The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1878-06-20
DAILY Ohio Statesman. June 81
THE BROTHERHOOD OF NAN,
Cur Surplus Profits How the are taken
from us Where they go to-RefOrm
and the State Mutual Aid Association
of Columbus.

In these days when every one is satisfied }
that business is out of joint, when il is
known there is an inequality and inequity ,
in things as we find them in the business !
as we'll as social and political world, it is :
not strange that we ask ourselves what is ,,
the cause, what is the remedy. The ten
dency toward the Capitalization of capital in !
the East, and the annual scooping in Of the
surplus of the West, into Eastern trust
vaults, and our continuous obligation to
the idle capital of the East, holding as it
does apparently continuous mortgage up
on the labor industry and productive pow
ers of the West, naturally leads US TO in
quire what is the remedy, and is there no
means of hnsbanding our resources and re-
tanning our surplus.
What a comment on Ohio to know that
the State is the third in importance in the
Union-in some repects the first il impor-
tance-in the high order of her peoples
intelligence; in the enterprising character
of her citizens; IN the wealth of her native
| productions; in her facilities for communi-
cations with the North, South, East ard
| West, and in her tillable acreage and the
resources of her soil and the neyhaustIble
wealth of her mines. There is no good rea-
son why she should not be saving and ac-
cumlating an aggregate surplus, to be en-
| ployed in developing her farms, increasing |
her manufactures, providing homes for
the industrious laborer, and giving employ |
ment to her citizens.
hands of the few, and thus driving the
many towards the evils of poverty, and,
finally, into the worst forms of commun-
ism or under an aristocratic form of gov
ernment, driving the many to dependence
little less than slavery. Those laws which
tend to encourage an equal distribution of
property without endangering industry OF
crippling individual ambitions gre the
most benefcent and civilizing in repub-
lie like ours, when the strength of the gov
, eminent rests in the contentment as well
as intelligence of the masses Such laws
are of the primest importance. The laws
of our State as applied to Life Insurance
: encouraging as they do in the act of 1872,
e and its amendments, mutual protection and
4 mutual aid association is in a great meas
ure, a colution $50 far as it goes) of our
; commercial difficulties. This law encour-
e ages a system of security to the family Of
b fering indemnity against absolute poverty
% in case of death. At just the cost of the
! security without allowing large accumula-
u tions of profit and surplus in the hands Of
le few stockholders who under former sys-
a TENS have held these annual accumulations
10 of millions against the real policy of ouI
institutions and against the best interests Of
J. Republican form of government.
K Some worthy writer has truly said that
~ "the personal right of property is the chie
< spur to human industry and thus lies al
=. the foundation of civilized society,"" ye
the isolation which grows out Of it results
10 in such evils as TO suggest communism a
ne remedy. The true system of insurance
of is that which secures a distribution of it
cd security without entIaling the great evil o
l 1f ~ tal T., tLary l.
&c which gives the security at actual cost, anc
he in this manner defeats the concentration o
We capital. Life insurance on the principa
n. of mutually is a borrowing of communism
just enough to cure some of the worst evil
ii' of family isolation without impairing tn
lse stimulus to personal exertion arising unde
by it. In general point of view the most i'm
m. pertant case of the utility of insurance
:, that which covers for the benefit of help
less family the chief source of sustenance-
the life of its productive head-Therefor
we say that the organization of mutual pre-
lection societies under our law of 1872,
the system which more than all others ar
no adapted to the peculiar nature ofour inst
tions more than all other systems it create
'"' and fosters brotherhood among its mem
g bers, while giving better and surer secul
ith ity than could possibly be given by an
a system, and secure a faithful administr,
>. ton of trust by not throwing into the hant
" of few the temptation to perpetrate fraud
u.s. and engage in reckless speculations wit
md the large accufnulations, which always O
full, cur in stock companies. This feature an
~, substantial element of mutual protectic
''' societies was discovered in the earliest da,
De Of life insurance. In 1893 system of Ii
red insurance, on the mutual protection pIa
: as made its first appearance in London, und
tho Of
ms 100 another Mutual Protection Socie
we was organized under the name of the rs
du- cfety of Assurance of Widows and Orp
lies ans" In 1706 the famous 'Amlcable S
,,so ciety" was organized, on the mutual pr
lection plan, and this society has contin
'ooo ed to do business through the changes
ices, over century and half; monument
/, in the brotherhood and fidelity of men VIII
t;oIo banded together in common and mutu
interest. for the certain and ennobling pi
Win pose of providing for each others famil
sup and ofsprings against want and sufIeril
al of It is hoped this system, already encol
Per- aged by our laws, will receive the unit
,rsa support and encouragement as a system
Arse the people of our State. 1t gives secur
on more than is given by stocks and boz
ople placed in the hands of few who are OF
;. be- interested in the profits, to hold, manil
brn late handle. It gives the security VIII
:, comes to an honest brotherhood of m
all 1t is security which is bound up in t
eans highest of all principles, making it the
non- Perhaps there has been no more sev
world drain on the earnings of her citizens dur
$50 the past fifteen years than the success
=. effort of Eastern capitalists TO draw on
ing industries resources of our State than t
'asily which has been developed by the patron
,oint- our citizens have given TO Eastern life
fire insurance companies. Yearly the {
zens of the State have paid for secu
against life and property millions of
man lars more than they have received in retl
", "if To fire insurance companies we are pay
} Ger. annuity on an average of three million
i'll 5o dollars to Eastern companies more than
1r, are receiving back for our losses. To
ha' insurance companies millions more go
steal nually. Take the year 1878, the life in
berly. ance companies of Eastern States rece
ont in from the people Of Ohio three millions
~, hundred thousand dollars more in premi
9yes' than the people received back-here
,r five then on an average ofnearly millions a
iskey, going out of the State to pay fora secu
ewes which she did not receive, SO that as
le pa noverish;no o,,rselves and onr;oh;na 7
'ut he ern capitalists. It is not case of nee
ty that our people should send this
mense surplus and profit out of the S
ession, 70 ootaln the security ana inden
in ex- n,od;tv - bona on Ia,.,, ~ H.
Stock viting our people to a reform in this
bank speot, and it is for them now to put
lip for opefalion ana ancourage the rI 1hstiIu
wheat cv of ali ages has baer io,vards ,bo
swine mate accumulation of capital into
rowing ject of each ofits members to do unto o.
18th an as 'ney wouiu nave others 90 unto