Litchfield enquirer., 1877-08-02
LIFE INSURANCE.

It is estimated that in the United States more than half a million persons, chiefly men, have their lives insured for the ben- eft of those who will survive them, or, in many cases, for their own benefit if they survive designated age. The business is done by corporations more or less "mu- tual" in their constitution or charter, and
 more or less regulated in their conduct by State laws. These corporations, few of which are more than thirty years old, differ exceedingly as to the extent and amount of their business and the magni-
 tude of their resources, their number of policies ranging from less than one thous- and to more than Seventy thousand, and
 their assets, inclusive of future premiums from less than one hundred thousand dol lars to more than fifty millions. The num- Der of policies in force in 1873, in ffty-six companies, was S17, O81. The hard times may have caused the forfeiture ofmany of these since that time, and the failure of . number of companies rendered others worthless, yet it is probable that as many new policies have been issued as were lap. sed from these causes.
 Life insurance has furnished greater fa- cilities for feecing people of moderate means. than all other schemes of a like confidential character. Every imaginable | device for making the survivors of heads of families prospectively comfortable have been scattered pell nell throughout the land-new companies have sprung up like mushrooms, broken down preachers, 1 merchants and politicians have been plac- ed in comfortable berths, wherein they | could laZily prey on the unsuspecting vic- | tim of the inexorable ''solicitor" who went about seeking whom he might devour for | a profitable percentage on the premium. While life insurance companies were de- signed to be, and are in their nature, be- nevolent savings institutions, they have been seized by rascally speculators for thelr own base purposes. Rings have been formed and schemes set on foot de- liberately to obtain possession of com panies having heavy schedule of asRets that they might be gutted and the policy holders victimized. Some of the richest companies in the country have fallen Q prey to these robbers, and completely and brazenly has the work of spoliation succeeded that the public have almost completely lost confidence in the system. The taxpayers have paid liberal salaries to support men in office whose duty ik vas to look after these immense and sacred trusts but the expenditure has been in vain. Hardly State Tn the Union but has wit. messed the downfall of one or more of these life companies, and they fell io pieces just when the patd guardian of the people was crying loudest about the sOl. vency of the suspected institutions. .,
 It is evident that something moge than has yet been attempted, must be done to stop these raids of speculators, and rob bery by professional wreckers. Laws im- posing the severest penalties for the de- vices commonly practiced by these plun. derers must be enacted. There should be no loophole left through which the guilty official could possibly escape. Not only should such laws be passed covering life insurance companies, but all trusts of similar nature, including saving banks and stock companies. The Union has ad- vocated vigorous measures covering this ground eyer since the failure of the Town send bank. It is to be hoped that the next Legislature will act promptly and cOmprehenslvely.- HdUen Union.
 ''Got all kinds of ties here?' said Q would-be wit, entering we'll known fur. nlshing store. '.Yes, sir, replied the l shopman. Well: I should like pig sty," remarked the customer. "All right, sir; just bend. down your hogshead and we will take your measure" said the ready