, 1881-04-16
A Few Blows From . Workman's
Hammer.

n. w. Garretson, Esq, Agent Northwestern
Life Insurance Company DEAR SIR: 1t isno'
usual to take notice of what . man publishes
and pays for rs an advertisement in the pub
lie press, bat when in doing SO he deliberately
attacks and srsduces an institution which be
deems rival. tins throwing down the gaunt-
let. it would be cowardly not to pick it up.
You have chosen the Ancient Order OF
United Workmen as target for your sarcasm
and wit! Why? Because its plan Of .insur
ance Is so truly mutual and gives protection tn
its members on such an economical and pure
basis that you find It is severely injsrins your
business as life insurance agent You make
the statement tha: 200 men agreeing to paw
the sum Of 5000 upon the death Of each one
Of their number, and not icing assessed more
than SIS , year, each would have TO live one
hundred and eleven years to pay the sum
naaIed. This at the first glance would s-em .
sound argument; but you carefully avoid
stating what you must know 10 be fact, that
as one member dies, another younger and more
,;-urecs recruit steps in 10 fill the gap and
th the h.h is kept rolling IN such \ manner
that taking the mortality tables which you
.alk so much about As guide, it can be dem
onstrated almost to = certainty what the as
sessments for each year will amount to-
Should the sources of the mighty Columbia
be cut off the river would soon empty itself
into the sea- and its bed become dry, but,
being reinforced continually from springs and
mountain streams. it flows on, INCREASINGLY,
VARYING in volume tbs true, with the seasons,
but the water that flows into the sea Is never
missed. being constantly replaced. You say
that membership of 20U0 carries a liability of
81, 900, ,000-granted- we are only called
upon to pay the interest, as it were, on that
sum, the principal still remains and is never
called in. Your attack upon one Of the best
orders unfer the sun to-day is unjust, uncailed
for and incorrect in its demonstrations, and If
Won imagine that such a pitiful, spiteful etfu-
sion as you have published viii benefit or re-
siscitate your expiring business. | fear you
will find you have made grievous biutder,
it will only serve to call the attention Of all
thinking men TO the difference between pure
ly mutual protective socirty, the object of
which is to afford the cheapest and best means
of providing for the widows and orphans of
its members, and so called life insurance com-
panies, the main objects Of which seem tn be
the payment of fat salaries tn officers and large
commissions lin some cases to my personal
knowl.rlse as high as 45 per ct.l to ,ents and
drummers Mutual benefit societies through
out the length and breadth of this great coun
try are by their Just and equitably devised
plans Of protection driving the cormorants
known as life insurance companies which have
fol 50 long been feeding vulture like on the
vitals of the public steadily to .he wall; hence
all this kicking and squealins from those c,n
nected from the latter.
l refer Won to an article in the New York
Herald Of March 18th on this subject. The
life insurance companies are endeavoring 70
have bill passed in the legislature of that
state, the object Of which is to crush out ali
beneficiary societies, by forcing them b, de-
post SO, 900, thus putting them on the same
footing as themselves. The article referfed to
goes On to enumerate q list of suspended fe
insurance companies which have "sone where
the woodbine twineth" since 1873: the list
comprises 43 companies with total liabilities
of over $50, ,0Oa, ,00J to the poor deluded policy
holders In one case the liabilities were Sl50.-
600 and assets $1,000, AMI in another the
liabilities amounted to over 81, 100000 with
assets s., ,000,0O0 / would recommend You To
peruss the article carefully and try To digest
some of the facts presented, but fear YOU
will find them too tough and apt t. make you
sick.
There i, to-day No institution in'this or any
other country that is Iloing a more civilizing
and truly charitable work than tie A .. L.
w, as thousands Of grateful widows and or,
phans can testify, and If the pursuance OF
your business c1mpeis .you to attempt to
throw discredit and doubt upon such al or
ganization l should strongly advise you to en-
gage in some honorable occupation
Yours truly,
W II. CREIGHTON.