The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1876-11-30
TO OUR LEGISLATURE.
Life Insurance.

oliilonS Dy Lie 40SUFauce OOLn pahie5-
The Southern Lite of Memphis, the
CarOlina Life of Memphis, and two
of Nashville, have lately made
disastrous failures.
The policy holders in the two frat
will realize perhaps six cents on the |
dollar. These are samples of Tennessee
companies. The failures in other States |
have been almost as numerous and dis
astrous.
We call on our people to be ware Of
them, snd we imp!ore our law makers
to enact such measures as shall protect
our citizens If nothing else can be
done, enact q law prohibiting the bust
ness of life insurance in Tennessee. We
trust Gov. Porter viii recommend such
a measure to the Legislature. Put them
on ths same footing as lotteries, or what
is better make it = felony to carry on
the business in this State, and theE our
people will be protected.
We publish an article below from the
Albany IN 7 Las Journal of the
18th instant, which We commend to all
thinking persons, and particularly to
our legislators
The time has come round again for our
annual message on the subj ect of Life
Insurance We cannot say that our
previous nttsrancss on this subject have
produced any effect on legislation, al
though they have brought US a great
many protests and sonls visits from
agents of the. companies, and have
earned as in some quarters the accusa-
ompanies. Now, "prejudIced" means
''prepossessed by unsxaminsd opinions,
biased, and this, We protest, We are
not. We are righteously indignant at
the falsehood, the expressions, and the
multiform knaVery of the companies,
but our opinions are the result of long
observation and careful examination.
We are 40 more 'prejudiced" against the
life insurance companies than we are
against liars, oppressOrs, and those who
commit the crimes of the Decalogue, in
general And We purpose to keep on
writing against this monstrous m0nop-
oily and abuse until our much importu-
nit" shall weary somebody into doiRg
something to relieve the comm unity. IL
is best for the companies, too, that we
should do so, for if Ne do not, the
community will soon relieve themselves
The past year has been a disastrous one
for the companies, and just now comes
the news of the failure of one of the
largest of the New York city companies
1t is not our purpose to alarm or ex4g-
erats, but ne really believe that unless
some thorough legislative reforms are
speedily wrought upon this subject thsrs
will not be more than a score OF solvent
com panies left in this country twenty
years hence. Our legislature has done
one good and sensible thing IN enactius
that she companies shall give notice of
the amount of premium aud the time
when it falls due. within sixty days ol
that time, to all policy-hOlders. But
the two great abuses remain untouched,
and until these are Hprooted the enact
ment of WhiSh We have spoken is only
an invitation to the public to keep on
throwing away money. What the
legislature ought to do is, to enact, frat,
that no policy shall be vitiated except
by the fraudulent Misrepresentation Of
the assured ;and second, that this defense
must be set up within three years of the
issuing of the policy. In vain have VS.
urged the courts to hold that the breach
OF an immatarial warranty is innOsuous.
The shibbolsth of precedent Is too
strong Now, let the law n akiug power
wipe out the entire doctrine of Warran-
ties Why not2 Can any one Except
life insurer) invent the semblance of
reason for such doctrine? Let Us
look at = single case illustrating the
answers which the applicant is req aired
TO warrant correct We qnJts from 5h
opinion of the Court of ApDsa. in Fitch
'. american Popular Life Insurance Co.,
SO n. Y. SOS: Then follow a great
number of questions of the most min ute
character touching the insured, his con-
s1tutiUn, habits, ETC., and among others,
as to his WeIgnE how much increase or
diminition of weight in one year, and
la Eve years; what diseases he has had,
including those of childhood, whether
any place be has ever lived was subject
to any disease, and what as to his nab
its; hOw often be bathes; whether he
rises and retires regularly; whether late
or early; what he wears next his skin;
what kind of stimulants he uses, if any;
whether he takes his tea or coffee weak
or strORg; the extreme number of glasses
of ale, beer or cider or wins he takes in
Aoy1 tAA0S IA q AAOubE5
whether he has ever been intoxicated,
and how often; whether the action of
his bowels is regular every day; whether
be has any practice tending TO impair
health, et".; whether his vocation en-
dangers life or health; what iE will be;
whether he has reason to think that his
residence, vocation, or any circumstance
affecting him, will be more hazardous to
life and health than is at present the
case; whether his hands and fact are
usually warm or cold; whether any kind
of fruit usually produces ill-health
or indigestion; whether he has ever Rad
any of a long catalogue of diseases,
many of which are of character which
he might we'll have had without knowing
it, and which he might naturally deny
ignOrant!y; whether he has ever had any
disease of injury to any organ, or has
ever had any symptoms of disease of
any organ; whe5her he Is acquainted
with the laws of health, aud whether be
takes pains TO observe them, and a host
Of other questions which no human be- |
iBg could with safety undertake TO an
aver accurately and warrant the cor
rectness of his answers. And again /: |
"Phe president of the company, who |
appears to have besn 3 physician, emu
neFatss about fifty parts of the human /
body which comes under the denomIna-
ton of Organs, including among others |
tha oar7SIa,raa