guard our people against lightning rods,
we'll pumps, guanos, &c, upon prlncl-
pie, leaving out any personal feeling
towards any of the agents.
From the Edgefield Advertiser, Nov.
29th, 1875.
Col. ": C. Cttrringto,s, President Pied
mont and Idrlington Life Insurance
Company.
DEAR Sir, am requested, as Chair
man of several Of your Policy Holders,
to reply to certain points in your Card
of the 10th inst, especially to those re-
fecting both on our integrity and our
intelligence.
We are only plain farmers, unversed
in the technicalitics of law and the myS-
teries of Insurance, yet none Of us could
be made the "roolsn of any one or be
imposed on by "wilful and malicious
falselIoods." We spurn such insinua-
tions, and you arc right in saying that
myself and the gentlemen | represent
would "scornn being so used.
You are doubtless aware that for sew
eral years, widespread dissatisfaction,
confined to no class or section, has eX-
listed among your Policy Holders, in
sured on the half loan plan, and that all
of your agents acting under the same
instructions, because making the same
statements, have, unintentionally, no
doubt, misled their friends insuring
with them. We were deceived. too, by
your promises of large dividends, di-
rectly or indirectly made i'll all OF y5ur
early publications; and we were griev-
ously deceived in having the loans
charged against us when desiring toi
withdraw our investments. a common
sense interpre tation of the "notce" on
our policies and your official obstruction,
in yoeu hand uriting, signed by you as
President in 1868, together with other
evidence, justities US in our chage that
you have grossly violated your contracts,
when you now say through your actua-
~, luas uIlc>S llio lotiu 10 I'Afu, VIC Ah>S
no rights "outside of equity"
With all due Difference to your long
argument on the legality of our position,
allow me to refer to a recent decision in
favor of half loan" policy holder sue
ing you through the Circuit Court of}
Columbia, Judge Carpenter presiding.
Make the same settlement with US that
you made with DR.. J. E. Lewis, and that
is all we ask, he was insured like us. on
the halfloan plan, paying two years, and
you gave him paid up policy (without
the loan) for S2UO, the 'even hundreds"
you Tad received in cash from him.
Your later all-cash policies read, after
three annual payments, if a policy should
cease by non payment of premium &c:,
q paid up policy will be given, generally
equal and sometimes exceeding the cven
dollars paid in; yet Maj. Abran Jones,
having made five annual all-cash pay
ments, on 1000 policy, amounting
to IS, 1874 80 paid out, when contenpla-
ting a withdrawal was offered only
S2,30), payable 80 days after death, not
so per cent of the amount paid in. Wei
only refer to two out Of many similar
cases, having neither time nor means to
waste in newspaper discussions; and
with this we are done, simply asking
that justice be given to all, which will
be constant source of satisfaction.
Very Respectfully,