The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-07-19
Marriage Insurance.

From the Philadelphia Press.
The marriage insurance companies seem
to be doing a thriving business in the inte-
rior of the state, Notwithstanding Judge
Henderson can find no law authorizing
their incorporation. A Harrisburg com
pany claims to have put upon its books
within the past six months three millions
in marriage policies, and hopes to make
it ten before the year is out. A Lebanon
operator has hunted up all the engaged
and good-looking girls in that county and
has persuaded most, if not ALL of them to
take policies in his company.
Judge Henderson of Lebanan county OBJ
iects to these companies on the ground of
their .sinutility" The Insurance World
claims that marriage is not legitimate
subject for insurance, as it does not de-
pend upon contingencies beyond the con
troll of the individual. To this view we
arc confident many individuals will demur,
Marriage has been often COM
pared to a lottery, in which the
blanks predominant over the prizes. Ii
uncertainty is a necessary element in lnsur-
ance we can conceive of no more fit subject
for it than this very one of marriage. The
tens of thousands of bachelors and spin
sters in the country, and the probably still
greater number living in dissatisfied we'd
however much fundamentally inclined, can
foresee that his overtures will be accepted
Perhaps his excessive modesty will prevent
him from ever definitely broaching the sub
iect which lies nearest his heart, and while
he dallies and desponds, another more con-
fident wooer carries off the prize. Either
case illustrates the uncertainties OF mar
rage and the erroneous conclusions of the
Insurance World. For the weaker sex the
case is still worse. They may be never so
willing, yet old age overtakes them before
the coming man arrives Why of two wo-
men, whether grinding at the mill or smil-
ing in the parlor. one should be taken and
the other left is one of the mysteries Of
Providence inscrutable to mortals. There
may be many fatal objections to mar
riage insurance, but the want of I'M
certainty is surely not one of them
Where it is first doubtful whether
a man will be able to get married, and
again doubtful whether he viii be able to
stay married, there is certainly a fruitful
field for speculation.
Judge Mitchell evidently took this view
of the matter when on Saturday he grant
ed charter to the Pennsylvania Marriage
Beneficial association, thereby giving the
marriage insurance business a foothold in
Philadelphia. We have not yet seen the
charter of this company, but if its scope is
limited to merely furnishing impecunious
brides and grooms with wedding portions
there is still a field open for much more
comprehensive insurance. Poverty is but
one of the contingencies of wedlock and by
no means the gravest one. Death, fire
and even ill-health may be made the sub
ject of insurance in appropriate companies
already provided, but company which
would insure against illtemper in the wife
or dissipation in the husband or undue in
reference on the part of the mother-in
or which would guarantee not only def
mite sum on marriage but bona fide offer
of marriage or an acceptance as well,
would most undoubtedly be overwhelmed
with applications. We are not inordinate-
ly enamored with the marriage insurance
business, but whatever other arguments
may be urged against these companies, 1t
is clear that the objection that marriage is
something not subject to uncertainties is
anything but well taken.