The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-10-16
GALL Is NOT GOLD THAT aLITTERs."
The Experience Of Member Of "The Inde-
pendent Order Of Workingmen."

Editor of the Star:
About year and half ago the writer
was importuned by friend of long stand
ing to join the order, then known as the
"Independent Order of Workingmen."
Contrary to natural inclination, as we'll as
education, he yielded. For euphony or
other reason (P) the name of the order was
changed to the independent Order oil
Mutual Aid" Then We came to under
stand that the object of the ORDER was
Life Insurance" $1,000 was guaranteed
to each members family at his death. The
initiation fee agents commission) was ";
quarterly dues 81 so, and an assessment OF
81 Is on the death of each member.
Could man fifty years old ask better
thing? But this Order made 1t better.
Now this mystic Order of Mutual Aid was
somewhat complex in its organism. AS
the basis of all /, there were many subordinate
lodges; the Grand Lodges by States; and
over all was Supreme Lodge of the United
States. These all constituted one harmon
ious whole. The Supreme Lodge was beneh'
Gently disposed, and decreed that in addl-
tion to the s., 900 at the death of a member,
there should also be returned to his family
all the assessments he had ever paid into
his lodge. That was good. wasn't it?
The qualifications for membership were
elaborately set forth in the literature OF the
Order, but which on ultimate examination
were found to consist mostly of Faith,
Hope and Charity.
First-Faith to believe that the intimate
friend (the agent) understood all about the
Order and its affairs.
Second-Hope that each member would
live to be hundred years old, and be-
queath to his posterity $1,000 and all the
assessments he had ever paid in to the So
| ciety; and,
Third-Charity to believe that his init
mate friend had no sinister motive IN coax
| ing him to become a member.
| Passing these minor points excellent as
they were)we come to notice the grander
beauties of the Order. But here courage
almost fails lis. Milton himself could
hardly do the subject justice. "Grand
Lodges" Supreme Lodges" how august
these names! How peculiar their mystic
work. How patent their influence on the
outer world! Such were the conditions OF
the Independent Order OF Mutual Aid OF
the United Stutes
Another good point in this Order. No
raScally officer could run away with the
money! Members kept that in their own
pockets until it was needed to pay losses.
After all. it is queer what curious things
will happen.
This Independent Order of Mutual Aid
so perfectly constituted that it laid all its
predecessors and competitors in the shade,
with numerous "Subordinate Lodges
Grand Lodges" by States and Supreme
Lodge" of the United States, all moving in
grand harmony, akin to the solar system,
was nevertheless, subject to decay. 1t
came to its demise in this way. The men,
bers were not to blame (they never are), for
they kept paving up promptly until there
| were two series of losses running at the
same time.
The membe didn't understand that but
they didn't need to. So it is clear that
members were not at fault at all, for they
paid and kept Oh paying, and the officers
of subordinate lodges were not to blame
for anything, for they kept on saying to
the very last that 1t was all right and as
assessments came thicker and faster they
said it was only necessary to pay and nave
| faith, and the agents (well, no. they dldn
have any agents, but disinterested frlends
in the Order) kent saying have faith, our
membership is multiplying SO fast we
shall soon be the leading Order in the
United States. =,
But you know there are some men that
never are satisfied with what other men 40
unless they know how it is themselves. 90
it happened in the case of the "lndepen-
dent Order of Mutual Aid" A grand Off
Ger of the Grand Lodge of Ohio got to Pry-
Ing into the affairs of the Supreme Lodge,
and because the Supreme fellows didn't
show up to his satisfaction he caused the
charter of the Grand Lodge of Ohio TO oe
duly surrendered to the ''Supreme Lodge, y
and then. as the Yankees say, that Grand
Lodge was busted But alas! for the Su-
preme Lodge; quicker than you could say
Jack Robinson the Sheriff got after the Su-
preme Lodge and il busted, and the Sherln
couldn't find a nickel to pay the $l96,5OO
the Supreme Lodge owed to widows ana
orphans of deceased members.
The fact is this thing came on us
like a thief in the night and we couldn't
understand it, and we are yet unable to
find ANYBODY who can tell us how 1t was
that we had paid into "the Order" SO much
money in so short time and should still
owe widows and orphans $196,50O and be
busted besides. May be 1t was because
they had no Actuary, you know there
should always be an Actuary in Life In
surance, and so perhaps this is why the In
dependent Order of Mutual Aid mscarried
but as no one has any information on thi:
point, it is left to conjecture. But we woulo
advise new Orders forming and to bt
formed hereafter to look we'll to this point
Don't forget to have an Actuary.
Information is wanting as to many mat
ters of interest touching the Independent
Order of Mutual Aid, but as the Supreme
Lodge, whose good Office it was to furnish
every needed thing (but the money, thu
members furnished that) is busted. the de
mand can never more be supplied. There
fore, Queen City Lodge, Adieu, Crane
Lodse of Ohio, and Supreme Lodge of thu
United States, Adieu! "Pace Names"
Now, perhaps, you would like TO know
how we dispose of our part of this enter
prise. Briefly in this way, we carry thu
money paid to loss account and the expe
rience to profit and balance it in that way
Experts may figure this out at leisure.
1t only remains to be said that the abso
lutte protection of $1,000 during the yea
and eight months of our connection will
the Order of Mutual Aid at a cost of $73 u
(age fifty) yielded immense satisfaction vi
4 a. . ,,or,, tina n uh1sfnd " and in far